PICTON – When it comes to the arts, Prince Edward County is always in the game. The most recent example is the official opening Thursday of the inaugural exhibition of art by students of the County Arts Lab in the first floor of the former Picton Armouries.
Andrea Dawes, special initiatives manager for the facility, noted the reception and show also marked the lab’s first year anniversary after being established last year thanks to a grant from Ontario’s Trillium Foundation as well as funding from local sources, such as the County, PE Arts Council and Huff foundations.
The space provides group classes for drawing and painting, writing workshops, including personal memoirs, movement classes and theatre activities – any and all aspects of the arts. Some classes are free and fees are charged for others, she said.
One class as “art for wellness,” using painting for mental or physical health improvements or maintenance.
The art on display for the event included works by different ages and media, oil, watercolour, mixed media, charcoal and more. For most participants, it was the first time they could see their work in an exhibition setting.
Speakers included Dawes, Executive Director Janna Smith, Stacey Sproule of County Arts, MPP Todd Smith, Mayor Steve Ferguson, and others involved in the project, arts or funding. All praised the merit of such a facility and were impressed with its achievements over its first year.
One issue discussed by some was the need for an elevator in the three-storey Armouries complex for improved access.
