"Cultivating Creativity: The Artistic Journey of Art Buds"
A BizVoice interview with Kiele & Julia
Meet Kiele & Julia
“I still feel like I am living the dream.” – Julia Campbell
1. What is your name and name of the business, how long has your business been operating, and can you tell me about your business and what products/services you offer?
Art Buds: Gallery, Workshops, Gifts was opened in April 2024 by my co-owner/operator, Julia Campbell, and me, Kiele Poirier. As our full business name suggests, we provide a wide range of products and services for Summerside locals and tourists alike. The front portion of our space at 329 Water Street hosts an art gallery and retail space featuring the work of over 30 artists from PEI, many of whom are in the Summerside area. We are proud to provide a venue for local artists to display their work and reach an audience they may not have access to on their own. Several of our vendors participate in local fairs to sell their products themselves, but many have never had their work available for purchase before, and we are so happy to give them an outlet for their creativity. Before starting Art Buds, we knew there was a lot of talent in our small part of this tiny province, but we were still blown away by the level of skill and creativity we found when we put out a call for artists.
We have been careful to select artists and products that are unique and less likely to be found in other art/craft shops. The majority of items for sale are one-of-a-kind, making them perfect gift options and making Art Buds a different experience than similar shops in the province. One of our core philosophies at Art Buds is “Art is for Everyone” – anyone can make art, and anyone should be able to afford to own art they love. Our retail prices start at $1 and go up to $1000+, with items at every price point in between. We embrace art in all its forms – visual art in all media, unique handmade art, writing, woodwork, and design.
In addition to our gallery and gift shop space, Art Buds has an art workshop space where we host creative experiences for artists of all ages. We believe anyone can be an artist, and the process of creating art has benefits for everyone. We encourage workshop participants to let go of their expectations of the final piece and instead enjoy playing and experimenting while they learn. We offer birthday parties and private booking packages, plus we invite our vendors and other community members to host their events in our space. Our event calendar is available at artbuds.ca! Outside of scheduled workshop sessions, our workshop space is usually open for self-directed drop-in creative experiences – perfect for a creative afternoon with a friend, a rainy day with kids, or something new to try on your own!
2. What inspired you to start this business, and what made you choose your location?
JC: As a teenager, I dreamed of owning a small retail business but never thought my life would go in that direction. In 2022, I joined a PEIBWA program called ActivateHER with plans of opening a disc golf pro shop. I met Kiele in that program and we quickly became friends. While my business aspirations got stuck in red tape, Kiele’s business (Art Box Studio) was able to open and begin operating. Since I wasn’t able to make progress on my own business plans, I spent a lot of time with Kiele supporting her business and being her sounding board. We realized we work well together and share many goals and attitudes. We had a chance to go into business together early in 2024 and were really excited at the prospect. As part of that process, we looked into lease retail space in the area and found our current location at 329 Water Street. Any hesitation we had about opening disappeared when we saw the space because it had everything we were looking for – retail and workshop space plus separate office space, a bathroom, a killer view of the harbour and a walkable location downtown with a lease payment that didn’t scare us off. After a quick decision to jump in with both feet and six weeks of renovations with the help of our families, we were able to open the store of our dreams in a location that is better than we could have hoped for.
KP: I’ve always had a passion for art and knew I needed to make it part of my career journey. Several times in my life I thought about opening a studio/gallery but was never able to make it happen. After meeting Julia in the PEIBWA program, it became obvious that we should work together. We have skills that compliment each other which I believe has been the missing piece all along. When we were researching retail spaces we came across our current location (it was not advertised at the time). We felt like this was a little hidden gem in the city that was overlooked for a long time. We have had a great time breathing new life into it. We have a great view of the Summerside waterfront and are steps away from the boardwalk and other amazing local businesses. We hit the location jack-pot!
3. How has the local community responded to your business?
We have been very encouraged by the response we’ve received from the community. We get daily compliments about how cute our shop is (we agree) and we’ve often been told that Summerside needs a business like ours. We love seeing how people’s eyes light up when they come in the door.
Our Grand Opening on May 25th was such a happy day. We loved the support we received from friends and family; the support from “strangers” was a huge bonus and bodes well for the summer to come!
4. What do you love most about being a business owner in the Greater Summerside area?
JC: I love that I literally work down the street from my house. It’s a long street and there are many intersections in between, but I still feel like I am living the dream. I love being a downtown business owner and I feel like we’ve been welcomed by the other businesses around us. I’m excited to be a part of rejuvenating the downtown and joining the other business owners who have been working toward the same goal.
5. How has the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on your business?
Art Buds didn’t exist during the pandemic but there is a good chance Art Buds would have never existed if it wasn’t for the pandemic. Clearly it was a challenging and traumatic time. We are all still recovering and adjusting to the way the world has changed. In typical Art Buds fashion, we try to look at the positives that have come out of the last few years: we both decided to become our own bosses; we met; we realized the value we both find in creating art in order to process our feelings and grow as humans; we recognized the value art brings to everyone and how we can help others benefit from art the way we have.
Fun chaos. Life is chaotic sometimes, but we always try to have fun. We can be a little nutty, but that’s part of our charm. When we get tired of doing real work, we hang out and make art. Who could ask for more?
Check out Art Buds here:
