The Province of Prince Edward Island is recognizing the Island’s creative industries through new acquisitions to the PEI Art Bank. For nearly 50 years, the province has acquired close to 400 works by Island visual artists, displayed on a rotating basis in public buildings across PEI.

“As both a photographer and artist, so much of my work is inspired by the natural beauty of Prince Edward Island,” says owner of Rachel Peters Photography Rachel Peters. “Having this large canvas of the Prince Edward Island dunes accepted into the PEI Art Bank is a tremendous honour. It provides an opportunity for more people to connect with and appreciate our Island’s unique environment through art. Programs like the PEI Art Bank are incredibly valuable because they support artists while also ensuring that local artwork remains visible and accessible for public viewing. I’m grateful to be included and proud to represent my home through photography, and that means so much to me.”

The public displays of Island and Indigenous works of art provide creative industry professionals with a way to showcase their work and demonstrate how their artistic expression can translate to a meaningful career and livelihood.

The 11 works of art purchased for the Indigenous Art Bank and PEI Art Bank are: Hand of God by Andrew Lewis MacInnis (photography); Sepawe’nmat by Annie Martin (wood-burned panel and acrylic); Homecoming/Escape by Diane Morrison-Robinson (oil on canvas); Home Amongst the Stars by Emily Howard (acrylic paint and PEI sand on canvas); Eclipse of a New Moon by Kayla Sark (dyed porcupine quills and birchbark); Lobster Dinner by Michele Hartlen (acrylic and mixed media on canvas); Red Cardinal (Mekwe’k Istago’kej) by Noella Moore(dyed porcupine quills, birchbark, sweet grass and sinew); Greenwich Dunes by Rachel Peters(photography on canvas); Ear to the Wind by Shelley MacLean-Ellis (acrylic on canvas); Blue Hockey: The Collision by Xin Liu (cyanotype on xuan paper); and The Blue Hockey Team by Xin Liu (cyanotype on xuan paper).

Learn more about the Indigenous Art Bank and the PEI Art Bank at princeedwardisland.ca.