Mi’kmaw student artwork featured on national granola bar packaging
A Grade 7 Mi’kmaw student’s design will appear on Made with Local’s Strawberry Sunshine granola bar nationwide, highlighting Mi’kmaq language and community stories in retail stores across Canada.
Natoaganeg student’s design chosen for national packaging
When Reese Simon entered a province-wide contest last spring, she submitted a hand-drawn strawberry scene that has since been selected to wrap thousands of granola bars sold across Canada.
The winning Mi’kmaw student artwork appears on the seasonal Strawberry Sunshine bar produced by Made with Local, a Nova Scotia snack company that has grown into a national brand.
Retailers carrying the bar include major chains as well as local convenience stores, bringing the design from a classroom sketchbook to supermarket shelves.
The selection was announced after judges reviewed more than 50 entries from Mi’kmaw students across New Brunswick.
Made with Local founder Sheena Russell said the company had not previously used outside artwork on bar packaging, and that Simon’s design immediately stood out.
The contest was run in partnership with the North Shore Mi’kmaw Tribal Council, which represents seven Mi’kmaw communities in northern and central New Brunswick.
Contest framework and community partnership
Made with Local launched the Strawberry Sunshine wrapper contest to invite youth participation and celebrate local culture through food packaging.
Organizers worked with the North Shore Mi’kmaw Tribal Council to promote the initiative to schools and community groups in the region.
The partnership aimed to create an authentic connection between product, place and the voices of young artists in Mi’kmaw communities.
Entries were evaluated on creativity, cultural relevance and visual impact, according to contest coordinators.
The contest specifically encouraged students to explore strawberry-related themes, community memories and language, resulting in a range of interpretations and styles.
Judges cited the inclusion of Mi’kmaq language and a strong compositional sense as factors that elevated Simon’s submission.
Design elements highlight language and local stories
Simon’s illustration features bright strawberries, a sun motif and natural elements arranged in a playful, colourful composition.
Crucially, the artwork includes the Mi’kmaq words Atuomko’mink (strawberries) and Na’gu’set (sun), which the young artist said reflect her connection to culture and community.
Contest partners and the company noted that featuring Indigenous language on commercial packaging was both rare and meaningful for shoppers and community members.
The decision to include Mi’kmaq words was described as a deliberate choice by Simon, who told organizers that language is her favourite part of her culture.
Community partnerships lead Erica Ward said hearing elders and youth share stories about strawberries underscored the project’s cultural significance.
Ward emphasized that small shared stories—like a childhood memory tied to a strawberry—become collective touchstones when presented to a wider audience.
Prizes, mentorship and additional recognition for the artist
As part of the award, Simon received an art kit that included supplies from Indigenous companies and a one-on-one mentoring session with a local artist.
School and community celebrations followed the announcement, with the prize presented at Natoaganeg School’s end-of-year awards ceremony in June.
The recognition extended beyond the granola bar contest: another of Simon’s designs was selected for a commemorative RCMP J Division coin shortly after her win.
Family members described the young artist as energetic, outgoing and creative, and said the wins have been a proud moment for the household.
Reese’s grandmother, Freda Simon, highlighted her granddaughter’s dedication to art and design, noting how those qualities have long been evident at home and at school.
Teachers and community leaders called the combination of retail exposure and mentorship an important boost for a young artist at the start of middle school.
Made with Local’s growth and rationale for the initiative
Made with Local began in 2012 selling snacks at farmers’ markets in Nova Scotia and has since expanded its distribution into more than 3,000 retail outlets nationwide.
Founder Sheena Russell said the company wanted the Strawberry Sunshine campaign to reflect local stories and to introduce consumers to community-created art.
The wrapper contest represents the first time the brand used externally sourced artwork on a bar, a step Russell described as testing a new approach to packaging and community engagement.
The company’s decision to partner with a tribal council was framed as part of a broader effort to deepen relationships with Indigenous communities in the region.
Russell said consumers responded positively to early social media teasers that highlighted the language and design, indicating appetite for culturally rooted product storytelling.
By elevating a Mi’kmaw student’s work, Made with Local positioned a seasonal product as a vehicle for cultural visibility in mainstream retail environments.
Community reaction and educational impact in Natoaganeg
School staff and community leaders marked Simon’s achievement at a public ceremony that acknowledged both artistic merit and cultural expression.
Educators stressed that the contest offered a learning opportunity beyond art skills, including public engagement, language affirmation and professional mentoring.
Students observing the ceremony were encouraged to see creative work as a way to reach audiences beyond the schoolyard.
For elders and families, the project sparked conversations about shared memories and the role of food in cultural identity.
Erica Ward described how stories about strawberries—simple family moments or harvest recollections—resonated across generations during the contest activities.
That intergenerational exchange was cited as one of the most meaningful outcomes by tribal council representatives and participating teachers.
Reese’s presence on store shelves is already prompting pride within her home community, where relatives and neighbours have shared images and purchases.
Local retailers such as Joe’s Kwik Way reported seeing community members seek out the Strawberry Sunshine bar to support the young artist.
The visibility gives students a concrete example of how local culture and language can be celebrated in everyday consumer spaces.
This national packaging placement marks a milestone for a young Mi’kmaw artist whose work now travels beyond community boundaries, and it reflects a broader trend of small food companies leveraging local creativity to tell richer stories on store shelves.
