November Updates
- ahlynialuk
- Nov 26
- 6 min read
The holidays are right around the corner and a festive feeling is in the air! We are sending warm wishes and sharing ways the arts in our community can sprinkle a little extra joy this season!
Thank you to our operational partners for your ongoing support. Your funding and partnership provide crucial support for LAC in maintaining and growing capacity for ongoing development, implementation, and delivery of professional artistic programs and services for our community and the local arts sector.
We extend our gratitude to our strategic programming partners whose generosity helps us support the local arts community and artists with meaningful programs and opportunities.
PUBLIC ART PROJECTS
Artist Olukayode (Kay) Ojo, a Nigerian-born Canadian artist whose work blends contemporary and traditional African influences into a bold, abstract expressionist style exhibits work at RBC Place Gallery, London. His paintings have been exhibited in prestigious venues, including the 2022 Art à la Carte exhibition at the Legislative Building in Toronto. His works are also held in the collections of Museum London and The Art Emporium in Port Stanley. He has painted portraits of notable figures, including former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Don't miss your chance to experience this exhibit in person! The exhibit at RBC Place Gallery runs August 26 – December 20.
PROGRAMS AND LEARNING
Expanded Belong Youth Art Workshops at Crouch, SLNRC, GCCRC, LUSO and NWLNRC. Programs are running from September 12 to December 20 at five different Community Centres across the city, Belong Youth Art Workshops run each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
TVDSB Indigenous Culture Program (NAC 10) at Beal and Saunders from November 5 - December 11. While this program is offered through TVDSB and is not open to the public, we wanted to highlight the opportunity this collaboration offers to professional artists while supporting Indigenous-focused programming for participating TVDSB students.
This year's program features Mikaila Stevens as the mentor artist and Mireya Seymour and Mackenzie Daniels are the mentees. Last year, Emily Schuyler was the mentor artist for the program and shared her experience in this role.
"Collaborating on the Belong Program with the London Arts Council was a true highlight of my year. I had the privilege of teaching Indigenous-focused art workshops and mentoring two incredible Indigenous artists. Watching students engage with art, reflect deeply, and create with such openness was incredibly moving. Their curiosity and thoughtfulness, alongside the growth of my mentees, reminded me of the profound power of art to connect us to culture, spark empathy, and inspire meaningful understanding. It was a beautiful reminder of why this work matters so deeply."
printmaking with medicine plants created by students in Emily Schuyler's workshop
ARTS ACTIVATIONS
Mark your calendars! This year's Holly Jolly Market runs December 5 - 21 at Covent Garden Market and we are thrilled to have your favourite artists performing as part of our London Arts Live Expansion program supported by The Paul Seed Fund.
And that's not all! Every week the downtown core is activated with live, local musical talent with support from The Paul Seed Fund including performances at Covent Garden Market every Saturday from 8:30am - 1:00pm! Also on Saturdays, we have sound techs at High Street Bar and Grill assisting with their open mic nights (open to the general public) from 8:00pm - 12:00am.
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for expressions of interest!
We are looking for arts professionals and/or community members involved in the arts in London to serve as assessors in the evaluation of submissions to the Community Arts Investment Program (CAIP). Each assessor helps evaluate investment submissions, make decisions on who receives funding, advise on priorities, and recommend dollar amounts for each investment.
Submit your expression of interest today using the form below. Full details including assessor roles and requirements are also available through the form.
NEWS
Welcome to the team, Rebeca! Earlier this month we welcomed our newest team member, Rebeca Daminelli, Administrator, Operations & Business Development.
Thank you, Ontario Arts Council! We are so appreciative of the OAC grant we have received and know the immense value this has for our community of artists. We wanted to share remarks from both Terrence Kernaghan, MPP and our board chair, Janet Loo which further express the incredible impact this generosity will have on our community.
"I will always uphold that during times of economic strife or social unrest, the arts are more important than ever. They are what uplift us, inspire us, drive us, bring us together, and unite us. The arts are also a key economic driver and contribute billions in economic activity for our city and province.
I want to thank Twee Brown and the Ontario Arts Council for their investment in the London Arts Council, which allows so much great programming and events to happen right here in London. Because of this funding, talented people like Eunju Yi and all the great people at London Arts Council are able to partner with wonderful organizations like LBMX to offer mentorship programs like the one we are celebrating today."
– Terrence Kernaghan, MPP (quote from Extravabandza on September 6, 2025)
"On behalf of the London Arts Council, I want to express our deepest gratitude to the Ontario Arts Council for its generous grant support. This investment is vital in keeping our operations strong, so that we can continue delivering the impactful programming and services that support artists and enrich the arts community in London. Thank you to the OAC for its continued confidence in our work and for helping make the arts accessible, vibrant, and meaningful not only in London, but across the province."
– Janet Loo, Chair, LAC Board of Directors
SPOTLIGHT
Daegu Opernstudio comes to London! We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Don Wright Faculty of Music, Western University as they welcome three Daegu Opernstudio performers from the Daegu Opera House in South Korea. Like London, Daegu is a UNESCO City of Music, and this visit is part of a musical exchange where Western's Don Wright Faculty of Music nominates students and alumni to go to South Korea in October to make their South Korea debut and in return students of the Opernstudio travel to London for their Canadian debut.
Haeun Kim, Heekyung Park, and Kyubo Na have been selected to travel to London as part of this exchange and will have their debut performance in von Kuster Hall on December 5 at 12:30pm. This is a free concert and all are welcome to attend in person or via livestream.
In addition to the concert on December 5, our visiting artists will be welcomed at the London Korean Christian Church on December 7 for an afternoon concert. With the support of St. Paul's Cathedral, we are also planning an open rehearsal where the public can experience a professional rehearsal up close!
LAC’s support is through our Artist in residence cultural exchange program, in partnership with the London Music Office and City of London Purchase Services.
Please stay tuned to our socials and your inbox for additional details on these exciting events.
In case you missed it...
Our team had a fun time creating this year's Halloween video! The theme? Horror movie characters! Does Phil's "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski count? We will leave that to you to decide...
THE ART OF GIVING
December 2 is GivingTuesday!
Have you been thinking about ways in which you can contribute to the work we do? GivingTuesday—a global generosity movement—is a great reminder of the power we have to do good in our community and is an opportunity to show your support through a donation! As we are a registered charitable organization you will also receive a tax receipt for your gift to us.
Donations of all sizes are meaningful and directly contribute to the vibrancy of our community. As you know, our programs are focused on arts investment, community building, cultivating allyship, arts education, Truth and Reconciliation, health and well-being, as well as public art and art activation providing paid opportunities for professional artists to create and deliver artworks in London and surrounding First Nations (Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames, and Munsee-Delaware Nation). Our programs also support the work of local arts organizations and increase accessibility and participation in artistic activities for Londoners and visitors.
We THANK YOU for your generosity!
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