About The Show

ART IN THE COUNTY is an annual juried exhibition and sale presented by the Prince Edward County Arts Council and the Elizabeth Crombie Real Estate Team (Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty Brokerage).

Art in the County is recognized as the premier art exhibition in Eastern Ontario. Since its inception in 1993, AITC has hosted over 60,000 visitors, showcased close to 2,400 of the highest quality works of art by Prince Edward County artists and artisans, and has sold over $360,000 worth of art to collectors, buyers and art lovers alike.

This signature event of the summer season also generates additional economic benefits for County businesses. Artworks in a wide range of media are showcased, including watercolour, acrylic, oil and encaustic paintings, sculpture, fibre, wood, photography, ceramics, glass and more.

The 29th Annual ART IN THE COUNTY Juried Exhibition and Sale will take place from Friday, June 17 to Monday, July 4, 2022. AITC is pleased to welcome the Elizabeth Crombie Real Estate Team (Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty Brokerage) as Presenting Sponsor.

This year, there will be both an in-person show to be held at the Armoury AND an online show similar to the one held for the past two years.

Visitors will be able to view the artworks in person for the first time since 2019. We encourage all visitors to wear masks.

As usual, all works are for sale and AITC accepts Visa and Mastercard; all payments will be made using our online payment system.

The In-person Show

The show will be held in The Bunker on the lower level of The Armoury, 206 Main St., Picton, Ontario.

Opening hours are from 10 am to 6 pm daily, with the show closing at 5:00 pm on Sundays and 2:00 pm on the last day (July 4th).

Admission is $3 for adults and free for children 12 years and under.

The Online Show

The online show is similar to the one held last year. Visitors will be able to visit the show at any time between June 17th and July 4th by clicking the link on the Welcome page of our website to view digital images of this year’s artworks. Online shows have the potential to reach a wider audience and may encourage more people to attend the physical exhibition.

Purchased artwork must remain on display until Art in the County closes at 2PM on July 4, 2022. All sales are final.

There are two options to retrieve purchased artwork. Please email us at artinthecounty@countyarts.ca with your preference.

1) Pick-up on July 4th from 2-5PM (preferred option)

Your artwork will be available for pick-up on July 4th between 2-5PM at the exhibition location, which is on the lower level of The Armoury at 206 Main Street, Picton. If you are unable to pick-up the purchase yourself, please email us the name of the person who will pick it up in your place. They should have a copy of your sales receipt (a digital copy is fine).

2) Delivery after July 4th

The artist will pick-up the work on your behalf and arrange for shipping at your expense. We will give your email address and telephone number to the artist. They will contact you to make arrangements. You will be asked by the artist to provide confirmation that you have received the artwork in good condition before Art in the County issues payment to the artist.

If you require further assistance, please email artinthecounty@countyarts.ca.

Awards

• Five Jurors’ Awards ($250) and five Honourable Mention Awards ($100) are selected by the Jurors.
• The People’s Choice Award is determined by visitor ballots and will be presented at the close of the exhibition. ($250)
• The Children’s Choice Award is determined by visitor ballots and will be presented at the close of the exhibition. All visitors aged 12 and under are eligible to cast their votes. ($250)
• The Maison Depoivre Award will be presented to an artist whose work demonstrates risk-taking and originality, technical skill and is thought provoking. Special attention will be given to the use of colours in a daring, innovative way. The curators of Maison Depoivre will select three finalists from the artists presenting work at AITC. The three AITC jurors will determine the award recipient from the three finalists. The recipient of the award will be invited to display her/his/their work at Maison Depoivre for the rest of the 2022 season, once AITC closes its doors at the beginning of July.
• The Community Arts Builder Award recognizes individuals who have enriched community life through the arts.
• NEW FOR THIS YEAR The Carson Arthur Award is an exciting opportunity for artists submitting work to AITC. It will be presented to an artist whose work represents or evokes Nature in an innovative and original way. Carson Arthur will select three finalists from the artists presenting work at AITC. The three AITC jurors will determine the award recipient from the three finalists. This award includes a $250 monetary gift for the winning artist and a $250 donation to a local, non-profit organization advocating for the protection of the environment (organization selected by the winning artist).

