this town is small (TTIS) is Prince Edward Island’s artist-run centre, established in 2010. TTIS is a spaceless organization that is committed to supporting contemporary art through diverse and supportive community partnerships, providing opportunities for artists and making connections with the public. It operates from an office space in The Vessel in Charlottetown, PEI and it presents exhibitions, residencies, workshops, artist talks, and other programming with partnering venues across Prince Edward Island.
Read this town is small’s 2022 – 2025 Strategic Plan
Mission: this town is small (TTIS) is a leader of contemporary art creation, presentation, and events. We promote dialogue about and access to contemporary art and create opportunities for artists on PEI.
Vision: To foster sustainable contemporary arts practice on PEI by supporting local artists within a regional, national, and international context.
What is an artist-run centre?
Artist-run centres are galleries and/or art spaces that are initiated by artists, for artists, and that started as a movement in Canada in the 1960s. Artist-run centres typically follow a not-for-profit organizational model, de-emphasizing the sale of artworks and supporting professional opportunities for visual artists in the creation, presentation, and dissemination of their work, especially emerging artists and artists with unconventional/experimental practices. There are over 180 artist-run centres located across Canada today, each with its own unique vision and structure to support the communities they operate within.
Our Partners and Community Collaborators (past and present)
Art in the Open
Charlottetown Farmer’s Market
Charlottetown Library Learning Centre
City of Charlottetown
Confederation Centre Art Gallery
Copper Bottom Brewing
Creative PEI
Eptek Art and Culture Centre
Fédération Culturelle de l’Î.-P.-É.
Film PEI
The Guild
PEI Crafts Council
Receiver Coffee Co.
River Clyde Pageant
Rock Barra Artist Retreat
University of Prince Edward Island
Upstreet Craft Brewing
National Arts Organizations
Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC)
Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Conference (ARCA)
Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA)
Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC)
this town is small is a member of ATLANTIS: the Association of Artist-Run Centres from the Atlantic and CARFAC Maritimes
this town is small is funded by Innovation PEI through the PEI Culture Action Plan and the Canada Council for the Arts
this town is small 