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Indigenous Arts and Stories Exhibition Unveiling at RBC Place London (credit: Corrie Higginson) June holds much cultural significance with many opportunities to celebrate, learn, and engage as we recognize Indigenous History Month, Indigenous Solidarity Day (June 21), Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27), Pride Month, and Seniors Month. Earlier this month on June 12, we gathered at RBC Place London for the unveiling of Indigenous Arts and Stories Exhibition as part of The Gallery program at RBC Place London. This past Saturday, June 20, we celebrated the unveiling of 90+ artworks at London Public Library's Central Branch during Art Spectacular 2026. As always, we look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming event and sharing what's going on at the London Arts Council! 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. COMMUNITY ART INSTALLATION PROJECT In response to demand from local artists for exhibition space and to promote and celebrate our talented local artists, the London Arts Council and the City of London Culture Services have collaborated with RBC Place London to pilot The Gallery program at RBC Place London as part of our London Arts Live (LAL) program offerings. The purpose of The Gallery is to promote the work of artists and creators residing in London and surrounding First Nations to display original artworks for exhibition, with sales opportunities, on highly prominent and specially designated wall space within this municipally owned building. For the ninth exhibition, The Gallery featured artworks created by Mackenzie Beirnes-Daniels, Kristi White, and Mike Cywink, highlighting stories of Indigenous culture, history, and community. The exhibition is on now through to August, 2026. For full details, please visit the link below. Many thanks to everyone who joined us for the unveiling of Indigenous Arts and Stories Exhibition event as part of The Gallery program at RBC Place London on June 12. For more details on the event, please visit the link below. PUBLIC ART PROJECTS Art Spectacular 2026 90+ artworks across four public art projects and 11 sub-projects! The City of London’s Public Art and Monument Program, administered by the London Arts Council and the City of London Culture Services, supports the creation of public art that strengthens civic pride, fosters community celebration, creates jobs for artists, and attracts tourism and investment. Many thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the unveiling of new public art projects in the Downtown at Art Spectacular 2026 this past Saturday, June 20. The projects—completed through the City of London's Public Art Program managed by the Culture Services Division and administered through the London Arts Council—are a reflection of the creativity, talent, and diversity in our city. We invite you to learn more about these exciting public art projects at the link below. Lindsey and The Lonelies performing at FCLMW Kickoff Party, June 5, 2026 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MUSICIANS The LBMX Musicians Mentorship Program bands—Aidan Hough, Lindsey and The Lonelies, and Omri Kash—had their first public performance as part of the program on June 5 for Forest City London Music Week's 2026 Kickoff Party at Dundas Place. Many thanks to all who came out and enjoyed some incredible local talent! Stay tuned for more from these talented musicians and mark your calendars for the program's signature event, ExtravaBand-za! on September 12, 2026! ARTS ACTIVATIONS With performances added to the calendar on an ongoing basis, check out who's performing in our community and support local talent. Whether you are at Covent Garden Market or White Oaks Mall this Saturday, June 27, we have you covered with some live music! COMMUNITY ARTS INVESTMENT PROGRAM UPDATE TO APPLICANTS: The Community Arts Investment Program assessment panels continue to notify applicants as they complete their assessments. Please check your inbox (and junk/spam folders) as you may have received a CAIP assessment communication. If you have not yet received an email communication, this just means the assessment panel has yet to reach out. We will notify via social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) once all applicants have received a communication. We thank you for your patience as our assessors complete their work. IN THE COMMUNITY (l-r) Graham Henderson, Ariel Williams, Emily Schuyler, Katie Wilhelm, Mike Cywink, Nancy Deleary, Bridget George, at the Making Space – Business, Indigenous Art, and Reconciliation event by the London Chamber of Commerce on June 4, 2026 Making Space – Business, Indigenous Art, and Reconciliation At the start of this month we were proud to attend the London Chamber of Commerce's event which brought forward meaningful discussion related to "the practical role the business community must play in moving the City of London’s ReconciliAction Plan from a written policy into a lived reality." Team member Emily Schuyler was a keynote speaker at the event providing an intimate narrative of cultural heritage and what it means to be a contemporary Indigenous artist. To learn more about the event and the partnership between London Chamber of Commerce and the London Arts Council for the new Indigenous gallery programme, please visit the link below: CONNECT WITH US Never miss a beat by following along on social! Click on the icons below:

