2026 Indigenous Women's Arts Conference & Festival!
A Celebration of Indigenous Women.
Everyone is invited to our Marketplace!
November 7th & 8th, 2026 | St.Laurent Shopping Centre, Ottawa
70+ Vendors, Art Installations, Interactive Activities, Performances and more!
The Locations
Arts Marketplace Nov. 7 & 8, 2026:
Vendors, Demonstrators, Interactive Activities and Performances
With a performance by: ALICIA KAYLEY on Saturday, Nov. 7th!
Photo: https://aliciakayley.com and IAC Profile page: https://indigenousartscollective.org/alicia-kayley/
Alicia Kayley is a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Algonquin and Tahltan Nation residing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Alicia holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University, specializing in classical voice and popular style songwriting. Alicia Kayley is a Contemporary Indigenous Pop/R&B Singer-Songwriter who delivers powerhouse vocals, cultural pride, and emotionally charged performances that resonate with diverse audiences. Blending Pop and R&B with her Traditional Roots, Aliciai creates unforgettable live moments rooted in identity, empowerment, and connection.
Her live performances are described as: “Powerful and warm, touching the hearts of her listeners, inspiring audiences to rise to their feet, shed tears, or feel both emotions simultaneously.” – Luminato Festival
Alicia has performed at Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (2024), opened for award-winning artists Crystal Shawanda and William Prince at the Wiikwemkoong Festival (2025), and is performing at this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest with headliners Shaggy, Limp Bizkit, and Gwen Steffani. She is currently recording her debut album under New Sun Music, the Nashville-based label founded by Crystal Shawanda.
Her signature live performances, such as “Rise Up” by Andra Day, delivered in both English and Anishinaabe, often draw standing ovations across Canada, highlighting her commitment to Indigenous language and storytelling in music.
St.Laurent Shopping Centre, 1st Floor below the Food Court
1200 St.Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1K 3B8
Workshops
TBA
The 2026 schedule is coming soon!
2025 was AWESOME!
Get your Christmas list done and support Indigenous women!
DID YOU KNOW? The IAC is the first National Arts Service Organization/Registered Charity/Non-profit to implement a firm Indigenous Identification Strategy.
Every vendor who registered for our Indigenous Women’s Arts Conference and Festival presented their Status/Band card, Inuit Land Claim/Inuit ID or Manitoba Métis Federation Card.
Because the IAC only works for Indigenous peoples and you should only buy authentic art.
Indigenous Women's Arts Conference
We gather the people with the sole purpose of putting into action the reclamation, preservation and revitalization of endangered Indigenous art forms and makers. This work directly translates into the retention of cultural knowledge.
We are propelled by the Haudenosaunee Seventh Generation Principle that teaches us to understand that the decisions we make and the work we do today should result in a sustainable knowledge base and healthy environment that will benefit our people seven generations into the future.
That is, we call on the knowledge of our ancestors to embrace us and deliver cultural wisdom to women, youth and children in order to rise and protect our innate connections to each other and the natural world to which we are family.
Our work moves people forward in such a self sustaining way that we see a future where our children will no longer need to heal and where epigenetics/blood memory is embraced as the empowering and vital resource that it is.
The St.Laurent Shopping Centre annually sponsors the Indigenous Arts Marketplace! Willis College is also in the St.Laurent Shopping Centre and generously provides safe spaces for workshops, discussions and networking.
Niawen'ko:wa, big gratitude to Willis College and the St.Laurent Shopping Centre for their generosity!
St.Laurent Shopping Centre is located here:
November 7th & 8th, 2026 | St.Laurent Shopping Centre, Ottawa
IWAC Host Hotel 2025
Indigenous Women's Arts Conference, November 7 & 8th, 2026
Important to note:
We do not advise the Holiday Inn Ottawa East. In 2022 the women that attended IWAC experienced bed bugs, a physical assault and robbery as well as 2 car break-ins.
Very close to Holiday Inn is both WelcomINNs and Comfort Inn. They share the same outdoor area which has proven to be unsafe - please take care if booking in that neighbourhood.
Host Hotel - Courtyard by Marriot Ottawa East
Courtyard by Marriott is located at the corner of the Vanier Parkway and Coventry Rd., minutes from Hwy. 417, 5 minutes from downtown Ottawa.
The hotel is on the same street and only 5 minutes from the conference which is at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Willis College (which is in the shopping centre).
Booking reservations coming soon!
Keilhauer Leather
Once again the IAC will be bringing leather that is generously donated to IAC member artists, organizations and communities by Keilhauer. IAC members will be able to pick up their leather on Sunday, November 9th. Contact us for details.
Photo: IAC receives hundreds of pounds of leather each year and re-donates to communities, organizations and IAC members.