Support of the Arts
As a proud supporter of London's arts scene, we collaborate with local artists and organizations to showcase vibrant art installations, from the UNESCO City of Music Mural and Masterpiece London, to our ongoing partnership with the London Arts Council on rotating exhibits at The Gallery at RBC Place London.
The Gallery at RBC Place London: A Partnership to Promote Local Artists
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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.
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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.
Visiting Hours:
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- Current Exhibition: Woven Into Myself
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.
About the Artist/Author
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 at 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.
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 a proud Haudenosaunee woman, a mother and grandmother who 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.
- Current Exhibition: We Are Still Here
The artwork is called We Are Still Here to honorably reflect, give voice to, and commemorate the resilience and lives of Residential School Survivors and children who were lost through the Residential School System. Each of the seven panels that make up the mural provides insight into the Seven Grandfather Teachings while telling the story of Canada’s Residential School Survivors, including the children who were lost through the system. However, We Are Still Here is also a story of hope, courage, new beginnings, and a celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, and knowledge.
The artist designed and painted the mural in the Woodlands style, which builds on the Ojibwe traditions of petroglyphs (drawings or carvings on rocks) and images made on birchbark scrolls. Key features of this style are heavy black outlines and the inclusion of images within images. Another notable feature is the use of vibrant colour combinations.About the Artist
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.
- Past Featured Artists
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- Visit the Gallery
The Gallery at RBC Place London is open for public viewing most Thursdays* from 11am-2pm, or during any public event.
*We recommend calling our front desk at 519-661-6200 or emailing info [at] rbcplacelondon.com (info[at]rbcplacelondon[dot]com) to confirm the Gallery is open before your visit.
UNESCO City of Music Mural
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On March 29, 2023, the City of London, London Arts Council and RBC Place London celebrated the unveiling of the newly installed London UNESCO City of Music Mural located in the lobby of RBC Place London.
The mural was created by local artist Tova Hasiwar through the City of London’s Public Art and Monument Program in partnership with the London Arts Council and RBC Place London. As a UNESCO City of Music, London is a distinguished and unique hub for creativity, which is signified through the bold and bright design of this piece.
- About the Artist: Tova Hasiwar
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Tova Hasiwar is a multidisciplinary artist based out of London, Ontario. Hasiwar is known for her distinctive work style that is graphic and concise in nature, paying homage to pop art using bold clean lines and vivid colours while challenging the conventional approach to design. Google, Nike, Alibi Entertainment, Huron County, TIFF, Pride Toronto, Nuit Blanche and MST Industries are just some of the companies and organizations Hasiwar has worked with in the past.
- About the Public Art and Monument Program
The City of London’s Public Art and Monument Program facilitates the creation of public art in London, which bolsters civic pride, provides focal points for community celebration, creates meaningful employment for artists and attracts tourism and investment.
Learn More- UNESCO City of Music Designation
On November 8, 2021, the City of London was recognized as Canada’s first UNESCO City of Music, joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). UCCN strives to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
Learn More
Masterpiece London Graffiti Art
Featuring five critically-acclaimed muralists from London and across Ontario and Canada, Masterpiece London enriched the outdoor urban space on the north side of RBC Place London. In 2018, the space under the pedway bridge on RBC Place London's King Street Patio, was transformed into a lively community space that featured live music, food trucks, family programming, a night market of 25 vendors, and the unveiling of five new murals painted on the skyway.
- Meet the Artists
