Ingrid Valou is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural spaces researcher and economic development professional. Recurring themes in both her artistic and professional practices include site-specificity, regeneration, intersectional feminism, truth and reconciliation, community, and belonging.
She presently serves as Manager of Economic Development for Downtown Van, where she oversees research, business support, microgrants, and policy development and advocacy. In her previous role as Manager of Communications and Media Relations at the Vancouver Economic Commission, Ingrid served for many years as its primary media contact and led its editorial team, where she developed a lifelong interest in systems change and creating better, more inclusive economies. She served as president of the Vancouver Metal Arts Association from 2019 through 2025, bringing her experience in economic development and studio management to deliver projects envisioning and creating net-new accessible metal studio spaces in Vancouver.
Ingrid runs an eponymous small-scale design practice out of 221A’s 1265 Howe Street Studios in downtown Vancouver, where she also cofounded a new artist residency stream for metal artists in collaboration with Malaspina Printmakers Society. A musician since childhood, she occasionally performs as a singer and on the flute and bass flute with various groups in the local music scene and has credits on a dozen albums across genres spanning indie folk, indie rock, progressive rock, world fusion, and video game music.