The West Prince Arts Council has sponsored and organized the West Prince Students' Art Expo with the purpose of giving every school-aged child an opportunity to exhibit their artistic creations in an unjuried show. Prizes are awarded to schools that participate, with extra prizes for schools with the highest percentage or participation and for the most original use of materials.

Exhibition space has always been gladly donated and we utilize venues that are well lit, heated, open most days with plenty of walk-in traffic. Organizers volunteer their time and are re-imbursed for mileage.


November, 2001:- The first West Prince Students' Art Expo was held at the West Prince Industry Centre in Bloomfield as part of the island-wide Students: Art Expos. Prizes were sets of enough pairs of good Fiskar scissors for the class. The West Prince Arts Council funded $400 and the P.E.I. Council of the Arts gave $275 towards the Expo.

November, 2002:- Support information and funding from the P.E.I. Council of the Arts arrived too late to allow West Prince to organize our regional expo.. As was the practice before 2001, any students or classes that wished to exhibit art, put it in the Summerside Students' Art Expo.

February, 2004:- The 2004 West Prince Students' Art Expo was held at the West Prince Industry Centre again. About 180 students participated. This year a reusable banner (shown left) was made professionally as an on-site signage for our shows. Two families of students and organizer, Nan Ferrier, appeared on Boomer Gallant's weather show to promote our Expo. MacDonald's provided ten dinners for those who travelled to Charlottetown.

Funding came from the West Prince Arts Council - $400, and the P.E.I. Council of Arts - $275. How-to-draw books were given to the libraries of every school that participated. Extra books went to the schools with the highest percentage of participation and the most original use of materials.

February, 2005:- This year the West Prince Students' Art Expo was shown at the Tignish Cultural Centre for two weeks and then at the O'Leary Community Centre for two weeks. Three hundred students participated. Prizes were once again How to Draw books for school libraries for all those which had classes participating and extra books for the highest percentage of participation and most original use of materials. Funding came from $50 donations from each of the Central, Tignish, Alberton and Tyne Valley Credit Unions. The West Prince Graphic assisted with reduced advertising rates. The West Prince Arts Council donated the balance to cover costs.

February, 2006:- The annual midwinter Students' Art Expo was again dislayed in two venues, for two weeks at each location:- the O'Leary Community Centre and the West Prince Industry Centre. Prizes of a variety of how-to-draw books were given to the libraries of all the school which participated. Sponsors were the West Prince Arts Council and the four West Prince Credit Unions.

February, 2007:- The Students' Art Expo 2007 was held in February: two weeks at the Tyne Valley Village Hall and two weeks at the Alberton Community Centre and Bowling Alley and Bingo Hall. There were 360 works from the schools in Alberton, St.Louis, DeBlois, O'Leary, Ellerslie, Lennox Island and Hernewood. Each participating school was given a box of art supplies, enough for every class to have a painting and/or a pastel lesson.

How to participate:- There are eleven schools in West Prince. The West Prince Arts Council encourages all students and classes to participate in the annual West Prince Students' Art Expos. It's easy. Notices are sent out to the schools in the fall, with follow-up information and labels early in the New Year. Classes submit their works of art. Volunteers from our arts council pick up the work at the schools, hang it and deliver it back after the show closes. We suggest that file folders of art work be kept in the classroom for each student. Pictures, etc. can be chosen from them at expo time. Murals, three-dimensional work, and original computer work are also welcome. Work from children's extra-curricular groups may be submitted.


Phone Nan Ferrier for more information at 831-3048.

Click here to view our Art Gallery