Province continues investments in the arts and creative industries
PEI’s economy continues to benefit from the dedication, creativity, and contributions of its professional artists.
The PEI Arts Grants program provides up to $200,000 annually to support the creation, presentation, and development of professional artistic work. This year, 42 artists received financial support through one of three funding streams to further their careers in the arts and creative sector.
Current and future professional artists will once again be invited to apply for the next PEI Arts Grants intake between September 22 and October 20, 2025.
“PEI is home to hard-working talent from our traditional to our rapidly growing creative fields,” said Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade Darlene Compton. “As we look to sustainably grow our Island economy, continued investments in the professional arts’ workforce will help the creative sector position itself as an emerging economic strength to watch.”
As part of PEI’s Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Culture and Creative Industries, the province will once again be inviting nominations for the upcoming annual PEI Arts Awards. Nominations will be open until October 6, 2025.
Learn more about provincial financial supports for PEI’s arts and culture sector here.
Media contact:
Vicki Tse
Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade
vickitse@gov.pe.ca
Backgrounder:
PEI Arts Grants Recipients
Adam Hill
Music, $6,500
Through this project, the Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory and Library presents and documents a series of concerts in which bassist Adam Hill leads an ensemble through 'structured improvisations' composed specifically for the event. Each concert includes a unique group of musicians who have never made music together before with the intention of building community through the creation of a shared musical language.
Adedotun Adedoyin
Film and Media Arts, $5,000
Sonder is a limited series by Adedotun Adedoyin that delves into the unspoken realities and daily struggles of People of Color (POC) in today's society, highlighting the nuanced experiences of immigrant POC. Through five 12-minute episodes, each story within the series explores a different aspect of identity, belonging, and the silent battles faced by those on the margins. The pilot episode, titled "Sound of Silence," will set the tone, using sound - or its absence - to reflect the internal world of its characters.
Bren Simmers
Writing and Publishing, $4,800
Between January and December 2025, author Bren Simmers will draft a new poetry manuscript about "letting in the good".
Brian Pollard
Film and Media Arts, $7,500
Brian Pollard will create a short documentary film about The Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival. The film will be a visual and musical celebration of the traditional Atlantic Canadian fiddle, in the unique Rollo Bay venue, with its classical and universal stage, its gorgeous outdoor sound, and its wildly enthusiastic audience, all amid the rolling hills and greenery of rural Prince Edward Island.
Chanel Briggs
Writing and Publishing, $5,000
Chanel Briggs will create a poetry collection that explores the complexities of being a Black Queer person and the challenges of navigating these intersecting identities. It will compile poems performed over the past two years alongside new work that aligns with these themes. The collection's central metaphor is the jester, a figure who entertains those in power. It examines the emotional labor demanded of marginalized individuals, particularly Black femmes, who are expected to maintain a cheerful demeanor despite it all.
Daniel Brown
Film and Media Arts, $5,000
With the support of this grant, Daniel Brown will write and produce a sci-fi audio series called "Tales of the Arcane" stylized after the pulp radio serials of the 1930s, and tying into the artist's feature film project.
Emily MacLellan (Emilea May)
Music, $5,000
Emilea May's debut album "Unwreck Me" delves deep into the intricacies of love, the mysteries of creation and the power of self-discovery. This collection presents a raw and heartfelt exploration of vulnerability and personal findings through poignant storytelling, evocative lyrics and memorable melodies. With its reflective themes and dynamic sound, "Unwreck Me" serves as a powerful anthem for anyone facing the common and disheartening challenges of life.
Erin Arsenault
Visual Arts, $5,000
Using the metaphor of water, Erin Arsenault surreally depicts the journey of returning to her art practice as her children grow more independent, allowing time to focus on her work, and herself, once again. Dive in, jump in the deep end, just keep swimming, make waves; there are so many expressions we use daily that have to do with our relationship to water. This series follows the artist from floating to emerging; an exploration of self through watercolour, ink, and oil-based pencils on paper.
Gary Gallant
Music, $5,000
Gary Gallant will produce a full-length album of original songs, including one or two instrumental tunes. All songs will be original compositions, reflecting the Acadian culture of PEI and the Island's unique musical traditions. The album will include collaborations with well-known musicians and producers. This project will result in a professionally produced collection of songs that showcase Gary's personal artistic voice and the cultural heritage of the Acadian community.
