CALL SUMMARY
To celebrate, honour, and share Indigenous culture and history, the London Arts Council (LAC) and The City of London invite Indigenous Artists /Creators/ Practitioners of Traditional Arts to submit original artwork(s) to be considered for purchase and exhibition to be included in the City of London’s Permanent Art Collection. Artworks created with individual artistic interpretations based on traditional Indigenous ways of knowing and being are encouraged for this opportunity.
Purchased artworks will be professionally curated and displayed on walls and in various spaces within City of London Community Centers and buildings in London for the Indigenous Art Exhibition.
Submissions will be accepted through the online application only until Friday, June 9, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.
PROJECT INFORMATION
The City of London is committed to meaningful actions to further their commitment to Truth and Reconciliation through continued support and acknowledgment of the contributions Indigenous communities have made to London and the surrounding community.
Therefore, this project will support The City of London in authentically fulfilling its commitments to reconciliation with the Indigenous Community through LAC’s fair and equitable process including the purchase and permanent display of Indigenous artworks to honour the vibrancy and diversity of Indigenous art, culture, knowledge, and history while encouraging visitors and partners to participate in the journey of reconciliation for the Indigenous Community.
Rationale and Process
Reconciliation work starts with acknowledging the land that we live and work on. Land acknowledgements should recognize the original people of this land and emphasize the settlers’ responsibilities to the land, to the original people, and to Indigenous communities through meaningful actions towards reconciliation. As we have gained from them, we are responsible to acknowledge this and respect Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.
In this regard, the City of London land acknowledgement (https://london.ca/city-london-land-acknowledgement) provides strong rationale for this project by answering why we must prioritize working with Indigenous communities in fulfilling our missions and informing the ways in which we can make meaningful actions towards reconciliation.
To reflect that, this project will be implemented based on a decolonized approach that emphasizes ongoing relationship building and honouring Indigenous art and culture.
As such, artworks created with individual artistic interpretations based on traditional Indigenous ways of knowing and being are encouraged for this opportunity.
Examples of past Indigenous exhibition artwork:
Traditional Métis Ceremonial Smoking Hat by Annette Sullivan | Giizhik Medicine Earrings created by Chandra Nolan |
Eligibility
For this project, Indigenous Artists/Creators/Practitioners of Traditional Arts 18 years of age or older who reside in the city of London and the following eight (8) First Nations located throughout Southwestern Ontario are invited to apply:
· Chippewas of the Thames First Nation
· Oneida Nation of the Thames
· Munsee-Delaware Nation
· Delaware Nation – Moravian of the Thames
· Caldwell First Nation
· Bkejwanong First Nation (Walpole Island)
· Chippewas of Aamjiwnaang (Sarnia)
· Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation
Professional Artist, Creator, and Practitioners of Traditional Arts
The London Arts Council defines a Professional Artist/Creator/Practitioner of Traditional Arts as someone who has developed skills through training or practice, is recognized by Artists/Creators/Practitioners of Traditional Arts working in the same artistic tradition, has a history of public presentation, seeks payment for their work and actively practices their work. Short breaks in artistic work history are permitted under this definition.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION **You MUST read the full information package about this opportunity prior to filling out the online application.** This information package includes important information including jury criteria and the design proposal. To view this information package, please download the following file:
Online Submission
Artists/Creators/Practitioners of Traditional Arts wishing to be considered must complete all application requirements. Please complete all required fields of the online application form and submit the required application documents.
Incomplete and/or late applications will not be accepted. Applications submitted through other means, such as fax, mail, and email will not be accepted. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the application is submitted by the deadline.
For any questions regarding this project, please email: info@londonarts.ca
For any Call to Artists updates please check the website at www.londonarts.ca
If you require support to complete this application due to accessibility barriers, please reach out to Janet Antone, LAC’s Cultivating Allyship Specialist: jaantone@londonarts.ca