Friday, February 28th 2025

Opening: Circulations | Doug Dumais

𝘾𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 An exhibition by Doug Dumais February 28 – April 22 Opening: Friday, February 28, 5-7pm From 1933 to 1936, the Carnegie Corporation of New York hired librarian Nora Bateson to establish a regional library system on Prince Edward Island. Over three years, Bateson traveled across PEI in a library car she designed, equipped with fold-out shelves and 300 books. She set up her mobile library at conventions, fairs, and meetings to build community support for public libraries. Before the 1933 demonstration, PEI had only three libraries. By 1935 there were 22. Nearly 90 years later, Doug Dumais retraced Bateson’s steps, visiting PEI’s 25 existing libraries to photograph these unique spaces, collect stories from librarians and patrons, and document their roles within their respective communities. 𝘾𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, a solo exhibition by Epekwitk (PEI) artist Doug Dumais, features photographs from his journeys to all 25 PEI libraries. Each image is digitally altered and layered with text, stickers, and labels from scanned book jackets borrowed from the library system, uncovering the overlapping histories of libraries and their communities. Doug Dumais (he/him) is a camera-based artist based in Charlottetown, Epekwitk (PEI). A self-taught artist, Dumais holds a master’s degree in art history from Concordia University (2019). He has exhibited at The Guild, the City Hall Art Gallery in Ottawa, This Town Is Small, ARTCH Montréal, and Galerie La Castiglione. His work has been included in private and public collections, including the City of Ottawa Art Collection and the PEI Art Bank.