The Gallery In response to demand from local artists for exhibition space and to promote and celebrate our talented local artists, the London Arts Council and the City of London Culture Services have collaborated with RBC Place London to pilot The Gallery program at RBC Place London as part of our London Arts Live (LAL) program offerings. The purpose of The Gallery is to promote the work of artists and creators residing in London and surrounding First Nations to display original artworks for exhibition, with sales opportunities, on highly prominent and specially designated wall space within this municipally owned building. For the ninth exhibition, The Gallery featured artworks created by Mackenzie Beirnes-Daniels, Kristi White, and Mike Cywink, highlighting stories of Indigenous culture, history, and community. Meet the Artists/Authors Mackenzie Beirnes-Daniels is a London-based Cree First Nations artist whose practice is rooted in exploring the fluid and unreliable nature of memory. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts from Fanshawe College and is currently a member of Good Sport Studio and Gallery. Through the act of fragmentation, she seeks to isolate and dissect objects and scenes, bringing attention to how personal narratives can be easily swayed by emotions, time, and external influences. By decontextualizing imagery, her work challenges the viewer to confront the disjointed and ever-shifting nature of recollection. Instagram Kristi White is an author and member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames. Her focus is on Indigenous language and culture revitalization, and an awakening in boys’ literacy. Kristi White is a proud Haudenosaunee woman. As a mother and grandmother, Kristi has spent many years guiding the establishment and implementation of programs for families and children based around healthy living, healthy relationships, literacy, and cultural appropriate content, and has worked alongside and consulted with numerous agencies across Canada. Kristi is a children's author who has a 4-book series out that is focused on Indigenous children. Kristi creates a story with books that opens the hearts and minds of children from all walks of life, inspiring them to read deeper, search further, and explore their own creative gifts. Taking inspiration fromIndigenous cultures, she focuses on themes that encourage independence of spirit, enthusiasm for learning, and acceptance of other languages and cultures traditions. Website Facebook Mike Cywink grew up in Whitefish River First Nation in Northern Ontario and has lived in the London area for over a decade. He is a muralist, artist, and graphic designer whose work can be found throughout the city. Alongside his artistic practice, Mike is dedicated to supporting Indigenous youth through community-based projects. As an artist, Mike approaches his work as storytelling. Guided by teachings he has received along his journey, he listens, learns, and respectfully shares stories through visual art. Rooted in traditional storytelling practices, his work honours Indigenous ways of passing on knowledge and lived experience. Instagram About Work Woven Into Myself (2025) (on exhibition May – August 2026) Through a series of seven drawings, Mackenzie Beirnes-Daniels, a London-based Cree First Nations artist, reimagines Jay and Gizmo Learn About Boys with Braids by Kristi White. Drawing on the story’s themes of masculinity, colonization, and the tension between Western gender norms and Indigenous tradition, the series becomes an exploration of decolonizing self-image. The series journeys through the internalized colonial expectations toward a self-determined identity. The figure appears vulnerable and overwhelmed, negotiating contemporary narratives of masculinity while seeking to understand the tradition of wearing braids and the deeper connection to heritage that comes from embracing and expressing Indigenous identity. Ontarian plant life and traditional medicine plants are woven throughout the pieces as grounding presences. These botanical elements act as carriers of knowledge and healing, anchoring the figures to land and lineage. Together, the drawings form a quiet arc from fragmentation toward reconciliation, proposing reconnection to land and heritage as an act of restoration. Read Jay and Gizmo Learn About Boys with Braids by Kristi White We Are Still Here (2025) by Mike Cywink (on exhibition May – August 2026) As we navigate this way of life, we must never forget the past. To know where we are going, we must know where we come from. The relationships between the Indigenous Peoples, the land, the water, the animals, and the ceremony need to be understood and respected, as they are our original ways of living and being. There is a complex relationship between Indigenous Peoples, settlers, and institutions. And the true history of those relationships here on Turtle Island must be understood by everybody. For centuries, Canada has tried to hide the horrors, the harm, and the destruction that it has