The Prince Edward County Arts Council

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Picton, ON
The Prince Edward County Arts Council

Our mission is to enrich the community by actively supporting and promoting the arts and artists as an essential part of life in Prince Edward County.

Celebrating 40 years in 2026. We work to fulfill our mission by:
-Connecting artists to audiences through our signature events and programs, including Art in the County, PEC Arts Trail, PEC Studio Tour, and The Maker’s Hand;
-Promoting the arts and artists through Artscene newsletter, Artscene on Air radio show, What’s On event listing, and Member Profiles on countyarts.ca;
-Supporting artists’ ca

reer development through our Artist Fund grants, Indigenous Voices Fund, and Student Arts Award, and by creating teaching and workshop facilitation opportunities at the County Arts Lab;
-Increasing access to the social and health benefits of arts participation through our community-focused programming – County Arts Lab, Art Together, Artists in the Community, and more;
-Incubating new arts events and initiatives, from the PEC Jazz Festival to County Kids Read and more, as they work towards independent charitable status; and
-Working collaboratively with those who share a common interest in leveraging the arts for the economic and social development of Prince Edward County. County Arts will delete or hide from public view comments/content appearing on our social media posts that contain any of the following, and reserves the right to ban the commenter from County Arts pages:
-Hate speech
-Profanity, obscenity or vulgarity
-Defamation of a person or people
-Name calling and/or personal attacks
-Comments from non-members whose main purpose is to sell a product
-Comments that infringe on copyrights
-Spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly
-Any comments or images that County Arts deems inappropriate and/or that contravene community standards, our values, and/or the content of our Inclusivity, Diversity & Equity Policy

County Arts’ engagement with social media accounts does not necessarily reflect the views of the organization.

06/19/2026

On this week's Artscene, join co-host Mary Ann Farrell as she chats with artists Pam Mayhew, Bear Epp, Andrea Piller and Bay Woodyard, who have come together to create a new exhibition entitled 'Layered Landscape - Responding to Where We Live', which opens this Saturday, June 20th at the Wellington Heritage Museum.

Be sure to join these four artists for a special opening event on June 20th from 4-6pm to see their artwork in person, meet the artists, and to learn more about how where we live inspires their artistic process.

👉 Listen on 99.3 County FM after the news at noon and 6 p.m.!

Image Description: In the upper left is text that reads Artscene on 99.3 County FM Friday June 12th. To the right is the County Arts wordmark. Below this is a photo of the four artists seated outside.

06/16/2026

🫶 We're still feeling the love after our very special AGM on June 4th. We were thrilled to be able to sum up the powerful impact and the ripple effects of our dedicated staff and volunteers, arts programming, special events, exhibitions, and of course, all of the incredibly talented and dedicated local artists in our community and beyond, that made 2025 such a stand-out year!

🏆 We were honoured to present our Volunteer Appreciation Award to Dale Wainwright for her tireless work on the PEC Studio Tour committee throughout the past 10 years. We also took a moment to recognize and thank two very important members of the County Arts team who are pursuing new opportunities, Andrea Dawes (new Executive Director of County Kids Read) and Stacey Sproule (accepted to the MFA program at Emily Carr University).

💗 We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who spent their Thursday afternoon with us, and to the artists, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and patrons who make all of this possible.

✨ With 2026 well underway, we can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!

Image description: A photo of County Arts Board Chair Catelyn Thornton presenting Dale Wainwright with the Volunteer Appreciation Award, followed by a photo of Andrea Dawes and County Arts Executive Director Janna Smith smiling for the camera after Andrea was given a gift. This is followed by a photo of Stacey Sproule, County Arts Director-At-Large Julia Howell, and Janna Smith smiling for the camera after Stacey was given a gift.

06/15/2026

With the Art in the County Art Symposium on the horizon, we want to take a moment to shout-out our Free Admission Sponsor, Art Noise!

Art Noise is a beloved Kingston-based art supply and hardware store, creative events space and a hub for arts workshops/classes. For 10 years, Art Noise has helped artists, makers, and DIYers find the right materials and learn new skills, online and in-store. We are grateful for their support in this year’s symposium, allowing us to offer FREE admission!

