Artist Statement
My art practice focuses on the people, landscapes, and culture of Epekwitk/Prince Edward Island, the small island where I was born and raised and where I choose to remain. My published writing most often triangulates this place, women who have written about this place at a different moment in history, and my own experience of time, place, and language. The theme of my editing and collaborative writing is supporting local authors and local publishers in Prince Edward Island to connect with readers, tell the stories of this Island, and achieve excellence.
Biography
The incoming Executive Director of CreativePEI, Jane Ledwell grew up in rural Prince Edward Island and chose to build her life in her home province, developing into a committed leader with more than two decades of experience advancing arts, culture, gender equity, inclusion, and public policy on the Island.
As long-time Executive Director of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women, she has led research, advocacy, and community collaborations such as the Equality Report Card, which measures government progress on gender equality goals. A former Director of the Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, Jane coordinated international conferences and contributed to the development of island studies as a field of study.
While working at UPEI, Jane also taught writing and literature, following up on her studies in English language and literature at Mt. Allison University, New Brunswick (BA, Hons), and the University of Waikato, New Zealand (MPhil).
Alongside her leadership roles, Jane is an award-winning writer, editor, and cultural advocate, with multiple books and publications to her credit. She has demonstrated dedication to writing and local publishing through decades of editing, collaboration, and mentorship, for which she received the Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts, and she gained insight and inspiration from PEI's wider arts and culture community through twenty-plus years interviewing artists for profiles in The Buzz, shedding light on creative careers across PEI.
Recognized for her strategic vision, inclusive leadership, incisive analysis, and commitment to building good relationships, Jane brings creativity, insight, and community-centred management to every initiative she undertakes. She is excited and delighted to fulfill a long-held dream of working in PEI's arts and culture sector to contribute to its flourishing.
Jane lives in Charlottetown in an arts-centric family with her partner, visual artist and picture framer Stephen B. MacInnis, and two teenagers emerging as artists and artisans in their own right.
Links to My Work
Poems & Books
- "At Springbrook: Searching for Frederica Campbell and Maud Montgomery," with AnnaSophia Ledwell MacInnis (Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, 2025)
- Return of the Wild Goose (Island Studies Press, 2019)
- Bird Calls: The Island Responds (Island Studies Press, 2016)
- Last Tomato (Acorn Press, 2005)
Co-Editing & Collaborations
- Gold Cup Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Gender-Based Violence, as a collaborating writer with author Lynn MacNeill (Pownal Street Press, 2025)
- L.M. Montgomery and War, co-edited with Andrea McKenzie (MQUP, 2017)
- Anne Around the World, co-edited with Jean Mitchell (MQUP, 2013)
- Elaine Harrison: I Am an Island That Dreams, with Kevin Rice and Douglas Sobey (Acorn Press/Confederation Centre of the Arts, 2011)
