A portrait depicting Province House in 1873 during the official reading of The Union Proclamation, which united Prince Edward Island with the rest of Canada, was officially unveiled today at Province House by Premier Pat Binns and Ken Gillis, Chairperson of the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada.
In 1998, The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada commissioned critically acclaimed Canadian artist, Dusan Kadlec for a commemorative painting to mark the 125th Anniversary of Prince Edward Island joining Confederation in 1873.
Premier Binns accepted "The Union Proclamation 1873" which will permanently hang in Province House. "This nostalgic image will serve to remind all visitors to Province House of the historical significance of Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation," said Premier Binns.
"This is a major fund raising initiative for the College and without undertakings such as this the College would not be able to operate," said Ken Gillis. He also expressed thanks to the Honourable Chester Gillan, Minister responsible for Culture and Heritage for supporting the project.
"The Union Proclamation 1873" depicts The Colonial Building known as Province House on a bright sunny day in 1873 during the official reading of the Union Proclamation. Crowds, dressed in their finery of the day, stand outside listening as the historic proclamation is read.
There are 873 reproductions of this image published. Each piece in the strictly limited edition will be colour corrected, signed and numbered by the artist personally.
The College of Piping, a non-profit organization and registered Canadian charity, will receive the net proceeds from the sales of this project. These proceeds will be used to help subsidize the cultural performing arts programs offered by the College.
For information on ordering a commemorative portrait, contact the College of Piping at 1-877-BAGPIPE.