This year’s Art in the County Art Symposium, taking place on Monday, June 22 from 11 am-1 pm, will include talks by two of the Art in the County jurors: John Gagné, Gallery Director & Curator, and Stanzie Tooth, Visual Artist.

Each year, the Symposium connects the public with leading Canadian artists and art professionals through insightful lectures and talks, offering the opportunity to hear directly from established voices in the arts about their practices, ideas, and the issues shaping their work.

We also extend a big thank you to our Accommodation Sponsor, The Royal Hotel, for providing jurors with a beautiful stay here in Picton, and to Metro, our Refreshments Sponsor, who will be providing delicious bites during the Symposium.

The Symposium is free but registration is preferred - click the link in our bio to learn more and register!

Image description: The Art in the County logo on a beige background with 'Art Symposium with John Gagne & Stanzie Tooth' next to it. 'Sponsor Highlight' is written below this, next to a photo of products in Art Noise's store. The Art Noise logo is below this.

06/12/2026

On this week's Artscene, co-host Cheryl Singer welcomes writer and director Mike Trites for an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation about one of the most anticipated new Canadian musicals of the season: In the Key of Blue.

Featuring the music of Blue Rodeo, In the Key of Blue is preparing to make its world debut, and Mike shares the creative journey from concept to curtain call. Hear about the challenges, triumphs, and magical moments that happen when iconic Canadian music meets live theatre.

Whether you're a Blue Rodeo fan, a theatre lover, or simply curious about how a brand-new musical comes to life, this is an interview you won't want to miss.

Tune in and be among the first to discover the story behind In the Key of Blue.

👉 Listen on 99.3 County FM after the news at noon and 6 p.m.!

Image Description: In the upper left is text that reads Artscene on 99.3 County FM Friday June 5th. To the right is the County Arts wordmark. Below this is the poster for In the Key of Blue (left), and a photo of Cheryl and Mike in the 99.3 FM recording booth.

06/10/2026

🫶 We wrapped up this season's Art Together sessions last week, and we are so grateful for all of the incredible community members that have come to the County Arts Lab to make art together with our talented facilitator team!

🎨 Throughout fall 2025 and winter and spring 2026, we welcomed nearly 300 participants into our space to create in a variety of mediums and processes, including: polymer clay, collage, pop-up cards, printmaking, charcoal drawing, gelli printing, abstract expressionism, linocut, alcohol ink, assemblage, and so much more!

👏 We extend a HUGE shout-out to our fabulous artist facilitator team: Kelly Cade, Frank Hannan, Lucy Sterezylo, Kyle Topping, and our amazing well-being support worker, Sharon Hart! Thanks for all you do to make this program a success!

💕 Sincere thanks to our Presenting Sponsors Elizabeth Crombie Real Estate Team, Sage Design and Construction, Huff Family Fund, and a donor advised fund at The County Foundation for their generous support of the 2025 Art Together program. And, thanks to multi-year support from the Huff Family Fund, as well as the support of an anonymous donor, we are able to deliver this beloved program throughout the rest of 2026!

➡️ Art Together will return in September, so stay tuned, and join the County Arts Lab mailing list to find out first when registration launches!

Image description: Six photos taken during Art Together 2025/2026 sessions, featuring participants utilizing printmaking techniques, charcoal drawing, painting, and pop-up books, in the County Arts Lab.

06/07/2026

📣 Join us for the 3rd annual Art Symposium, a series of talks featuring Art in the County jurors. Hear directly from established voices in the arts about their practices, ideas, and issues shaping their work!

📆 Monday June 22nd
📍County Arts Lab

11:00 am | Gagné Contemporary: From 0 to 10 Years with John Gagné, Gallery Director & Curator

12:00 pm | Held by What Grows: Between Body and Landscape with Stanzie Tooth, Visual Artist

🍪 Refreshments provided by Metro.
✨ This is a free event thanks to the generous support of Art Noise, Kingston.