Award Winners in 2022

Jurors’ Choice Awards

Holding On by Josh Connell
Heartbreaker by Laura Dick
@ The Regent Theatre by Stewart Jones
I can’t keep quiet. For anyone. Not anymore. by Bill Stearman
Snowy Owl on the Prowl by Paul Verrall

Honourable Mention Awards

Taking Flight by Vicki Bradley
Over the Edge by Florence Chik-Lau
Relic? by Pauline Dinham
Wall Flower by Leslie Fruman
Late Afternoon Glow by Pam Mayhew

People’s Choice award

Holding On by Josh Connell

Children’s Choice Award

The Seer by Danielle Reddick

Maison Depoivre Award

Paradise Lost by Josh Connell

Carson Arthur Award

Winter Marsh by Jason Pettit

Community Arts Builder Award

Sarah Moran

2022 Community Arts Builder Award – Sarah Moran

In 2018, Art in the County and the Prince Edward County Arts Council launched The Community Arts Builder Award to mark the 25th anniversary of Art in the County. Sponsored by Laurie Gruer and Monica Klingenberg of Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited Brokerage, the award recognizes an individual who has enriched community life in the County through the arts. The award includes a $250 monetary gift.

The 2022 selection committee of Laurie Gruer, Monica Klingenberg and Catelyn Thornton stated: “Sarah Moran is an outstanding choice for this award. Her contributions to the arts community have been very broad-based, and have been offered over many years. Sarah has always been ready to step in where needed, even on short notice, and has been adept in any area she fills. From the radio station, to the PEC Arts Council…and in between!…she has been so competent, so resourceful, and so pleasant in her interactions. We can’t think of a more worthy recipient.”

As one nominator said, “Sarah is a true champion to artists and the arts, quietly working to make a significant contribution to our community. She has served as volunteer board member for County Arts (PEC Arts Council) for many years where she expertly led two (2!) successive and very successful strategic planning processes. As she has just ended her term on the County Arts board on May 31, this is a perfect and fitting opportunity to celebrate and thank the much-loved and admired Sarah Moran for her outstanding contributions to the arts sector of PEC.”

Sarah grew up in the Forest of Dean, UK, graduated from London and Oxford universities and emigrated to Canada in 1986. She worked in strategic planning for J. Walter Thompson advertising in London, New York and Toronto, as vice president and president. Some clients with whom she worked are: SickKids, Nestle, University of Toronto, Canadian Cancer Society, IBM, Tim Hortons. Sarah is trained in qualitative research, creative problem solving, and workshop facilitation.

Sarah has lived in the County since 1991, retiring in 2014. She’s a volunteer serving as former First Vice Chair of the Prince Edward County Arts Council, a leading member of the group that saved and supports Picton Town Hall for community use, volunteer at Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, Milford Fair organiser, and co-host of Artscene on 99.3 County FM.

Previous winners include Kato Wake, visual artist, instructor and community connector (2021); Hri Neil, Carbon Art and Design (2020); Krista Dalby, Department of Illumination (2019); and Alice and Peter Mennacher, Blizzmax Gallery (2018).

For more information about the Community Arts Builder Award, call the Prince Edward County Arts Council at (613) 476-8767 or e-mail: artinthecounty@countyarts.ca.

Jury

Three Canadian art professionals are solely responsible for determining the exhibition’s content and selecting the Jurors’ Choice and Honourable Mention award winners. We are pleased to welcome three exceptional jurors whose experience and insight will be instrumental in providing a high quality experience for both artist and visitor.

2022 Juried Artists

History

In 1993, with advice from the long established Quinte Arts Council and seed money from the Community Development Corporation, the inaugural AITC Volunteer Committee (Paul Adams, June Boddington, Bob Hintz and Estelle Klein) set about planning the first show.

It was held in the lovely heritage space above the Picton Old Town Hall and for the next 18 years the space was converted annually into a fine art gallery displaying the best work of County artists. In 2012, the exhibition moved to a new home, a much larger gallery space above Books and Company on Picton’s Main Street where it stayed until 2017. In 2018, the exhibition moved to The Armoury, centrally located on Main Street beside the Picton Public Library. In 2020 and 2021, the show was held solely online due to public health requirements to limit public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the show’s early years, only two-dimensional pieces (mainly paintings in oil and watercolour) were eligible for entry. Since then, the event has expanded to include art from an impressive range of media, including paintings in encaustic, oil, watercolour and acrylic; and works in glass, fibre, ceramics, pottery, mixed media, photography, wood, fabric art, sculpture and jewellery.

Since its inception in 1993, Art in the County has grown in scope and stature, showcasing the highest quality works of art by Prince Edward County artists and artisans.

Today, Art in the County is a signature event of the summer season in Prince Edward County. The show attracts thousands of visitors, generates meaningful opportunities for County artists, and provides economic benefits for businesses across the County.