Art Lotto Launches to Support Arts Education and Island Artists

– Lottery will feature a new piece each month, tickets available for $20 –

January 4, 2022 – Island residents have the unique opportunity to win a specially curated piece through an exclusive art lottery.

The Friends of the Confederation Centre of the Arts are hosting Art Lotto, a fundraiser to support arts education programs at the Centre as well as Island artists. Starting January 4, a unique piece from an Island artist will be raffled off each month via a limited number of $20 tickets. The artists and pieces will be revealed on the first of the month, and tickets will be available immediately.

“The pandemic has been a challenging time for artists, and we wanted to find a way to support our local community,” says Vicki Allen-Cook, chair of The Friends. “Art Lotto promotes the incredible talent we have on the Island while funding arts education for the next generation.”

The pieces are curated by Kevin Rice, director of the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, and come from artists of varying backgrounds and mediums. Confederation Centre purchased the pieces from the artists at regular retail price to support their work, and each piece will be on display inside the Centre’s Richmond Street entrance off Victoria Row.

“This project is a great opportunity to highlight emerging artists,” says Rice. “I focused on curating a diverse range of pieces that our patrons and supporters will find compelling.”

January’s featured piece is Na’ku’Set by Melissa Peter-Paul, a Mi’kmaw artist from Abegweit First Nation on Epekwitk (P.E.I.). The artist specializes in quillwork, a traditional skill in which the ancestors of her maternal grandfather excelled. Her training in the artform was grounded in traditional techniques that utilize both cultural teachings and formal resources from historical publications and museums. Quillwork is created by inserting porcupine quills, either dyed or kept natural, into birchbark. The pieces are then edged with quills, sweetgrass, or spruce root. Peter-Paul has been integral in establishing a community of skilled quill workers and is actively working on collaborative projects that will expand awareness of the artform.

Lottery tickets for this month are on sale now until January 31, or while supplies last. Future draws will open on the first of the month (i.e., February 1). There are 100 tickets available each month. Tickets can be purchased online, via phone at 1-800-565-0278, or in person at the Centre’s box office while supplies last.

For more details and terms and conditions of the lottery, visit confederationcentre.com.

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Photo cutline: Melissa Peter-Paul. Na’ku’Set, 2021. Dyed porcupine quillwork on birchbark with sweetgrass (approx. 19.8 cm in diameter; frame 45.7 x 55.8 cm)