Welcome to the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts.

The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts (PEICA) has provided vital support to the arts on Prince Edward Island since 1974. Dedicated to ensuring that all Prince Edward Islanders enjoy the benefits of a healthy arts community, the PEICA works to foster the development of the arts through advocacy, education, programs and services.

Our mission is to make the arts integral to the lives of all Islanders. We envision Prince Edward Island as alive with the arts, with each community flourishing in celebration of its creativity, its identity and its heritage. We see our Creative Isle as an attractive place to live and raise families, an ideal setting in which to build an artistic practice and career, and a world-class cultural destination. We believe that these possibilities can become reality through the arts.

Notice: Change to AGM Date

On Thursday, June 25, 2009, at the Board of Directors meeting, the  Board voted unanimously that, notwithstanding section 5.1 of the  Bylaws of the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts, the Annual General Meeting should be moved to September 23, 2009, at which time the membership will consider a motion to allow for a permanent change to the Bylaws to accommodate Autumn Annual General Meetings in future.

The Board was clear in the reason for the change both in this instance and for a permanent change. At our Annual General Meetings (AGM), some members, rightfully, have commented on not having sufficient time to properly consider the reports that come from the Chair, the Executive Director, and the Auditors, as well as other information provided. The Board is committed to ensuring that members are allowed sufficient time to consider these materials, and expresses a desire to engage the membership in informed discussions about the Council and its future.

At the same time, the Board recognizes that the Spring presents complex challenges in the Council’s workload and commitments, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the Board and staff to present the information to the membership in a timely, and well considered, manner. They also recognize the difficulty of attracting the membership to the AGM once the nice summer weather has arrived.

Additionally, the Board recognizes that the membership has expanded greatly over the last five years, and expresses a sincere desire to engage these members in informed discussions. When the Board and staff are obliged to spend the weeks and days leading up the AGM on purely administrative matters, there is little time to prepare to properly engage and consult with the membership.

Therefore, they present to you this motion to be considered by the membership at the September AGM:

That in section 5.1 of the Bylaws of the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts which reads

 “The Board shall call an Annual General Meeting within 90 days of the close of the fiscal year and General Meetings at other times in the year as circumstances dictate in the judgment of the Board of Directors.”

the “90 days” be struck and replaced with “one hundred and eighty days (180)” such that the amended sections reads

“The Board shall call an Annual General Meeting within one hundred and eighty (180) days of the close of the fiscal year and General Meetings at other times in the year as circumstances dictate in the judgment of the Board of Directors.”

This motion with then allow for additional latitude in preparing and holding the meetings, as well as allowing additional time for the audit to conclude, the reports to be written, and for all the materials to reach you, the members, in plenty of time in advance of the AGMs.

The reports I mention above will all be available shortly for download in PDF format from our website under the “Membership” section. If anyone would like a paper copy, please call our office at 902-620-3416 (leave a message) and we will be happy to print and send on demand, understanding that not all members have easy access to computers and printers.