The arts industry in Newfoundland and Labrador provides the province's people with a heightened quality of life while at the same time contributing to the local economy.
Newfoundland and Labrador's physical environment greatly influenced the ways settlers made a living during the 19th century. The richness of marine resources encouraged a pattern of coastal settlement and made the cod and seal fisheries central to local economies. In contrast, the relative scarcity of good soils and other terrestrial resources made large-scale farming operations impractical and discouraged year-round habitation of interior spaces.
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.
The growth of land-based industries during the first half of the 20th century helped diversify Newfoundland and Labrador's economy into sectors other than the fishery.