Building community

I had the great privilege to chat with Brian Markham the morning after they were endowed with the Leo Cheverie Cultural Connector Award at the PEI Arts Awards Ceremony in Charlottetown. The award is a testament to Brian’s ethos: connecting people, nurturing community, and building spaces for people and community to thrive. 

With a background in hospitality and culinary arts, Brian lived and worked in Toronto’s vibrant Kensington Market for nearly a decade before moving to PEI in August 2020. “I loved working in open kitchens where I could see patrons enjoying the food that was prepared for them.” As a vibrant arts and culture neighbourhood, Kensington Market brought out Brian’s creative and curatorial interests, which would later serve them well in their work on PEI. 

When they first moved to the Island, they lived in a 200-year-old farmhouse near Montague. After living in Canada’s largest city, the change of pace was both welcomed and challenging. “Because it was during the times of lockdowns and we were living in a rural area, we didn’t get to meet many people at first. Moving to Charlottetown and into the Coop was a game changer and we quickly became part of the community.”

With a longstanding interest in art curation, Brian became the Gallery and Events Manager at The Guild in Charlottetown in 2021. He has since gone on to hold various roles there and is currently the General Manager. “We have undergone many challenges and changes during my time at The Guild, and we are proud to have completed our first strategic plan with the support of the arts and culture community.” Brian has built a team with a non-hierarchical structure as The Guild continues to grow and evolve. 

He is a dreamer and a doer who has been instrumental in making important changes at The Guild, including bringing This Town Is Small into the Hilda Woolnough Gallery. Brian has been working tirelessly to bring the community into the entire building, and they have many big ideas of how they may grow into the future. Arts and culture tenants occupy the upper floors of the building, and many areas of The Guild are available for community members to rent. “My main focus is always on uplifting the community, while also building a sustainable model to ensure our doors stay open.”

Bringing his skills, talents, and passions from the culinary arts into the wider arts community, Brian has a strong desire to cultivate spaces that create joy. “Cooking brings joy and so does creativity in all its forms.” The Guild is a perfect environment for Brian to be immersed in a variety of artistic forms, from visual to written to performance arts. “We are cultivating a space that empowers people to create really cool art while amplifying the community.”

If you’ve ever been to The Guild, you have likely seen Brian bopping around in the background, ensuring that everything is running smoothly, and everyone is feeling comfy. With a strong connection to the natural world, Brian is also keen to find more ways to build sustainable infrastructure within and around The Guild. “We hope to make Hilda Woolnough’s vision of a rooftop garden come to life in the coming years.”

With such a vibrant arts and culture community on the Island, Brian envisions ongoing partnerships and collaborations with prominent arts organizations to continue building The Guild as an artist hub for many. “We are also excited to get back to producing some shows in-house and we have a really fun lineup coming for Summer 2026.”

Brian is a champion for the arts community on PEI and is deeply committed to continue building on all the work of their predecessors. He is part of building space that allows people to see themselves reflected in the programming, on the walls, and on the stage. “Having a deeply profound impact on one person is as important to me as smaller impacts on many.” Building strong community connections is built into Brian’s character. “I approach all my work and life with love.”