The BMS would like to acknowledge the professional creativity, skill, and hard work that goes into each and every one of our murals. A huge thank you goes out to all the artists who have worked with us to achieve our vision. Thank you for listening, understanding, and giving shape to the pride we feel for our Town of Berwick.
The Artists
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Painted by Kristen De Palma of KDP Letters, Jake Seibert of Talking Wall Designs, Charvel Rappos, and Anya Kaz
Painted by Michael Burt, Daniel Burt, and Justin Fraser-Fong
First Peoples Mural
The Berwick Mural Society operates on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq (L’nu’k) Peoples. The BMS is dedicated to sharing the histories, stories, and cultures of the People of this Land, and is offering a space within the community of Berwick to share a part of this story through mural art. The Berwick Mural Society’s Call for Proposals for the 2024 First Peoples Mural has closed. We are pleased to announce that Lorne Julien, Mi’kmaq artist and member of Millbrook First Nation, will be creating a mural in Summer of 2024. Check back with our calendar to see the proposed start date, weather permitting.
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More information coming soon.
Diversity Mural
The Berwick Mural Society proudly announces Halifax artist Ibe Ananaba as the winner of their 2023 mural competition. This year’s theme is diversity and the large-scale mural will be featured on the expansive south wall of the Shur-Gain Feeds’n Needs building located at 229 Commercial Street. The start date of the mural was Tuesday, June 20th, and was completed on the 6th of July, 2023.
Photo by Phil Vogler
Photo credit to Romaine Rhoden of Basha Koncepts
Photo by Phil Vogler
In Ananaba’s own words, the Diversity Mural is "To honour Berwick's soul and legacy as a diverse and inclusive community, I plan to celebrate the multi-racial uniqueness of the town through a vibrant and heartwarming visual story that portrays the growing diversity of the town's cultural identity. Through bonding amongst different ethnicities and expression of contemporary communal living, regardless of age, status, or belief, this mural will reflect Berwick's warmth and welcoming nature and uphold her pride as Nova Scotia's apple capital."
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Asked about the inspiration behind the Berwick Mural Society, Board President Greg Hubbert explained, “Mural art is available and accessible for all to see and enjoy as it adds to the beautification of our town. It also helps to create a sense of pride in who we are as a small town and what we see as our future direction.”
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To read these excepts and more, find our Diversity Mural Press Release here.
Centennial Mural
The Berwick Centennial Mural is to commemorate the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Incorporation of Berwick as a Town on May 25th, 1923. The mural planning began with the selection of an artist through a Call for Proposals in April of 2022. The winning design — created by Kristen De Palma, KDP Letters in partnership with Jake Seibert, Talking Wall Designs — was chosen through several stages of deliberation. Painting began on May 13th and was completed on May 21st, 2022.
Photos courtesy of Phil Vogler
From left to right: artist Charvel Rappos, Jake Seibert of Talking Wall Designs, Kristen De Palma of KDP Letters, and artist Anya Kaz
Photos courtesy of Phil Vogler
The Berwick Centennial Mural was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Berwick's incorporation, but also as a celebration of the community's past, present, and future. Each letter in "Berwick" represents an important aspect of Berwick's culture. Beginning from left to right, the "B" features an image of the wharf in Harbourville, which was one of the early locations for exporting apples grown in Berwick. Many individuals living in and around the community also have close ties to Harbourville, having taken trips to the shore, owning cottages along the coast, or through familial and ancestral ties to the coastal community. The letter "E" depicts the active living aspect of the community through the prominent and historic Harvest Moon Trailway, which once was the route of the Dominion Atlantic Railroad. The letter "R" features the historic United Church Campgrounds of Berwick, which is home to many of the oldest hemlocks in the country. The "W" and "I" showcase the importance of renewable energy and Berwick's Progressive Energy Program. The image on the left depicts the hydroelectric dam Factorydale, and on the right is the Ellershouse Wind Farm, together making up 40% of all Berwick's energy, and making the community a trailblazer among renewable energy programs in the province. The "C" depicts a hockey player, representing the many sports teams that have thrived in the community over the years, especially since the construction of the KMCC in 2010. Lastly, the "K" features a tractor, symbolizing the rich agricultural background of the community and its role in the establishment of Berwick as a community.
Berwick Fruit Company LTD
Our first mural project began on the Berwick Fruit Company building in early September of 2021. The objective of our first mural was to highlight the significance of the Berwick Fruit Company Ltd in the establishment of Berwick as the Apple Capital of Nova Scotia. The Mural depicts an image of apple barrel transport in Berwick, and features George Richard Bezanson on the left of the cart, a past resident of Berwick and cooper by trade. The second section of the mural was completed in September of 2022.
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Photos courtesy of Phil Vogler
Photos courtesy of Phil Vogler
Photos courtesy of Phil Vogler
The original Berwick Fruit Company was established in 1908 and began renting a warehouse from A. S. Magee. In 1912, leadership of the company moved to John N. Chute who then formed the Berwick Fruit Company Limited. The original wooden warehouse burned down on the 12th of February, 1923. A new brick building was built on the same site — the building which still stands today — some time before 1935.
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The foundation of the Berwick Fruit Company Limited in 1912 eventually led to the formation of the United Fruit Companies of Nova Scotia Limited, which was the central company of over 50 cooperative fruit companies throughout the valley. The exports of apples from Berwick through the United Fruit Companies of Nova Scotia expanded internationally, with John Chute overseeing the international exports of apples from Berwick and the rest of the Valley to locations in the UK. By this time, apples from Berwick and from other locations in the United Fruit Companies of Nova Scotia Limited were already being exported across Canada.