bio
Brenda Reid is an emerging non-binary multi-disciplinary artist who works and lives in Kitchener, ON, on the Haldimand Tract, land promised to the Six Nations.
Their work investigates power dynamics in Canadian society, including our structures, systems, and beliefs. They explore places of friction, including issues around land ownership and property, queer space, the ‘justice’ system and incarceration, often in ways the artist finds humorous or clever. Their practice regularly engages the public in collaborative art and learning experiences, from large-scale projects to interactive time-based installations. Their practice includes textile, print, sculpture, installation, audio, and animation.
brendamabelreid [at] gmail.com
CV
Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions
| 2025 | Lead Lines, February 4 – March 30, Homer Watson House and Gallery, Kitchener, ON |
| 2024 | Steel Plate, Slag Block, Centre[3] for Artistic and Social Practice, Hamilton, ON |
| 2023 | The Caretaker, CAFKA Biennial, Schneider Haus Museum, Kitchener, ON |
| 2022 | Another Way Through, with Vic Mantha-Blythe, May 9 – June 10, Design At Riverside, Cambridge, ON |
| 2021-2022 | From Behind the Mask, Travelling Exhibition |
| Design At Riverside Gallery, May 10 – June 9, 2022, Galt, ON Three Sisters Cultural Centre, April 1 – 10, 2022 St. Jacobs, ON Stanley Park Community Centre, September 2 – December 7, 2021, Kitchener, ON Homer Watson House and Gallery, May 21 – August 29, 2021, Kitchener, ON Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, March – April window ex., 2021, Kitchener, ON Design At Riverside Gallery, March – April window ex., Cambridge, 2021, ON |
Group Exhibitions / Installations / Festivals
| 2024 | Underlay, CAFKA & Pat the Dog, Kitchener, ON |
| 2024 | HOLD FAST, Contemporary Art Festival, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL |
| 2024 | THIRD SHIFT, Contemporary Art Festival, Third Shift Gallery, Saint John, NB |
| 2024 | Trans in KW, February 14 – March 30, The Gallery at Central Library, Kitchener, ON |
| 2024 | Just Can’t Get It Together, January 19 – Feb 1, DesignTO Festival, gravitypope, 1010 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON |
| 2023 | Postcards for Palestine, Berlinskej Model Gallery in Prague, Claire de Rouen Books in London |
| 2023 | Mainframe Showcase, July 29 – July ’24, (virtual), Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL |
| 2023 | Rolling: Inkfest Steamroller Exhibition, July 13 – August 12, St. Michaels Printshop Gallery, St. John’s, NL |
| 2023 | Boil-Up, June 30 – August 12, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL |
| 2023 | Peaceful Gathering, June – June ’24, (augmented reality, Downtown Community Centre, Kitchener, ON |
| 2023 | The Caretaker, June 3 – September 10, CAFKA Biennial “Stay With Me,” Schneider Haus Museum, Kitchener, ON |
| 2022 | Journey With Our Kin, October 29 – February 5 (’23), Cambridge Art Galleries: Queen’s Square, Galt, ON |
| 2022 | On Courthouse Steps, September 17 – December 31, Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, Oakville, ON |
| 2022 | Being Scene, March 31 – May 31, Workman Arts, Toronto, ON |
| 2021 | SHOW.21, November 22, 2021 – February 13, 2022, Cambridge Art Galleries: Queen’s Square, Galt, ON |
| 2021 | Carmichael Canadian Landscape Exhibition: Tradition Transformed, Nov. 5, 2021 – Jan. 22, 2022, Orillia Museum of Art and History, Orillia, ON |
Residencies
| 2025 | A-I-R, Union House Arts, Port Union, NL, (Upcoming) |
| 2023 | Mainframe Residency, May-June, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL |
| 2023 | Emerging Artist Residency, February-April, Centre[3] For Artistic + Social Practice, Hamilton, ON |
| 2021-2022 | Artist-in-Residence, Nov ’21 – Feb ’22, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, ON |
| 2021 | Co-Create Residency, May, Otherwise Studio & Bumaroo Collective, Guelph, ON |
Grants
| 2024 | Concept to Realization Grant, Canada Council For The Arts |
| 2022-24 | Waterloo Region Micro-Grant, Research, Pat the Dog Theatre Creation (x3) |
| 2023 | Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council |
| 2023 | Microgrant, CAFKA Biennial |
| 2023 | Craft Project Grant, Ontario Arts Council |
| 2023 | Research & Creation Grant, Canada Council For The Arts |
| 2022 | Career Catalyst Grant, Ontario Arts Council |
| 2020 | Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, Project Grant |
| 2020 | Love My Hood, City of Kitchener Community Grant |
| 2020 | SSHRC J. Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Gov. of Canada |
| 2020 | President’s Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo |
