Who We Are
(Un)Common work to elevate arts, business, and communities
Our Mission
We are committed to empowering the creative sector by fostering connections, building capacity, and supporting the sustainable growth of artists and arts organizations. We facilitate meaningful collaboration between creative individuals, businesses, and the arts community to drive innovation, mutual understanding, and the exchange of resources and ideas. We do this because we know that the arts are vital to the identity and economic future of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Our work includes:
Capacity Building: We help artists and arts organizations improve their business skills by offering workshops and training, connecting pro bono supports, and hosting mentorships.
Connections: We help partners in the public and private sectors hire artists for jobs big and small, from buying local thank you gifts to commissioning iconic public artworks.
Community: We build community by hosting events that bring together creative people from across sectors to learn from each other and be inspired together, and share stories of creative partnerships across the province.
Programs and Services
We do this through a full slate of programs, services, and direct facilitation of collaborations. Some of our most recent work includes:
Programs that train and match volunteers and arts boards, and help arts organizations improve their business practices and overcome hurdles.
Events focused on how to find, channel, and capitalize on creativity; conversations between arts and business, featuring, for example, Rick Mercer and Taylor Young. Other events focus on novel partnerships between arts and business, like Horizon Maritime’s Indigenous Artist Residency, and MINI St. John’s Art Car.
Partnerships with organizations like the Genesis Centre, Horizon Maritime, Memorial University, and the St. John’s International Airport who work with artists to commission new works, bring people together, and inspire passersby and customers.
Materials like the Local Holiday Gift Guide, which featured 89 NL artists and helped over 1700 customers shop local and handmade last year.
…and much, much more!
Members
Our work is supported by our members; businesses and organizations across the province who believe in the power of creativity, that a vibrant creative community contributes to a resilient economy, and who embrace arts and culture as part of what makes Newfoundland and Labrador attractive and unique.
Anna Templeton Centre/
QVV Artisan Studios
Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl
Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation
Staff
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Amy Henderson has served as the Executive Director of Business & Arts NL since 2014. The first chapter of her career was rooted in the arts community, working as a choral conductor and educator in Quebec, Ontario, and Newfoundland. This background in leading ensembles and managing nonprofit organizations provided the foundation for her current work: designing programs and services that meet the needs of the artistic community while engaging the broader public. Her work is driven by a deep-seated belief in the vital role of creativity to enrich our lives and strengthen our provincial resilience.
Beyond this role, Amy is the Artistic Director of Projēkt Chamber Voices. In this capacity, she leads a community of singers focused on the "living edge" of classical music, delivering high-level performances of works by living composers that reflect current themes. Her approach is defined by a commitment to professional excellence and a belief that collaborative, inclusive environments drive the greatest social and cultural impact. With over two decades of experience, she excels at navigating the complex spaces between business and the arts to build meaningful, purposeful partners
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Linda has always been a storyteller at heart, spinning short and tall tales since she was a child. Eventually, she carried her love of the form to Memorial University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Folklore, followed by a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Linda loves local arts, taking in as many plays, concerts and festivals as she can, and is always on the lookout for the next great story. She feels fortunate to connect with so many incredibly talented and innovative artists through the Spotlight on Partnerships blog, as well as many folks from the local business community who believe in and support Business & Arts NL’s mission.
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Lynn Panting is a Newfoundland-based artist, arts educator and arts advocate. She brings two decades of arts administration experience to Business & Arts NL. Her specializations include leadership, production, special events, professional development, and community building.
Lynn is deeply committed to the growth of creativity and self-confidence through movement and holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Memorial University as well as a Master of Humanities concentrating in performance, dance and the body. Lynn is the owner and artistic director of Lynn Panting Dance, the Artistic Director, Producer of Untellable Movement Theatre, and a founding member of Ladies Who Lunch Productions.
lynnpantingdance.com
Our Board of Directors
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Business & Arts NL Co-chair
After working in the local arts community for many years, I found Business and Arts NL a logical and necessary next step in the evolution of community collaboration. Everything good we do in this province is shot through with the creative spirit of arts practice and design intelligence, and it is time to recognize just how much arts and business activities depend on each other to make life here more rich and interesting. BANL is the home of that principle.
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Take the Shot Productions
As a film and TV producer/writer, my work life is deeply immersed in the marriage between business and arts. Creative problems solving has a place in every enterprise, and so many firms can benefit from the design process to address the business needs. I am grateful to sit on the board of directors of Business & Arts, as it is the perfect environment to help celebrate the natural bond between these two important disciplines.
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Garrick Theatre
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Grant Thornton
David A. Hood, FCPA, CPA, ICD.D, TEP is a retired partner of Grant Thornton LLP. His post-retirement practice mainly involves trust and estate planning, succession planning, strategic planning, and corporate governance.
David is currently on the boards of Artistic Fraud of NL, Bonavista Biennale Inc, Business & Arts NL, Engaging Community & Arts NL, and Genoa Design International.
In 2019 he was awarded the Patron of the Arts Award by Arts NL for his extensive work in assisting artists and arts organizations with governance, financial, and general business matters. He learns just as much from them.
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Tyndrum Media & Entertainment Inc.
I love being on the BANL Board. As an artist on this board, I am always learning from my fellow board members. They are all very versatile, creative, smart and genuinely invested in making our community and our province a more remarkable place to live. I love that this organization is inclusive, diverse and constantly brainstorming to create opportunities to bring our business and arts communities together. Though we have many program initiatives, a couple of my favourites are our artist painted Come Play with Me public pianos, and our Business Volunteers for the Arts Program. I also love our Holiday Gift Guide; it has inspired several great Christmas gifts for my family and friends.
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Camber Arts | Metcalf Foundation
As co-director of Camber Arts in Western Newfoundland, and Fellow on Arts and Society with the Metcalf Foundation in Toronto, finding innovative approaches to strengthening cultural non-profits is a central priority. I am proud to be on the board of Business and Arts NL, and see huge importance in the work this organization is doing, sharing the strategies and cultures of the arts and the private sector in ways that enrich both.
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Genoa Design International Ltd.
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Mark Ploughman Consulting
Throughout my life, I have been engaged with innovation either in the technology sector or in shaping government policy. I have learned that a dynamic business community cannot exist in the absence of a vibrant arts scene. Business and Arts NL represents the best of what Newfoundland and Labrador has on offer for a modern, creative economy. It builds on our collective talents to help shape an exciting future for this amazing place. I am grateful to have a front row seat.
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Strategic Directions Inc.
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Tauna Staniland, KC, ICD.D is a corporate commercial and transactional lawyer with significant experience in the mining, tech and governance sectors and for whom creativity and ingenuity are key parts of providing commercial clients with strategic advice. Tauna is an Arts enthusiast and believes that the Arts in all its forms makes life meaningful, fosters innovation and creativity and strengthens the communities in which we live socially, economically and culturally. Tauna is thrilled to be on the board of BANL which serves as a connection between these two communities.