Canon Canada and Brampton Arts Organization select Laya Mendizabal as inaugural photographer in residence in new joint program

All community members are invited to take part in Laya Mendizabal’s residency this June and July in Brampton.

BRAMPTON, ON (June 10, 2026) – Canon Canada and Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) have selected Laya Mendizabal as the first photographer in residence through the new Canon Canada + Brampton Arts Organization Photographer in Residence program.

The Canon Canada + Brampton Arts Organization Photographer in Residence program offers a local professional photographer a $5,000 honorarium, a stipend of up to $1,500 for use at the Canon Print Shop and Frame Lab, working space at Canon Canada Headquarters and the use of a professional camera kit.

This new residency builds upon the Brampton Artist in Residence and Brampton Writer in Residence programs that BAO developed with the Brampton Library. This program provides a Brampton-based photographer with the opportunity to work in a professional photographic studio and showcase their talent through a final exhibition at Canon Canada headquarters.

About the Artist

Laya Mendizabal (she/they) is a queer, Canadian-Peruvian multidisciplinary artist and arts worker. Their work explores the themes of identity, belonging, and connection, often reflecting on lived experiences across diverse communities. Through film, photography, and community-based practice, they create spaces for storytelling, reflection, and creative exploration.

About the Residency

Laya will explore everyday life by capturing and celebrating the diversity, joy, and human experience of living in Brampton. Camera in hand, they will visit parks, recreation centres, courts, neighbourhood streets, transit routes, and commercial areas throughout Brampton. Inspired by documentary-style photography, she will let the images emerge organically so that the work reflects the rhythms and emotional textures of daily life. Each image will function as a fragment of a larger narrative, revealing the presence, care, and vitality that shape Brampton’s communities. To connect with the community she is documenting, Laya will be hosting a photo walk in Downtown Brampton, and an artist talk as well as an exhibition of her residency work at Canon Canada headquarters to celebrate the culmination of her residency.

Save the Dates

Community Through the Lens: Downtown Brampton Photo Walk
Join Laya Mendizabal for a photo walk through Downtown Brampton.
Location: Meet at BAO, 8 Nelson St W, Brampton
Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Free, all ages, no experience needed.

Canon Canada + Brampton Arts Organization Photographer in Residence Exhibition
Celebrate the culmination of Laya Mendizabal’s residency with an artist talk and exhibition of the new works she created during this program.
Location: Canon Canada Headquarters, 8000 Mississauga Road, Brampton
Date and Time: July TBD, 2026
Free and open to everyone

Links

Further information and registration details can be found here.

Photographs of the artist and her work can be found here.

Quotes

We are thrilled to partner with Canon Canada to bring this unique photographer in residence program to Brampton. This new program will have a transformative impact on the local photographic community. We look forward to seeing the results of Laya’s project and seeing Brampton and its citizens through her eyes.

Michael Vickers, Executive Director, Brampton Arts Organization

To be named the first Canon Canada + Brampton Arts Organization Photographer in Residence is truly an honour. I look forward to engaging with all Bramptonians and reflecting the city as they experience it back to themselves. Thank you to BAO and Canon Canada for giving me the opportunity to not only further hone my photographic practice but also share it with the community!

Laya Mendizabal, Local Artist; Canon Canada + Brampton Arts Organization Photographer in Residence

About the Brampton Arts Organization

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) is a registered non-profit that champions Brampton’s diverse arts, culture and creative industries and advocates for the #BramptonArtist. We work to build a thriving, confident, valued, and empowered creative scene by offering a range of programs, services, and resources. In this, BAO is a key partner in fulfilling the City of Brampton’s strategic vision and Culture Master Plan. Connect with us on X(Formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Eventbrite. Learn more at www.bramptonartsorg.ca.

Media inquiries, please contact:
Gardenia Flores, Marketing & Communications Lead
gardenia@bramptonartsorg.ca