Trudy Spooner
Visual Arts, $2,000
In “Come On In, The Water’s Fine”, Trudy Spooner invites the viewers to imagine themselves immersed in bodies of water, entering another world. The soft embrace of water isolates us from the noise and busyness of daily life, allowing our thoughts to quiet and our senses to heighten. This collection is an exploration of the realm of water, specifically focusing on the gentle undulations of the surface, how it distorts our surroundings, and transforms familiar sights into abstract shapes.
Julie Bull
Writing and Publishing, $3,500
This Poet-in-Residence position at The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro in Charlottetown will offer poetry-related activities throughout winter 2025 leading up to National Poetry Month in April. Julie Bull will provide an immersive poetry experience that is free and open to the public, including instruction time, writing workshops, and spoken-word art. The culmination of the project will conclude with a community booklet, combining poetic works from participants throughout the winter.
L. Jay Whitehead
Theatre, $4,000
Camp, queerness and cabaret combine in East Meets Breast! Theatre artist L. Jay Whitehead will present a drag variety show featuring original music, sketch comedy, special guests, and more, all with a local Island flair. This July at The Guild, PEI's summer theatre landscape gets a whole lot more inclusive with this offering for queers and allies alike.
Melissa Peter-Paul (Epekwitk Quill Sisters)
Visual Arts, $8,000
From January to March 2025, the Epekwitk Quill Sisters (Melissa Peter-Paul, Kay Sark and Cheryl
Simon) will come together to collaborate on two short residencies at the Aboriginal Women’s Association of PEI Resiliency Centre. The artists will share and learn from the latest research undertaken on Mi’kmaw quillwork’s history and Mi’kmawe’l Tplu’taqann and produce nine new pieces of original quillwork to be exhibited collectively. The completed works will be presented at the Bonavista Biennale in Newfoundland from August 16 to September 14, 2025.
Patricia Bourque
Visual Arts, $500
As a photographer, Patricia Bourque's journey takes her to various events, which offers her opportunities to capture beautiful photos that are used as stock images, promotional materials, and even in publications. With this Share grant, the photography artist will print images of her photos for distribution. Having professionally printed physical copies of her work will allow her to distribute her work more widely.
Rilla Marshall
Crafts, $2,500
This grant will support Rilla Marshall's participation in the Craft Alliance Atlantic exhibition Here & Now: Connecting Culture + Landscape through Water at Collect 2025 in London, UK. Marshall's handwoven artwork will be exhibited alongside 17 other contemporary fine craft artists from Atlantic Canada. Taking place from February 28 to March 2, 2025, the Collect Art Fair is an exhibition of contemporary fine craft, featuring new works by international artists and makers.
Sandy Kowalik
Interdisciplinary, $7,000
The Alexander Drive Project is a social history of the creation and on-going life of a post-WW2 neighbourhood compiled from archival research, literature review, personal interviews, and an annual series of assemblages, using found objects recovered from one small property. The first part of this project, "What the Garden Couldn't Swallow", will be mounted as a visual arts exhibition of these assemblages, complete with archeological descriptions of the found objects. The second part of the project will be the creation of a book, including images of the assemblages and a written history of the Alexander Drive neighbourhood throughout the last 75 years.
Sarah Hagen
Visual Arts, $5,000
Sarah Hagen is writing and illustrating an art book highlighting the outstanding life and career of Cécile Chaminade. A prolific French composer living from 1857 to 1944, Chaminade is considered the first woman to make her living from composition. Wildly popular in her time, her music has largely been overlooked and forgotten. Through a carefully crafted and researched book, Sarah aims to bring Chaminade back to life by sharing her tale of tenacity and verve.
Sean Ferris
Music, $5,000
Sean Ferris, with the support of the PEI Arts Grants, will record several of his compositions and original arrangements. This project involves creating instrumental music focused on a traditional piano trio, with additional instruments as needed. Although rooted in jazz, Sean aims to explore and expand the genre's boundaries. This recording will be a welcome addition to our cultural tapestry and shine a light on a heretofore much-underrepresented part of our island's musical identity.
Sean Kemp
Music, $6,500
"Remembrances" will be an 11-track solo violin album written and performed by Sean Kemp. Each track will be dedicated to someone who has passed. It will be released on the November 11, 2025 and the 11th track of the album will be dedicated to veterans across the world.
