When a community invests in the arts, the Return on Investment (ROI) goes beyond what can be measured on a balance sheet.

Sometimes the payoff is for a child seeing their own play performed for the first time. Or a young musician stepping onto a stage. A theatre company keeps its lights on, or a festival takes a creative risk.

Those are the returns local arts organizations attribute to the PEC Arts Fund as it enters its second year.

The fund means $50,000 from the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) will be shared among a dozen organizations across the County. Administered by The County Foundation, the fund supports annual projects and multi-year operational grants.

Before the fund was created, arts organizations competed alongside food banks, health initiatives and other community services through the municipality’s broader Municipal Grants stream. The County Foundation’s Executive Director Dominique Jones said creating a dedicated arts fund was an appropriate use of MAT revenue.

“Arts programs, although a really great benefit for residents, are also a good draw for tourists into our economy,” Ms. Jones said.

The County Foundation seeded the fund with $25,000, while the municipality contributes up to $50,000 annually through its share of MAT revenues. 

Donations from residents, businesses and philanthropists can help grow the fund even further.

For recipients, the grants are measured less by their size than by what they make possible.

The PEC Jazz Festival received nearly $5,000 to support its 2026 season and expand youth music education.

“It means that we can deliver an enhanced program this year,” said board member Mary Ann Brand. “We can continue to create an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds, and all means of income.”

Chair Alan Weekes said the funding allows the festival to “take more chances,” such as offering lower-priced tickets for people under 25, free admission for children, and expanded workshops, including “Intro to Brazilian Samba Percussion” and “Intro to Jazz Ukulele.”

The Department of Illumination received a $10,000 multi-year operational grant that helps cover salaries, rent and utilities.

“Operational funding is really special,” Project Coordinator Mr. Hri Neil said. “It keeps the lights on.”

The grant allows the organization to cover expenses such as staff salaries, rent and utilities. It also means less time pursuing project-based funding and more time creating community programming. 

Mr. Neil said public investment in the arts reaches far beyond galleries and theatres, helping animate downtowns, support local businesses and create year-round cultural experiences for residents and visitors alike. 

Additional funding, he added, means less time spent fundraising and more time serving the community, because “every little bit counts.”

Driftwood Theatre sees the investment as an opportunity to grow.

Executive Artistic Director Jeremy Smith noted Prince Edward County has more artists per capita than any community in Canada except Stratford.

“A thriving artistic community is a thriving community,” he said. “If organizations weren’t struggling just to meet the bottom line, they would have the capacity to imagine more.”

For Driftwood, that means nurturing young playwrights with the long-term goal of professionally producing their work.

Mr. Smith’s experiences mirror provincial research. According to the Ontario Arts Council, arts and culture contribute $27 billion annually to the provincial economy and support 255,000 jobs. 

For Ms. Jones, continued investment in the Arts Fund does a lot more than support individual organizations.

“The more we invest in the arts, the richer our arts community,” she said, adding that a stronger arts sector attracts more visitors, increase MAT revenues and allows more money to be reinvested in the Arts Fund.

The fund’s future will be determined in upcoming budget discussions. Ms. Jones hopes the municipality continues its support, while donations from residents, businesses and philanthropists help grow the fund and expand grants.

Information about donating to the PEC Arts Fund is available through The County Foundation at www.thecountyfoundation.ca/grants-funds/pec-arts-fund.