The balcony of the Fine Arts Building at Grenfell Campus is now adorned with a significant piece of art by visual artist Melissa Tremblett.

Tremblett is of Innu and English heritage from the community of Sheshatshiu, Labrador, and is currently based in Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk territory (Bay of Islands, Western Newfoundland).

Her work is multidisciplinary: installation, performance, and photography, as well as traditional techniques such as doll making and beading.

Tremblett graduated with a bachelor of fine arts, visual arts (2015) from the Grenfell Campus and a bachelor of science, behavioural neuroscience (2011), from Memorial University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and abroad.

The balcony mural titled “caribou coat continuum” was launched on Nov. 1. It was created in the summer of 2023 through a residency with the Grenfell Art Gallery that resulted in the re-envisioning of the balcony as a public work of art. 

Tremblett's piece is inspired by the traditional Innu caribou coat. Caribou coats, worn during hunting season, were decorated with intricate patterns that often continued along the tail of the coat. The mural "caribou coat continuum" wraps the balcony the way the Innu motifs would wrap around a sleeve or the bottom of a coat, she said.

“The continuing pattern that wraps around the balcony is meant to represent the caribou coat. Each woman, as she designs a coat pattern, has her own style, using fringe or border on all the jackets, and I considered that as I created this mural,” said Tremblett.

The installation brings a warmth to the face of the Fine Arts building, and fosters a connection to students and their futures as artists in the community, said Jane Walker, director, Grenfell Art Gallery.

“From a personal perspective I am especially proud to see Melissa's work as the first outer balcony mural,” said Walker who graduated the visual arts program with Tremblett in 2015. “It is a joy to see my peer's work evolve over 13 years, from first-year student to billboard muralist!"

Creating a public art space on the Fine Arts Balcony is an exciting opportunity for the years to come, as the gallery plans to update the balcony artworks annually or biannually.

“As an alumnus myself, it was a very special experience to work with Melissa to support the public presentation of her work,” said Diana Chisholm, who managed the project for the School of Fine Arts. “Public art such as this creates an alternative exhibition space for the gallery and makes the experience of such thoughtful and considered work more accessible to the public.”

The creation of the mural for the exterior of the building was made possible with support from ArtsNL and Year of the Arts funding.