Tanya Davis (The Botany Band)
Music, $7,500
The Botany Band (PEI Poet Laureate Tanya Davis, composer Carlie Howell, and songwriters Mathias Kom & Ariel Sharratt of The Burning Hell) will research and co-create new work, inspired by the past, present, and possible futures of island plant and birdlife, through self-directed residencies and with guidance from professional botanists and biologists in Australia and PEI.
Sara Jane Affleck
Writing and Publishing, $3,640
Writer Sara Jane Affleck will participate in a residency at Fish Factory Creative Centre in
Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland, from June 4 to 30, 2025, to complete the draft of a speculative/dystopian novel set on an island after a massive storm.
Jordan Beaulieu
Visual Arts, $8,000
"The River Doesn’t Wait" is a forthcoming graphic novella by Jordan Beaulieu. Blending autobiographical comics with the poetic traditions of nonlinear storytelling, the project follows a first person account of a transformative year in rural PEI, where personal change and environmental shifts intertwine. Alongside the book, a series of stand-alone drawings and mixed-media works will form the basis of an accompanying exhibition.
Alexis Bulman
Visual Arts, $2,500
Alexis Bulman will exhibit work from her Framework series in a 2025 group show presented at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Using the webbing lawn chair as a metaphor, her drawings explore themes of adaptation and change. The funding will support the custom framing of four artworks to ensure their professional presentation in this exhibition of contemporary Atlantic Canadian artists.
Hannah Bulman
Visual Arts, $2,150
Hannah Bulman will enroll in art lessons with Katarina McCourt, a realism illustration and painting specialist in PEI. These atelier-based classes will meet weekly for personalized instruction. Hannah aims to draw inspiration from representational artists while enhancing her skills with graphite pencils, charcoal, acrylic, and oil paint to create realistic artworks, deepening her practice and expanding her repertoire to include portraiture and more.
Brynn Cutcliffe
Theatre, $2,500
PEI playwright Brynn Cutcliffe will tour their play, “THE PRICK”, to the Fundy Fringe Festival in Saint John (August 16 to 23, 2025), and the Halifax Fringe Festival (August 27 to September 7, 2025).
Sarah Nicole Dart
Film and Media Arts, $4,610
Visual artist Sarah Nicole Dart will produce an art film with a series of beautiful dream-like scenes inspired by nature and mindfulness. The short 3–5-minute film will be created using single frame photography printed using both monograms of plants and images taken and printed onto Acetate negatives using cyanotype chemistry.
Brooke Dingwell
Writing and Publishing, $4,800
Based on requested changes from an editor at a traditional book publisher, writer Brooke Dingwell will be revising a gothic horror novel about four young artists living in a grand, haunted PEI manor with bones in its walls and a host with a disturbing hobby.
Charlotte Engel
Film and Media Arts, $7,000
"The 9 Lives of Erica Rutherford" will be a vibrant film about the fascinating life and work of PEI artist Erica Rutherford. It will explore themes of metamorphosis, selfhood, trans rights, and art as a mirror of self. Erica’s work is now shown at some of the world's most prestigious arts institutions including Tate London, the Venice Biennale, and the NAC. The "Jarvis" Collective behind this project consists of Millefiore Clarkes, Charlotte Engel and Susana Rutherford.
Adam Gallant
Music, $7,000
Adam Gallant will select public domain music from the early 1900s, dissect it into its instrument layers, re-edit, re-mix and rebuild the material to then compose his own instrumentation on top and alongside the tapestry of old works. The project explores historical music through modern digital tools. At the end of this creation phase, Adam will have between 14 and 24 unique pieces of music under review.
Nadia Haddad
Music, $5,000
This grant will support the creation of Nadia Haddad's first EP. The artist will record six new songs that feel more personal and rawer than anything she's done before. This bold project captures a deeper, more vulnerable side of Nadia, exploring themes of identity and emotional depth. It will be supported by music videos, promotional photos, and a strategic rollout.
Sam Langille
Interdisciplinary, $2,000
Racket is a magazine dedicated to showcasing arts and culture in Prince Edward Island. Racket is tangible; a collection of art that readers can hold, explore, and return to, rather than scroll past. Sam Langille believes that presenting Island art using physical media will encourage deeper, more meaningful engagement with Prince Edward Island artists and their work.
