Exterior sign of the Forest City Gallery on Elias Stret in OEV.

There are some fantastic events happening in London’s arts scene this week. Two internationally acclaimed artists with local roots—Shad and Lido Pimienta, are back in town for some exciting events.

But there’s also a more serious story worth sharing: Forest City Gallery, a pioneering institution that helped shape Canadian art, is facing an uncertain future.

The Loon Recommends for Nov 12 - 18, 2026

Shad Comes Home: Music, Memory and Meaning at Museum London
Carribbean Sublime with Lido Pimienta
Forest City Gallery (FCG) is Fighting for its Future
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Shad Comes Home: Music, Memory and Meaning at Museum London

Thursday, November 12 | Museum London | 7:00 PM | FREE

Another hometown favourite is back in London tonight! The Juno Award-winning rapper, broadcaster and storyteller returns to our Forest City for a special conversation with journalist and broadcaster Garvia Bailey at Museum London.

If you’re not familiar with Shad (Shadrach Kabango), he’s one of Canada’s most accomplished hip-hop artists. Over his 20-year career, he’s earned five Polaris Music Prize shortlist nominations (more than any other artist), won a Juno Award and hosted both CBC Radio’s Q and Netflix’s Peabody award-winning documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution.

The conversation will explore Shad’s journey from growing up in Southwestern Ontario to becoming a celebrated musician, touching on identity, memory, storytelling and the ways music connects us to our communities and personal histories.

The event also launches Museum London’s first-ever Musician-in-Residence program, with Shad taking on the role for the coming year.

Through performances, educational programs and collaborations with local artists, he’ll explore the relationship between music, memory and belonging.

New music created during the residency will become part of the museum’s permanent collection. Sooooooo exciting!

Event Details
Note that in-person seating is already sold out, but you can still catch the conversation online via livestream thanks to Wordsfest. The Livestream begins at 7:30 PM.

Register for the livestream through Museum London.

And here’s a fun connection between this week’s two recommendations: Shad and Lido Pimienta are friends and musical collaborators! Last year, TAP Centre for Creativity hosted Pimienta in conversation with Shad, also presented by Wordsfest. I was lucky enough to be there, and it was a wonderful evening.

As a little bonus, here’s a video of the two performing an a cappella version of their song Magic. Enjoy!

A Caribbean Twist on Classical Music — Lido Pimienta Joins London Symphonia

Saturday, November 14 | Metropolitan United, 468 Wellington Street | 7:30 PM | Tickets from $55

If you think orchestral music is all Beethoven and Mozart, London Symphonia has something a little different in store for you this Saturday as they celebrate their 10th anniversary this season.

The award-winning singer, composer and multi-disciplinary artist Lido Pimienta joins London Symphonia for Caribbean Sublime, a musical journey inspired by the sounds, landscapes and cultures of the Caribbean and Pimienta’s birthplace of Colombia.

Pimienta immigrated to London, Ontario with her family as a teen and attended the storied Bealart Program. From there she obtained a BFA from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). I first discovered her through her visual art, which I’m a big fan of. I love pen and ink and bold graphic styles, and that is exactly the work that Pimienta produces. She works in a variety of mediums: textiles, ceramics, paintings - but I like her drawings best (she recently had a show of her ceramic work at Museum London).

Lido Pimienta risograph print. From her Instagram page.

An Award-Winning Artist Breaking Barriers

Pimienta’s list of accolades is impressive. In 2017, she won the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for her album La Papessa, beating out fellow nominees Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie and Feist. A two-time Grammy nominee for Miss Columbia, she made history again in 2021 when the New York City Ballet Orchestra commissioned her to compose and perform an original score with its orchestra for the annual Fall Fashion Gala. She became only the second woman in the company’s history to receive such a commission and the first woman of colour to do so.

Despite her busy international touring schedule, we're lucky to have Pimienta back in London, where she'll perform selections from her new double album La Belleza Caribenya this Saturday. Working with acclaimed Canadian musician and composer Owen Pallett, she’s created orchestral music that brings a distinctly Caribbean perspective to the classical tradition.

With Pimienta's extraordinary voice, a full orchestra and Scott Good conducting, this promises to be anything but an ordinary night at the symphony!

Above see Lido performing in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this year with the Geneva Camerata orchestra.

Show Details
Tickets: $55 general admission or $75 reserved seating, plus fees and HST.

Note: Free tickets are available for high school and post-secondary students using promo code student2627x.

Buy your tickets here

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Forest City Gallery (FCG) is Fighting for its Future

London has an art history worth bragging about. We also have a responsibility to support the places where that history is still being made.

Forest City Gallery is one of those places. Founded in 1973, the artist-run centre has spent more than half a century giving artists room to experiment and introducing Londoners to contemporary work.

Now, it faces possible closure by the end of 2027 unless its financial circumstances improve.

Image from last year’s Forest City Gallery Members Show & Sale. Image from the FCG Instagram page.

Artists Built a Place of Their Own

Forest City Gallery opened in December 1973 in a second-floor space at 432 Richmond St., above what was then a hair salon (now home to David’s Bistro). Founding members included Richard Bonderenko, Bob Bozak, Greg Curnoe, kerry ferris, Bob Fones, Murray Favro, Dave Gordon, Jamelie Hassan, Ron Martin and Ray Sedge. Together, the group set out to create an independent, artist-run gallery where they could regularly show their work.

As one of Canada's earliest artist-run centres, FCG was also a pioneer in advocating for fair compensation for artists. It was among the first galleries to follow the exhibition fee schedule established by Canadian Artists' Representation (CAR), an organization whose members included London artist Jack Chambers.

