Finding Our Voices: Works by ArtsSmarts Learners and PEI Grade 12 Art Students

The creative achievements of students and educators across Prince Edward Island will be highlighted this spring in Finding Our Voices: Works by ArtsSmarts Learners and PEI Grade 12 Art Students at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown.

The exhibition features diverse works by students from across the province, bringing together projects from the PEI ArtsSmarts program and Grade 12 art students from various Island schools. The show highlights the creativity, perspectives, and emerging talents of Island youth.

ArtsSmarts—Canada’s largest arts education initiative—connects students with local artists and artisans to explore creative media and traditional crafts. During the 2025–2026 academic year, the PEI ArtsSmarts program supported collaborative projects involving more than 500 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, 11 schools, and 10 local artists, integrating artistic exploration into classroom learning.

The exhibition will also present work by more than 100 Grade 12 Visual Arts students whose pieces explore themes such as identity, social justice, the environment, culture, and daily life. These works highlight emerging local talent, with students given the freedom to choose the media and processes that best express their voices and messages. Some works are loud and bold, while others are soft and reflective. They may reach viewers intellectually, physically, or emotionally, and explore questions of truth and fiction, culture, time, and ways of being. Viewed together, the artworks reflect the experiences and perspectives of teenagers from across PEI, many of whom find creative refuge in their school art rooms.

Finding Our Voices celebrates the important role of the arts in education while offering student artists a valuable opportunity to exhibit their work and engage with the community. The exhibition runs from April 24–May 17 at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown. A special daytime student open house will take place April 28, from 11:30 am–12:30 pm, with an evening reception from 6–8 pm, where visitors can meet the student artists and their teachers.

The exhibition is presented by ArtsSmarts PEI in collaboration with the Visual Arts Educators Association.