Spotlight on Our Creative Home: Trinity Bay North Mural Project
It's not like the community of Trinity Bay North needs anything to enhance its beauty; the area's natural charm and sea-soaked splendour has captured the hearts of many a traveller and as the home of North America's only union-built town, it has a character that's all its own.
When the communities of Port Union, Melrose, Catalina and Little Catalina came together to form Trinity Bay North in 2005, they didn't lose their own unique identities but rather, formed a patchwork that strengthened the character of the community as a whole while contributing to its shared sense of place.
In 2025, the town took a creative approach in celebrating the 20th anniversary of amalgamation, commissioning local artist Trish Rogers (with the help of her daughter Angelina Rogers) to create a bold and beautiful mural that seamlessly weaves together the history, heritage and character of each community.
Consisting of four 4' x 6.5' panels (installed at the Frank Power Chalet in Port Union), the theme of the piece, "Unity Through Uniqueness", comes through loud and clear. The stunning mural, says Doreen Rumbolt, Deputy Mayor of Trinity Bay North, helps enhance community pride and the hope is that it'll help draw even more visitors to this lovely part of the province.
Unity Through Uniqueness by Trish and Angelina Rogers shows the unique character of Trinity Bay North (consisting of the communities of Melrose, Port Union, Catalina and Little Catalina.
"This mural shows history and present day...the past enhancing the present and future...We wanted to show the differences of each community with its own identity as well as coming together as one," she says.
"Residents were very proud to have local artists given the opportunity to create the mural. Everyone that has seen the completed work is amazed at the talent shown. The mural is awesome! This is the response expressed by all, locals and visitors alike."
We connected with artist Trish Rogers to learn more about how the piece (painted between 380 to 400 hours over the course of 16 weeks) came together, the strength of the call of home and the joy of creating.
Artist Trish Rogers adds detail to a coastal scene featured on the mural.
Business & Arts NL: Do you have any personal connection to Trinity Bay North?
Trish Rogers: I'm originally from Catalina and have a lot of wonderful childhood memories there. I spent a lot of time outdoors, running around in the grass and trees, sculpting with snow in the winter, swimming and riding my bike. I was in figure skating, sea cadets (drums!) and I spent a lot of time playing with my cousins or drawing in my room. When the weather was inevitably terrible, you could find me sitting on the floor drawing pictures, listening to the radio or TV.
After the plant closed in the early '90s, a lot of people left town with their families and went to the mainland for work. We left in the summer of '96 and I started high school in Ontario soon after. I always wanted to come back, but the timing was never right. I'm thankful every day that we're home.
Business & Arts NL: I understand you worked with another artist on this piece — your daughter, Angelina. How did that go?
TR: Angelina helped primarily with the preparation and planning stages of the mural. Because work on the mural started later in the year, it was a struggle for her to balance homework and other obligations, so she turned the focus to getting caught up at school. She was still on site if I had questions and needed another set of eyes.
Business & Arts NL: Your mural consists of four distinct pieces that tie together beautifully as a whole. Can you share a bit more about the concept and theme of the mural? And did you collaborate with the town on the design?
TR: It was a collaboration with the town, and I really appreciated the advice they gave in the planning stages. There were representatives from each town and a couple of the organizations who attended the meetings, checked the progress and made suggestions.
As for the symbolism of the panels, I pull out the speech I gave at the unveiling:
Melrose
"The first panel represents Melrose and was designed around the concept of 'community'. The background features some brightly coloured houses. There is a shared yard in front where people gather to tell stories, dry cod and converse. A fishing stage can be seen on one side with a flake on the other. The background features the iconic 'ragged rocks' and in the foreground there is an older man with children sitting on the grass listening to stories.”
Port Union
“The second panel is called 'Revitalization' and was designed around the strides made in Port Union in the past two decades with the restoration project at the Coaker Foundation. We placed the factory and the bungalow as a central focus, with musicians in front. There is a young girl holding a fiddle close to the front of the panel, representing both the younger folks and also a tie to traditional culture.”
Catalina
“The Catalina panel was designed with 'unity' in mind and includes the Catalina harbour and some of the surrounding landscape. People in the foreground grow or forage food near a greenhouse and signs of the fishing industry. A shared community greenhouse stands as a symbol of shared effort and prosperity.”
Little Catalina
“The Little Catalina panel is titled 'Resilience'. We chose bright sunrise tones and light to represent hope. Calvary church stands tall in the background alongside the arch rock with sunrise pouring through the centre, illuminating the rest of the panel. A fisherman hangs nets to dry and watches the boats coming in while a pony grazes near a stage. The fishing net from this panel flows across the other panels and further binds them together.
This mural represents and celebrates the resilience, revitalization, community and unity of Trinity Bay North. Using bright colours and common symbols, we highlight some of the culture, heritage and strength of the people here."
I also left a couple Easter eggs in the work for fun.
Business & Arts N: What was the overall experience like creating this piece and what was your favourite part of the process?
TR: Working on this project was so much fun — even with the time crunch. I like a challenge, but seriously, I'd love it if this was my job full time. When I was working on the mural, I would come home from work and cook supper for me and the kids, then paint until late. I played records, podcasts, youtube, Doctor Who or Spotify in the background. Sometimes I had the kids sitting on the floor next to me so I could help with homework and paint at the same time. My pets also liked to keep me company while I was working so I had lots of company. It was great; I felt in my element.
To keep organized, I made a schedule outlining how much work should be done by the end of each week so I could keep track of my progress. I also had a budget and an inventory — plus check-ins with the town council every few weeks to go over progress.
A furry friend checks out Trish’s progress.
Business & Arts NL: What kind of feedback have you received so far?
TR: So far the reception has been very good. When the work was first unveiled, I had a lot of people in the town come up to me after and compliment the work, but I was very surprised when I got recognized by some tourists in a town two hours away.
Business & Arts NL: How has this project impacted you as an artist and how was the opportunity meaningful for you?
This project made me realize how much I want to start getting some of my bigger projects off the ground. I'm finally starting to get the ball rolling on a couple stories I had tucked away for years. I'm so thankful to have been given this opportunity. I take commissions — since the mural I've painted a couple signs for bed and breakfasts, cabins and did a few small works for sale in a couple places. I also had one of my drawings end up on a broadcast that was seen by many people — I'm still stunned by that.
Business & Arts NL: Is there anything you'd like to add?
TR: I love telling stories with art. I do commissions besides my own art — painting, line art, digital art, pixel art. I've taught myself how to knit, crochet and play piano. I like to sing. I think I'm just happiest when I'm making things, even if I'm just making noise.
Click here to learn more about the Our Creative Home program.