Event Details

County Arts, formally incorporated as the Prince Edward County Arts Council in 1986, was initially formed in 1979 when members of the community got together to form a group dedicated to promoting the arts in Prince Edward County. The organization’s main hub, County Arts Lab which is centrally located on Main Street Picton, is an artist-centred community space dedicated to artistic experimentation and creation. The organization has produced multiple events that have grown into successful yearly tourist attractions: Art in the County - an annual juried visual arts exhibition and sale, the PEC Studio Tour - showcasing local artists’ studios throughout the County and The Maker’s Hand - a fine craft show highlighting artisans’ work. In 2025, County Arts partnered with the County Foundation and the Municipality in launching the PEC Arts Fund, a community grant program to support local arts organizations and programming across the County with annual grants awarded for general operations, projects, and event programming.

This application is for County Arts’ 40th Anniversary Season, a year-long cultural tourism project anchored by Hotel Confidential taking place April 1 to November 10, 2026, in partnership with The Royal Hotel in Prince Edward County. Marking four decades of leadership in the County’s arts ecosystem, the anniversary season is designed to drive visitation during shoulder and off-peak periods, increase overnight stays, and reinforce Prince Edward County’s reputation as a premier destination for arts and culture tourism. Presented across multiple venues on Main Street, the project connects one of the County’s most iconic heritage hotels with its thriving creative community, offering immersive, site-responsive experiences that reflect the region’s distinctive cultural identity. Programming includes: (1) Flagship Anniversary Event – The inaugural “Hotel Confidential” (April 1 to 30): a landmark contemporary art collaboration with The Royal Hotel, co-curated by artists Stacey Sproule and Christina Zeidler, featuring twelve local and visiting artists. The public presentation includes a ticketed opening night gala, ticketed daytime access (April 17 to 19), hotel-wide teaser activations, and a printed catalogue with installation maps and artist profiles; (2) “Art in the County” (June 25 to July 8): the County’s largest and most anticipated group exhibition and show-and-sale, featuring more than 100 local artists at the County Arts Lab. This eighteen-day celebration consistently attracts visitors and collectors during the early summer tourism season; (3) “Activate Arts” Summer Program (July 11 to August 31): a dynamic series of commercial and non-commercial exhibitions, performances, and community-driven events curated at the County Arts Lab. For the first time, the Lab will also host performing arts programming with the addition of a new stage and AV equipment; and (4) “The Maker’s Hand” (November 6 to 8): a three-day fine craft show and sale unique to the Bay of Quinte region, featuring both local and visiting artists from across Ontario. Now located on Main Street Picton, the event attracts day-trippers and overnight tourists during a critical shoulder-season period and benefits from strong pedestrian and transit access.