Mission & Values

County Arts, formally incorporated as the Prince Edward County Arts Council in 1986, was initially formed in 1979 when members of the community got together to form a group dedicated to promoting the arts in Prince Edward County. Our team has been hard at work activating and championing our vibrant arts sector ever since!

Mission

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

We do this by:

Connecting 10,000 audience members with the arts, and hundreds of artists to potential supporters, each year through the PEC Studio Tour, Art in the County annual juried exhibition, The Maker’s Hand fine craft show, and Art of the Possible speaker series.
Increasing access to the social and health benefits of art-making through our community-focused programming at the County Arts Lab – Art for Well-Being, Youth Craft Academy, accessible community arts classes, and more
Supporting artists’ career development through our Artist Fund grants, Indigenous Voices Fund, Student Arts Award program, Artist Residency program, Activate Arts rental program, and by providing teaching and professional development opportunities at the County Arts Lab
Promoting the arts and artists through Artscene newsletter, Artscene on 99.3 County FM, What’s On event listing, and Member Profiles on countyarts.ca
Incubating new arts events and initiatives, from the PEC Jazz Festival to County Kids Read and more, as they work towards independent charitable status
Advocating for the arts and their benefits for our community, and working collaboratively with those who share a common interest in leveraging the arts for the economic and social development of Prince Edward County

Vision

Prince Edward County is recognized as one of Canada’s top arts destinations, where the arts thrive and all artists can reach their full potential, contributing to quality of life and sense of belonging.

Values

Inclusion – welcoming all artists in the community
Community – coming together as artists, arts-lovers and active participants
Empowerment – of all artists to develop their artistic practice
Exploration – incubating new ideas, programming, creativity
Action – engaging in issues relevant to the arts and community

Land Acknowledgement & Our Role in Truth and Reconciliation

We acknowledge that we work, live, meet, and create on the unceded territory of the Anishnaabeg (Michi Saagiig), Wendat (Huron) and Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) peoples, who through migratory and settlement patterns, have been present in Prince Edward County for hundreds and thousands of years. We recognize their deep, enduring connection to these lands and the waters of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, which they have cared for since time immemorial. We commit to honouring our shared responsibility to protect these waters and lands for future generations.

Our work is guided by the 94 Calls to Action proposed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and we recognize the primacy of the 46 Articles of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in particular Articles 11 & 31 pertaining to Arts and Culture. As such, we are committed to harnessing the power of art to foster truth and reconciliation by actively building relationships with Indigenous artists through our Indigenous Voices Fund Program and other programming.

Prince Edward County is adjacent Kanien’keha:ka community of Tyendinaga, a vibrant community of artists and storytellers that we are grateful to be learning from.

Strategic Plan

2022-27 Strategic Plan Report

We invite you to explore our full Strategic Plan Report to learn more about our bold new vision for the arts in Prince Edward County, and for our role in the County’s creative ecosystem – and how we are ensuring this community-informed roadmap results in real and relevant actions responding to the changing needs of local artists, arts organizations, and the broader community.