CAR eventually evolved into CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation), which continues to advocate for artists' rights and fair compensation. In another London connection, its current Executive director, Jenna Faye Powell, previously led Forest City Gallery.

“At its first location, in 1973, Forest City through the programming of Chris Dewdney attracted capacity crowds for its readings by Sheila Watson, Margaret Atwood, and Alice Munro. Punk bands began to play there through Gerard Päs.” - Greg Curnoe

From Greg Curnoe’s essay written in 1992 (and re-printed in the book “An Alternative Cultural History of London, Ontario”, published by the Embassy Cultural House.

Can you imagine? What an exciting time to have been part of London’s arts scene.

FCG was part of a remarkable cultural movement in London, as artists established their own galleries, publications and networks. Together, they helped put the city on Canada's cultural map while shaping an artist-run movement that continues to influence the arts today.

The Nihilist Spasm Band performing at the Forest City Gallery. The world’s longest running noise band performed every Monday night for years at FCG. Photo from the Walrus.

FCG didn’t just help put London on Canada’s cultural map. It helped change how artists across the country could create, exhibit and earn a living from their work. That’s a legacy that should be recognized and protected.

At its current home at 1025 Elias Street in Old East Village, FCG carries this legacy forward through free exhibitions, workshops and opportunities for emerging artists. It also pays exhibiting artists CARFAC rates, recognizing that artists deserve to be compensated for their work.

Lido Pimienta giving an artist talk at Forest City Gallery in 2012 when it was at 258 Richmond St. I’m in the starry night shirt holding my daughter (with the pink shirt) on my lap.

The Cost of Keeping the Doors Open

The gallery operates with just two paid staff members (who are not even working full-time hours) and a volunteer board, in order to keep its expenses low. However, Interim Executive Director Maxwell Hyett has stated that FCG needs to raise at least $16,000 to address an anticipated funding gap in April 2027.

While that may be a manageable short-term fundraising goal, the longer-term outlook is considerably more concerning.

A roughly $120,000 grant from the London Community Foundation, provided over three years, ends in October 2027. Without major changes, the gallery could face a shortfall of $50,000 - $60,000 in 2028. Operating grants from the London Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, supplemented by memberships, donations and fundraising, aren't enough to keep pace with rising expense

The consequences are already being felt. FCG has announced the cancellation of its longstanding Hear Here music series after January and an upcoming exhibition, Drawing Activism, because it cannot afford to pay the artist fees.

These aren’t simply budget adjustments. They represent fewer opportunities for artists and fewer cultural experiences for Londoners.

Amy Lockhart Ladies Exhibit. FCG, 258 Richmond St. location. Image from FCG’s Facebook. Photo by Vanessa Girouard.

A Local Problem with National Implications

Across Canada, arts organizations are struggling with rising operating costs, stagnant funding and declining corporate sponsorships. Tapestry Community Capital points to several high-profile examples, including the Shaw Festival’s $5.7-million deficit in 2023, and the loss of major corporate sponsors for cultural events such as Bell’s departure from TIFF and Scotiabank’s exit from the CONTACT Photography Festival, Nuit Blanche and the Giller Prize.

For smaller organizations like FCG, these pressures can be particularly devastating.
Replacing lost income takes time that could otherwise go toward programming. More fundraising and grant applications create additional demands on the same people trying to keep the organization running.

And yet, the economic importance of arts and culture is undeniable. According to a 2025 Canadian Chamber of Commerce report, Canada’s arts and culture sector contributed approximately $131 billion to the national economy in 2024 when direct, indirect and induced impacts are included, supporting roughly 1.1 million jobs.

But the value of the arts extends well beyond dollars and cents. Galleries, theatres, music venues and other cultural spaces contribute to our quality of life, foster creativity and help build stronger communities - including our downtown and Old East Village.

I wrote a long piece about the importance of the Arts in my article “When a Candidate Knocks, Ask Them About the Arts”

The federal government has recognized some of these challenges. The recently released 2026 Budget proposes nearly $4 billion in investments over five years across culture and related initiatives, including additional funding for the Canada Council for the Arts.

While welcome, these commitments don’t necessarily translate into immediate financial relief for smaller organizations like Forest City Gallery.

The larger question remains: How do we create a sustainable funding environment that allows arts organizations to thrive rather than simply survive?

The Forest City Gallery logo was designed by founding member and artist Robert Fones.

How Londoners Can Help

Forest City Gallery has supported London's creative community for more than 50 years. Now, it needs our support.

Fortunately, there are several ways to help, and not all require a significant financial commitment:

Make a donation. One-time and monthly contributions can be made through the gallery’s website. Even modest donations add up, while regular contributions provide more predictable income.
Become a member. Memberships start at just $20 for students and underemployed individuals, with other options available. It’s an affordable way to support the gallery and become more involved in London’s arts community.
Buy some art! FCG’s annual Members’ Show & Sale, presented in partnership with Embassy Cultural House, runs November 21 to December 12, with an opening reception on Friday, November 20, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

It’s the gallery’s biggest annual fundraiser and a great opportunity to discover local artists while supporting the organization. I've donated two pieces to this year's sale, and I encourage you to check it out!
Get involved. You can also attend exhibitions, volunteer, spread the word or let elected representatives know why sustainable arts funding matters.

A fantastic looking upcoming event is this one celebrating what would have been Greg Curnoe's 90th birthday. Full details here and in the poster below.

Losing Forest City Gallery would mean more than losing an exhibition space. We’d be saying goodbye to an important piece of London’s cultural identity and a place that has nurtured generations of artists.

FCG has been there for London’s creative community for more than five decades. Now, it’s our turn to be there for FCG.

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Shad and Lido Pimienta Return to London …