The visual arts have long played a part in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador, though they may never have been as significant or visible as they are today.
Newfoundland and Labrador's climate and soil have not been conducive to agriculture, but outport isolation and poor fishery incomes have made farming crucial.
The origin of what is today referred to as traditional society in Newfoundland and Labrador may be traced to a way of life that developed around the inshore fishery in the late 19th century outport.