caused to Indigenous communities. But through resiliency, hard work, and the determination of our people, we have fought to bring the truth to light. We need to work together to move forward together. Pieces of who we are, our way of life, and understanding our relationships are vital in creating a safer, better world for all of us. The Residential School system tried to wipe out the Indigenous Peoples, with assimilation being the key focus of those institutions. But the spirit of the native people was too strong. The ones who walked before us fought to keep our ways of life going. They ensured our teachings; ceremonies and our spiritual connections would live on. Through every action, their thoughts were with us. As we move forward together, we must never forget what has happened. We have survivors who walk amongst us, and we have children of survivors who are dealing with intergenerational trauma and trying their best to break the cycle of pain and hurt. No matter what we do, we must always think of the next group coming after us. Whether it is the youth of today, the newborns, or the ones who are coming 7 generations from now. We must always think of them in everything we do. Read the full LAC MURAL STORY by Mike Cywink View Indigenous Arts and Stories Exhibition at RBC Place London on the following dates: May May 21 (11:00am - 2:00pm) May 25 (8:00am - 8:00pm) May 26 (8:00am - 1:00pm) May 28 (8:00am - 8:00pm) May 29 (8:00am - 8:00pm) May 30 (8:00am - 8:00pm) May 31 (8:00am - 12:00pm) June June 2 (12:00pm - 8:00pm) June 3 (8:00am - 5:00pm) June 4 (5:00pm - 9:00pm) June 6 (6:00pm - 10:00pm) June 7 (10:00am - 8:00pm) June 8 (8:00am - 8:00pm) June 9 (8:00am - 5:00pm) June 10 (8:00am - 4:00pm) June 11 (11:00am - 2:00pm) June 12 (11:00am - 1:30pm) June 16 (8:00am - 4:00pm) June 18 (11:00am - 2:00pm) June 19 (1:00pm - 6:00pm) June 24 (5:30pm - 8:30pm) June 25 (9:00am - 8:30pm) June 26 (11:00am - 1:30pm) June 29 (4:00pm - 8:00pm) July July 2 (11:00am - 2:00pm) July 4 (5:00pm - 10:00pm) July 16 (8:00am - 5:00pm) July 17 (8:00am - 5:00pm) July 18 (6:00pm - 10:00pm) July 23 (11:00am - 2:00pm) July 24 (10:00am - 1:00pm) July 30 (11:00am - 4:00pm) **enter via the main doors on York St.** The objectives of the Gallery program are: to create a beautiful, unique, and cultured atmosphere; provide compelling experiences for local, national, and international visitors; educate the public by presenting a series of diverse artworks created by local professional artists; and provide professional opportunities for local artists, including increased promotion, sales, and career enhancement. For more information about this project, please contact the London Arts Council at info@londonarts.ca

Position and Submission Process Administrative Assistant Hours: full-time (35 hours/week) Term: One-year contract, with a mandatory three-month probationary period Compensation: $36,000 - $40,000 (commensurate with experience) Application Deadline: Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 4:30 PM Anticipated Interview Timeline: Monday, June 22 – Friday, June 26, 2026 Anticipated start date: Monday, June 29, 2026 Note: Please submit your application through the online application form by Wednesday, June 17th, 4:30 PM. No other method of application will be accepted. Only those candidates who are considered for the position will be contacted. General work hours are Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; however, this position requires working hours outside of the general office hours and may require working additional hours for certain occasions. Final candidates will be required to complete a Criminal Records Check from the London Police Services. Job Description Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Administrative Assistant supports both the Executive Director and organizational operations by handling a range of administrative and logistical tasks. Responsibilities include managing schedules, organizing files, coordinating communications, maintaining documents and data, overseeing office needs, and performing general clerical duties to ensure smooth daily operations. The ideal candidate is ethical, professional, organized, adaptable, with the ability to take initiative, multitask, and work independently under the direct supervision of the Executive Director within the organizational mandate and guidelines. Qualifications and Skills LAC’s Administrative Assistant opportunity is for an individual who is flexible and adaptable to the fluid nature of operational requirements, represents LAC in a highly professional manner, and brings an organized and structured approach to supporting the organization’s operations and governance. An appreciation for the arts and the role of arts service organizations is an asset. Given the historical context of where we are situated, this person should be dedicated to ongoing learning and unlearning of Indigenous histories, culture, and the effects of colonialism on Indigenous peoples, including the legacy of the residential schools. The person should also be open-minded and willing to expand their experience and knowledge to achieve a greater understanding of all equity-deserving communities. Please click the button below to view the full job description: