Spotlight on Our Creative Home with Municipalities NL and Business & Arts NL
Have you ever strolled around one of the province's picturesque towns or cities and admired a piece of public art (like the lovely murals of Botwood or brightly painted traffic boxes found throughout St. John's)? Or perhaps you've enjoyed some tunes by a musician performing at an outdoor venue or special event, or learned a cool new skill during an artist's workshop. The arts adds so much colour and vibrancy to our communities and lives.
Now, through a partnership between Municipalities Newfoundland & Labrador (MNL) and Business & Arts NL, municipalities in the province will have a unique opportunity to celebrate the Year of the Arts, while embracing community collaboration.
The "Our Creative Home" initiative, funded by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, was officially launched on May 3 during the 2024 Municipal Symposium at the Quality Hotel & Suites in Gander.
Amy Henderson, Executive Director of Business & Arts NL, says a few words about the “Our Creative Home” initiative during the 2024 Municipal Symposium in Gander.
John Haggie, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, formally announces the “Our Creative Home” initiative.
“Our Creative Home” will provide funding for up to 12 municipalities to create an artist-in-residence program or commission an indoor mural - helping foster opportunities for local municipalities to champion art that reflects their diverse identities and perspectives, while highlighting how the arts enhances our lives and brings people together.
The selected municipalities will have access to:
Up to $10,000 for an artist fee for the selected artist
Tools and guidance to help create, advertise, select, welcome, and support an artist-in-residence project
Travel and accommodation fees for participating artists who don’t live in the community (up to $2,300 is available per artist to cover travel to and from the location, and up to five days accommodation/per diem)
Up to $300 in paints for a mural project, provided by The Paint Shop
The deadline for interested municipalities to apply for either the mural stream or the artist residency stream is May 29, 2024. Want to see a new artistic project in your municipality this year? Make sure to share this opportunity with your local municipal office or town councillors!
Never hosted an artist or commissioned a mural before? Not to worry! Business & Arts NL will provide guidance and support to help you design a project that's the right fit for your community and select the right artist for the job.
Click here for more information on the "Our Creative Home" initiative, including FAQs.
Want to learn more? Interested municipalities can join us for an online information session on Friday, May 17 at 10am (click here to register). You can also reach out to Tobias Romaniuk, MNL's communications and marketing officer, via email with any questions.
