Since opening its doors in 1988, the School of Fine Arts at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, has nurtured generations of artists from Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond. 

Hard Westerlies reflects on that legacy through the work of past and present visual arts faculty whose influence continues to ripple outward from western Newfoundland. The title evokes the prevailing wind, mirroring the creative currents that have shaped the program and its community. 

Throughout its history, the Visual Arts program has navigated tensions between local and “mainland” perspectives, as artists from across Canada and abroad arrived to teach visual art in Newfoundland. Together with the students who have carried their practices across the province and further afield, these artists and teachers have helped shape a dynamic visual arts movement emerging from Grenfell Campus.

The artists in Hard Westerlies represent a glimpse into more than three decades of creative practice, research, and mentorship. Their works embody the crosswinds of influence that have sustained the program: the blending of local and global, tradition and innovation, discipline and play. From its early studio foundations to contemporary practices in textiles, performance, and sustainability, Hard Westerlies celebrates the enduring energy of our Newfoundland art school.