Troy Little
Visual Arts, $2,400
“Levada” is a graphic novella by Troy Little inspired by a solo hiking trip to the island of Madeira, Portugal. It is a quiet story; a reflection and meditation on life and making mistakes told between two hikers (an anthropomorphic young rabbit who is ready to take on the world and a weary old owl who scoffs at the folly of youth) that meet on the trails of this magnificent island. The story is illustrated and presented in a sketchbook format that reflects the spirit of the journey.
Tiffany Liu
Music, $7,500
"Libertango Reinterpreted: A Cross-Cultural Music Project" reimagines Astor Piazzolla's iconic composition through collaboration with musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds and multimedia storytelling. The project led by musician Tiffany Liu includes a professionally arranged studio recording, a music video filmed in PEI, and live performances. A trio from China, Mexico, and the U.S.
blends ancient instruments with modern styles, celebrating the fusion of cultures and connecting with audiences locally and globally.
Lucien Lumumba
Interdisciplinary, $5,000
"The Island We Inherit" is a photography project by Lucien Lumumba exploring cultural memory and intergenerational legacy on Prince Edward Island. Through 10 to 12 environmental portraits paired with personal reflections, the project captures the lived experiences of diverse Island residents. It will be shared through a public exhibition and printed zine, offering a visual archive of PEI's evolving identity.
Catherine MacLellan
Music, $8,000
With support from this grant, Catherine MacLellan will create her 8th studio album to be released in 2026. Tentatively titled "Can We Start from Here", this full-length, 12-song album will be recorded with a full band. It is an exploration of relationships, self-realization and letting go through music. The album will be recorded in Summerside, PEI, with Mark Westberg as the engineer and co-producer.
Kirstie McCallum
Visual Arts, $3,500
Kirstie McCallum will produce a series of clay and plaster replicas of local wildflowers using the techniques of botanical-bas-relief. This series of life-sized images will showcase plants growing in her Pollinator Clock project, a garden installed at Tea Hill Provincial Park. The bas relief work will be shown separately, as a way of documenting the site-specific project.
Siddhu Sneh Sachidananda
Film and Media Arts, $5,000
Siddhu Sneh will create "i am", a surreal, introspective short film immersing viewers in a fluid, dreamlike journey of a trans person's self-discovery. Through evocative visuals and poetic storytelling, it explores joy, confusion, rage, and resilience in figuring out one's true self; reflecting a facet of their identity: hesitant, bold, lost, hopeful, free. This film captures the nonlinear queer/trans awakening where euphoria and struggle coexist in messy, radiant beauty, providing visuals to Siddhu Sneh's debut tape.
Reequal Smith
Dance, $2,500
Reequal Smith, Artistic Director of Oshun Dance Studios, will participate in the prestigious
Conversation on Performance program at Festival TransAmériques (FTA) in Montreal, May 27–June 3, 2025. This immersive experience connects artists to explore contemporary dance and theatre under the guidance of cultural mediator Leslie Baker. Smith will refine her choreographic skills, expand her creative vision, and enrich Prince Edward Island’s dance community with the insights and skills she gains from this enriching professional development opportunity.
Patrick Stephen
Music, $5,000
This grant will support PEI band Gizmo in creating a full-length album that expands on their debut EP, blending new sonic textures with themes of travel, love, and growth from two years of touring. Produced by Alex Edkins (METZ, Weird Nightmare) and engineered by Loel Campbell (Wintersleep, Contrived), the album reflects the group's collaborative evolution and aims to reach wider audiences through a vinyl and digital release, a tour, and industry outreach.
Jane Whitten
Crafts, $2,500
Jane Whitten will participate in the Kvitbrakka Artist Residency in Berlevag, Norway with Norwegian textile artist, Ingrid Larssen. Together, they will experiment with using kelp as textile. Jane has worked with seaweed since the 1990s and shared her knowledge with Ingrid last year. She looks forward to experimenting and creating with seaweed on the coast of northern Norway and to gain an understanding of the impact climate change is having on that area of the world and how it compares to the East Coast of Canada.
Nathan Wiley
Music, $6,900
With support from this Create grant, Summerside-based singer-songwriter and musician Nathan Wiley will record and mix a six-song EP of original material with producer/engineer Adam Gallant in Charlottetown, PEI.
Damien Worth
Visual Arts, $2,500
This Create grant will assist visual artist Damien Worth in the production of a new body of multidisciplinary work that research themes related to the stability, maintenance, dependence and implementation of infrastructure in Prince Edward Island (Epekwitk)'s rural communities.