Register at countyarts.ca/county-arts-lab-events (🔗 link in bio)

Image description: Portrait of John Gagné on the left, with portrait of Stanzie Tooth on the right (Image credit: Sarah Bodri). Under the images is text that reads: "Art Symposium with John Gagné and Stanzie Tooth".

06/05/2026

On this week's Artscene, co-host Mary Ann Farrell chats with Tara Wilkinson, Co- Owner/Artist of ANDARA Gallery, and Astrid Young, singer-songwriter and sommelier-extraordinaire about the new Vortex Art-Music-Wine Experience taking place at ANDARA Gallery beginning this month.

The exhibition will kick off with two ticketed opening nights with Astrid Young and her band performing on June 19th and 20th. The exhibition will then commence on June 21st and will run until September 7th.

Learn how it all came together, and the art of collaboration between musicians, artists, wineries and technology to create this unique experience in Prince Edward County.

👉 Listen on 99.3 County FM after the news at noon and 6 p.m.!

Image Description: In the upper left is text that reads Artscene on 99.3 County FM Friday June 5th. To the right is the County Arts wordmark. Below this are black and white portrait photos of Tara Wilkinson (left) and Astrid Young (right), with the Vortex logo below Astrid's photo.

06/03/2026

👀 Did you know?

🎨 A convenient monthly glance at upcoming arts happenings and opportunities in Prince Edward County is just a click away - join 2000+ fellow arts lovers in PEC and beyond today by subscribing to our Artscene newsletter at countyarts.ca.

🎭 Check out the June edition at countyarts.ca/latest-edition - featuring:

▶️ The 33rd annual Art in the County juried exhibition & sale and 3rd annual Art Symposium with talks by jurors John Gagné and Stanzie Tooth
▶️ Artist Feature on novelist and songwriter Gin Sexsmith, one of the 2025-26 recipients of County Arts' Indigenous Voices Fund grant
▶️ Cottagers and Indians, the inaugural production of Sewatokwà:tshera’ Theatre, an initiative of the One Dish Project at the Tyendinaga Mohawk Community Centre
▶️ The annual Wellington Art Walk
▶️ Scenic Detours, Oeno Gallery's summer group show
▶️ Small Town, a production of Théâtre Roulant written by Megan Hutton and Sam Hirst
▶️ Ravel, the inaugural group textile show at Melt Studio + Gallery
▶️ and so much more!

🎵 And - any day of the month - don’t forget to check out countyarts.ca/whats-on. New arts events and opportunities are added all the time!

06/02/2026

✨ County Arts & Art in the County are proud to once again celebrate the people who help make Prince Edward County a vibrant place to live through the arts!

Nominations are now open for the Community Arts Builder Award, recognizing an individual who has made a meaningful impact on community life through creativity, collaboration, leadership, or advocacy.

🏆 Chosen by County residents, this award honours those whose dedication strengthens our cultural community and enriches life in Prince Edward County.

Know someone who deserves recognition? 🎨 Nominate them today!

📆 Nominations close June 15 at noon.
👉 Learn more and find the nomination form at artinthecounty.com/awards

Image description: A beige background with the Art in the County logo in the top left, and yellow accents on the top right and bottom left corners, with text that reads: "Community Arts Builder Award 2026, Nominations due June 15th, artinthecounty.com/awards"

05/29/2026

On this week's Artscene, co-host Catelyn Thornton will be talking to three of the County’s thespians about their play, 'Sexy Laundry,' coming up in early June at Mount Tabor Playhouse.

A production of Prince Edward Community Theatre, Cheryl Singer directs Colleen Simm and Thom Harrison in this fun romp, and the three of them share laughs and insights about putting this play together.

👉 Listen on 99.3 County FM after the news at noon and 6 p.m.!

Image Description: In the upper left is text that reads Artscene on 99.3 County FM Friday May 29th. To the right is the County Arts wordmark. Below this is the poster for 'Sexy Laundry' (photo of a hotel bed with a champagne bottle in an ice bucket) with dates and information about the director/actors. Next to this is a photo of Thom Harrison and Colleen Simm, facing the camera embracing each other and looking off-camera to the left.

Address

Picton, ON

Telephone

+16134768767

Website

http://www.countyarts.ca/

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