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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:

When not performing, her career as a customer service and arts administration professional saw her leading Professional Development departments, initiating Tech Mentor programs, and overseeing the training and booking of a roster of 80+ artists across Canada. Meet Alexandra Berney A lifelong London musician, Alexandra Berney has spent the last few years writing, recording, and touring across Ontario with bands ranging from alternative rock to indie folk, country to disco. When not performing, her career as a customer service and arts administration professional saw her leading Professional Development departments, initiating Tech Mentor programs, and overseeing the training and booking of a roster of 80+ artists across Canada. Her many years on the LAC roster and as an assessor have made her jump from the stage to behind the desk feel like a very natural progression. Ask Me Anything - with Alexandra Berney What is your artistic background? In addition to my music, I’m also a poet, writer, and actress. My poems/lyrics have been published in journals including Withintensions, Petal Projections, and London’s own Wordsfest Zine. Songwriting is often an extension of my love for words as much as my feel for melody. I’m a singer and multi-instrumentalist mainly splitting my time between guitar, piano, and, my favourite, my vibraphone. I’m lucky to have a wide variety of genres in and at my fingertips, both my own musical inclinations and my catalogue of collaborators. I grew up with a love for theatre and my last performance of note was as part of the London Fringe Festival in a friend and collaborator’s award-winning play, Rehabilitating Richard. Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? I often surprise people with my skills on the hill and in the pool – just two different ways of moving through water, skiing and swimming. Name some favourite films/albums/work of arts/pieces of literature: My favourite novel is Anne Michaels’ Fugitive Pieces. I adore excess in art: Impressionist flowers, Romantic poetry, Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck… What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working? Cooking and eating to a great soundtrack – perhaps Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees or Hozier’s Wasteland, Baby! I document some of my culinary journeys @alusciouslife. Who is someone you admire and why? Big Joni Mitchell fangirl. I’ve dressed up as the cover of ‘Hejira’ for more than one Halloween.