The program manager/officer selects individuals to serve on peer assessment committees for each of the funding programs administered by ArtsNL. He/she works from a list of artists who have received ArtsNL funding in the past, or have a significant artistic background. This list was compiled by past and present ArtsNL members and staff, and is updated regularly. Peer assessors are selected to maintain a balance of male-female, urban-rural, in-out of province, and Indigenous/Francophone representation requirements. Members of the community are encouraged to recommend people. You may recommend yourself. Recommendations are accepted on an ongoing basis, an official recommendation form is available here.
An assessor may be used only once in a 12 month period on any peer assessment committee, and only once every two years for a specific program. Assessment committees usually include one ArtsNL member and between two and six members of the artistic community. Some programs, based on their nature, may require expertise from outside the arts community. The Professional Project Grants Program uses seven three-person committees to cover all artistic disciplines. Applications to the Professional Artists’ Travel Fund are reviewed by two assessors due to the responsive nature of the program, and the required two week turn-around on applications. All other programs are assessed by a five or six person assessment committee made up of individual artists representing each artistic discipline reflected in the applications received.