The Bonavista Biennale harnesses the power of art to enrich culture and community. To give people new ways to see, experience and engage with the world.
The Bonavista Biennale is an innovative, rural-based, public art event occurring every two years on Newfoundland’s Bonavista Peninsula. It provides a unique platform for artists and audiences to explore, exchange and challenge different ideas and perspectives.
The Biennale includes strong representation of artists from Newfoundland and Labrador, grounding the exhibition in this place while creating thoughtful dialogue with artists from across Canada and beyond.
The Biennale features emerging and established artists, working in all types of media. Installations and events take place in unconventional outdoor and indoor locations across the Peninsula, embedding contemporary art in the historic spaces and daily places of rural communities. Biennale visitors experience artworks alongside the complex and compelling histories, economies, geological features and environments that shape the Bonavista Peninsula.
Our mission is to make a positive cultural, economic and social impact on the Bonavista Peninsula through the presentation of contemporary art.
The Biennale is a vital component of equitable access to the arts across Canada, and a means to rural community revitalization. It brings contemporary art to a rural area, engaging residents and visitors through exhibitions, events and educational experiences. The Biennale contributes to cultural tourism, employment and visitor spending on the Peninsula. Since the Biennale began in 2017, it has exhibited more than 75 artists, created 30 seasonal jobs, partnered with over 30 local organizations, engaged thousands of local residents, and generated almost $1.5 million in new spending on the Peninsula.
The Bonavista Biennale is continually evolving as an organization. The Biennale is committed to responsible growth, investment in people, and operating in an open, responsive and collaborative ways.
Bonavista Biennale Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization supported by financial and in-kind contributions from organizations and individuals in the public, private and non-profit and sectors (registered charitable number 837111392RR0001).