monique (mo thunder) bedard, bfa x dtati

Mo (they/them) is a nonbinary, neurodiverse interdisciplinary artist, visual storyteller, art therapist and mentor who grew up in Courtright, ON along the St. Clair River. They lived in Tsi tkarón:to (Toronto) for 12 years before recently moving back near one of their home communities located in Sarnia, on Anishinaabe aki | land.

Mo’s family was displaced from Onyota’a:ka x Aamjiwnanng, their mom is a member of Oneida Nation of the Thames - family name, Antone as well as Anishinaabe (Aamjiwnaang First Nation - family names, Williams, Stone, Plain). Their mom and her siblings are 60’s Scoop survivors, Mo’s dad's family is predominantly French from Gaspé (family names - Bedard & Larocque). 

Through their multidisciplinary art practice (painting, murals, mixed media, beading, journaling, poetry and textiles), they create visual stories about their lived experiences in connection to their personal healing. Mo is also inspired by intergenerational connections and healing, family and memories, personal and collective empowerment, and all of creation, especially skyworld.

Mo graduated from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute (TATI) in June 2022. Before that, they earned their BFA in studio art from the University of Lethbridge and Fanshawe College, with a focus on drawing, silkscreen printing, photography and video. They are both self-taught and community-taught. Since high school, they have been working in community arts creating solo and collaborative murals and providing group and individual art mentorship. They have over 15 years of experience in community arts facilitation, organization, education, collaboration and consultation.

From 2018-2022, they co-created and co-facilitated a community art / creative expression program for young Indigenous folks in T’karonto: Our Stories, Our Truths (OSOT). From 2022-2023 Mo also co-created and co-facilitated a mural collective of BIPoC 2SLGBTQQIAP+ and gender-diverse creatives, Earth Sky Collective (ESC). From 2023-2025, they regularly taught classes at TATI: “Learning from Indigenous Perspectives” and “Zines, Stories & Art from a Neurodivergent Perspective”. In 2026, they will return as a guest speaker and collaborator.

They have a deep love and passion for zines, journals, art supplies, Oneida language, music, bass, hide tanning, neurodiversity, organization, sewing, fashion and tattoos!