Outstanding work... and a glorious spectrum, too!

From pieces that draw on traditional knowledge, techniques, and media, to one-of-a-kind works that reflect contemporary explorations, Newfoundland and Labrador craft has something to appeal to every taste. And whether your eye is attracted by a hand-knit sweater or a bone carving, silver jewellery or spun pewter, ceramic tableware or fibre art, a closer look will reveal the hand of a professional craftsperson and the heart of a passionate maker.

Distinctive, authentic works of craft can be found right across the province—an urban and rural craft studios and in more than 150 craft shops and galleries, and also at annual craft fairs. And here's a bonus: at many of these venues the work has been selected through a jurying process that guarantees its excellence.

Passionate People

Newfoundland and Labrador is a big, inspiring place, and the province's craftspeople are spread across its spectacular landscape.

They work from colourful downtown studios and at home in rural communities. They work on their own or with partners, in small business enterprises and through co-operative cottage industries. Among them are Aboriginal craftspeople, established designers, youthful entrepreneurs—as well as a variety of combinations of all of these.

Unifying the diverse, widespread mix of personalities, ages, and backgrounds is a significant quality shared by all—a deep commitment to creating authentic and original work that meets high design and professional standards.

A Professional Approach

The strength of our craft community is due in large part to strong leadership. The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, together with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada, provides an array of training, marketing, and export initiative. So successful is this support, that in recent years the economic impact of the sector has grown by about 13% annually.

The province's craftspeople pursue professional development through the College of the North Atlantic (which offers Textile Studies and Visual Art programs) and the Anna Templeton Centre in downtown St. John's, as well as through workshops offered by the Craft Council and other supporting agencies.

Despite the distances that separate them, craftspeople in Newfoundland and Labrador are a community. They share what they know and they support their peers and craft organization. They realize that by doing so they not only benefit each other, but also deepen and enrich the practices of all.