Announcing the 2025 PEC Arts Fund Recipients
See the full list of recipients below and learn more about the activities they'll be carrying out in 2025 and 2026!
The County Foundation is pleased to celebrate the recipients of the inaugural PEC Arts Fund.
This fund supports arts-mandated organizations providing services, programs, and amenities in the realm of the arts. Organizations may apply for single or multi-year grants to assist with general operating expenses, special projects, capacity building, events, or programming.
The PEC Arts Fund was established in early 2025, following an extensive review process of the Municipal Community Grants program and analysis of local supports for the arts sector, undertaken in partnership by the Municipality, The County Foundation, and the Prince Edward County Arts Council (County Arts) to find a mechanism that could be leveraged to better support the arts in our community.
This year, the program offered $60k in available funding for both 2025 and 2026. Ten organizations were selected to receive a total of $60,000 in funding in 2025 and $43,672 in 2026 (full detailed list below). We hope to continue to grow the amount of available funding to further support the incredible organizations that provide programs and services in Prince Edward County.
The above graph is based on how organizations self-identified their programs and services in their applications.
2025 Adjudication Committee
Grants were adjudicated by a committee of local volunteers representing a wide variety of interests and expertise related to the arts sector and the local arts community. The committee awarded funding based on a combination of scoring, criteria, and discussion.
Members of the 2025 PEC Arts Fund Adjudication Committee
Delane Cooper - Artist
JC Sulzenko - Literary Arts
Michele Maheux - Former Arts Executive/Film (Declared Conflict of Interest for The Regent Theatre)
Sarah Crawford - Arts Patron
Teri McNair - TCF Board Member, Arts Patron
Thomas Harrison - TCF Board Member, Writer & Actor
Note: Adjudicators cannot score, vote, or speak about an application when a conflict has been declared.
We would like to extend our deepest thanks and appreciation to the members of the 2025 adjudication committee.
2025 Grant Recipients
Al Purdy A-frame Association - Awarded $2,000 in 2025
Alchemy Artist Residency - Awarded $2,000 in 2025
Baxter Arts Centre - Awarded $4,964 in 2025 & $4,672 in 2026
The Baxter Arts Centre exists to create a wide range of arts and education programming, maintain the Don Baxter Memorial Building and local history, and share their well-designed space to inspire and promote community events in the heart of Bloomfield, Ontario.
County Stage Company - Awarded $8,036 in 2025
County Stage Company is a dynamic, growing performing arts company located in Prince Edward County. Their work is rooted in the fabric of the community, inspiring creativity, gathering and pride of place.
Music at Port Milford (MPM) - Awarded $4,000 in 2025 & $4,000 in 2026
Music at Port Milford offers a residential chamber music academy for students ages 10-19, a choral day camp program for local elementary students, a world-class concert series, and free live music events in Prince Edward County.
Prince Edward County Arts Council - Awarded $10,000 in 2025 & $10,000 in 2026
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.
Prince Edward County Jazz Festival - Awarded $4,000 in 2025
Quintissimo - Awarded $5,000 in 2025 & $5,000 in 2026
Quintissimo is an El-Sistema based free after school music program. Their mission is to empower children to reach their full potential by using music education to inspire positive social change.
The Department of Illumination - Awarded $10,000 in 2025 & $10,000 in 2026
The Department of Illumination aims to bring joy and creativity to our community by producing festivals, workshops, and other artistic events. They strive to be a cultural leader, demonstrating excellence and innovation in rural arts.
Regent Theatre - Awarded $10,000 in 2025 & $10,000 in 2026
The Regent Theatre is a heritage designated Prince Edward County landmark that is one of the anchors of Main Street Picton. Built in 1918, the theatre brings year-round entertainment to the County.
The 2025 PEC Arts Fund will benefit the organizations listed above as they work to make a difference across these sectors in our arts community.
The following recipients shared a few words about the impact of receiving a PEC Arts Fund grant:
"Quintissimo is truly grateful to receive the PEC Arts Fund. This two-year grant enables us to grow our free after-school music program and continue empowering children to reach their full potential. From the start, the municipality’s support has been vital—without it, Quintissimo wouldn’t exist." - Diana Lam, Executive Director of Quintissimo
“The Regent is thrilled to be a recipient of the PEC Arts Fund Grant. This generous fund will enable the Regent to uphold its mandate as a vibrant cultural hub, offering diverse programming—from live music events, to theatre, first-run films and, of course, CAFF. The Regent is a much beloved historic landmark that engages the community and supports local and visiting artists. We thank the [PEC] Arts Fund for their generous support!” - Isabel Gomez-Moriana, Chair of the Board & John Galway, Executive Director of The Regent Theatre
Supporting the PEC Arts Fund
As part of their ongoing advocacy work, County Arts identified that $200k in base funding would be needed to meet the needs of local arts organizations, and so in order to help close the funding gap and to leverage the MAT funding from Council, the PEC Arts Fund also welcomes external donations through The County Foundation, enabling local businesses and individuals to support the arts in our community.
In Prince Edward County, we all benefit from a dynamic and vibrant artistic and cultural community. The arts are an essential part of shaping a community's identity and creating moments of shared joy between friends and neighbours. They can help to drive economic growth across other sectors and industries, and they can embolden and inspire people to share their own stories in unique and meaningful ways.
Why donate to the PEC Arts Fund?
When you give to the PEC Arts Fund, you are contributing to a larger pooled fund. This means donations go further than they could on their own, continuing to grow over time, leading to more sustainable funding for the arts.
How to Give
- Donate using a credit card through Canada Helps. Select "PEC Arts Fund" from the drop down menu.
- We can accept Interac e-Transfers sent to info@thecountyfoundation.ca. Indicate "PEC Arts Fund" in the notes section.
- Make cheques payable to The County Foundation, and use the memo line to specify the PEC Arts Fund.
Cheques can be mailed to:
