ArtsNL funds ArtsSmarts projects in 27 schools across Newfoundland and Labrador

ArtsNL has awarded more than $158,000 in grants to support ArtsSmarts projects in schools across Newfoundland and Labrador during the 2024–25 school year.

A total of $158,704 was distributed to 27 schools through the ArtsSmarts program, which brings professional artists into classrooms to help teachers and students integrate creative learning across a range of subject areas.

ArtsNL said an anonymous $50,000 donation helped expand access to arts-based learning opportunities for students throughout the province. The contribution was shared between the ArtsSmarts program and the School Touring Program.

“ArtsSmarts continues to show how powerful creative learning can be in the classroom,” ArtsNL executive director Melanie Martin said in a statement. “When practicing artists work directly with students, it opens space for discovery and helps teachers approach the curriculum in new, engaging ways.”

Martin said the projects help strengthen students’ confidence, curiosity and connection to the arts.

Schools receiving funding this year are located in communities across the province, including St. John’s, Conception Bay South, Paradise, Mount Pearl, Cow Head, Port Hope Simpson and Bay de Verde. Individual grants ranged from $1,528 to $7,000, depending on the project and school.

ArtsSmarts in Newfoundland and Labrador is delivered through a partnership between ArtsNL, Equinor and the provincial Department of Education’s Cultural Connections initiative. The program aims to increase the presence of cultural content in classrooms and strengthen ties between artists, schools and local communities.