06/25/2026
Meet Avalonne Flamand (Red Sky Woman. Mskwa Giizhig kwe from Wiikwemikoong First Nation. Wolf Clan), aparticipant in the ArtWorksTO (AWTO) Indigenous Program!✨
Avalonne is an Indigenous artist from Wikwemikoong First Nation currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. Raisedin Sudbury, ON by her grandmother, Avalonne has navigated significant loss and challenges throughout herlife. Becoming a mother at a young age inspired her to build a better future for herself and her family, using artand creativity as a form of healing, as well as a way to process her experiences, tell her story, and connect withher culture and community.
Through the AWTO program, Avalonne is working with Toronto Council Fire to help expand the reach of itsannual Youth Gathering, a youth-led cultural celebration that reconnects Indigenous youth and communitieswith traditional gatherings. She is supporting the development of a social media strategy and creatingengaging digital content to help share Council Fire’s programs, events, and vision with a wider audience.
In addition to paid creative contracts such as Avalonne’s, the AWTO Program, originally created in2015, provides participants with a credential education delivered by OCAD U, mentorship and networkingopportunities, and other wrap-around supports intended to help equity-deserving artists establish themselvesin Toronto’s creative industries.
The Indigenous stream was added in 2025 as a fully Indigenous (First Nations,Métis, and Inuit) workforce development initiative that creates a customized, culturally rooted, and supportiveenvironment for Indigenous artists, enhancing their representation and success within media arts.
In honor of Indigenous History Month, we’re highlighting all six participants in the first-ever ArtWorksTO Indigenous Program cohort and celebrating the stories, creativity, and contributions ofIndigenous artists in our community.