| 2020 | Engineering Matching Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo |
| 2019 | Faculty of Engineering Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo |
Awards
| 2024 | General Arts Category: Close Contender, Region of Waterloo Arts Awards |
| 2022 | Alpha Rho Chi Medal, University of Waterloo |
| 2022 | Thesis Commendation, University of Waterloo |
| 2021 | Joy Experiment Award, HIP Developments |
| 2021 | Nomination, Arts and Culture, KW Women of the Year Award |
| 2021 | M.Arch Merit and Community Engagement Award, University of Waterloo |
| 2017 | FORREC Design Award of Excellence, University of Waterloo |
Collections
| Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum |
| St. Michaels Printshop Archive |
Artist Talks / Lectures / Conferences
| 2025 | Lead Lines, Inter Arts Matrix, Kitchener, ON, February 12 |
| 2024 | Prisons, Politics & Power, University of Waterloo, Cambridge, ON, September 5 |
| 2024 | The Making Of Underlay, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL, August 23 |
| 2023 | As I Go, From 1 Queer 2 Another, Guelph, ON, August 19 |
| 2023 | Artist’s Talk, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL, May 23 |
| 2022 | Quilting Political Space, Norfolk County Quilt Guild, ON, September 6 |
| 2022 | Quilt Architectures: Making Political Space, Association For Art History, Summer Symposium Conference, UK (virtual), July 21 |
| 2022 | Care Not Contract, CAFÉ Capital: Teaching & Learning Workshop, Carleton University, May 10, ON |
| 2022 | Show.21 Artist Talk, Video, Idea Exchange Gallery, ON, January |
| 2021 | Community Impact & The Gallery, Art$Pay, ON, August 23 |
| 2021 | From Behind the Mask, Artist Talk, Homer Watson House and Gallery, ON, July 23 |
Community: Projects, Exhibitions, Happenings
| 2024 | REST: An Outdoor Community Nap, February 17, Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON |
| 2022 | Unstitching Maps / Retelling Stories, Cambridge Art Galleries, ON |
| 2022 | Expressions 47: InSight, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, ON |
| 2020-2021 | From Behind the Mask Community Quilt Project, Waterloo Region, ON |
Education
| 2021 | Master of Architecture (M.Arch), University of Waterloo, Cambridge, ON |
| 2019 | Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS), University of Waterloo, Cambridge, ON |
Professional Experience
| 2024 | Special Lecturer, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Studio ARCH 292 |
| 2024 | Co-editor, In Process: Visiting Creatives in Their Spaces zine |
| 2024 | Artistic Programming Intern, Inter Arts Matrix |
| 2024 | Public Art Working Group, City of Kitchener |
| 2023-24 | Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, City of Kitchener |
| 2023 | Juror, CAFKA Biennale 2025 |
| 2023 – 2024 | Artist-Researcher, “Uncovering Barriers” regional artists’ survey, City Of Kitchener |
| 2021 – 2022 | Artist-Educator, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery |
| 2021 – 2022 | Architectural Researcher & Archival Preparation, University Of Waterloo |
| 2021 – 2022 | Arriscraft 2021-2023 Lecture Series “Praxes of Care” Planning Committee, University of Waterloo |
| 2021 | Special Lecturer, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Studio ARCH 190 |
| 2019 – Pres. | Guest Critic, University of Waterloo School of Architecture |
Publications
2024 | In Process: Visiting Creatives in Their Spaces, Issue 1, Fall 2024, Co-editor
2024 | Uncovering Barriers:Identifying Gaps in Opportunities and Resources Causing Barriers for Visual Artists in Waterloo Region with Recommendations to Reduce these Barriers, Brenda Mabel Reid, Sharl G. Smith, and Julie Hall
2022 | A Brick Amiss, in Art Quilting Studio magazine, Summer Issue, pg 144
2021 | Care, Community and COVID-19,” Galt Publication Issue 04, pg 114-118
2021 | From Behind the Mask, The Joy Experiments, 2021, pg 147-1492021 | Care As Architectural Practice, M.Arch Thesis, University of Waterloo
Interviews
2024 | Midtown Radio: On the Scene
2024 | Promenade (virtual radio magazine), Marinus de Groot, Volume 5, Issue 37, September 9
2024 | Promenade (virtual radio magazine), Marinus de Groot, Volume 5, Issue 31, July 29
2024 | CBC Radio, Weekend AM Show, Maddie Ryan, August 17
2023 | Newfoundland Quarterly, Fall Iss., Volume 116 Number 2, “Portfolio: Brenda Reid,”
2022 | Midtown Radio KW, Matt Rappolt, April 9
2021 | 98.5 CKWR, John Maciel, March 15
Press
2024 | “HOLD FAST: Holding it Down at Eastern Edge Gallery,” Riddle Fence, Eva Crocker, Sept. 10
2022 | “Expressions 47 Brings Student Art To The Forefront,”
The Community Edition, Alex Kinsella, June 3, 2022
2022 | “Quilt captures Waterloo Region’s early pandemic story”
The Record, Anam Latif, March 20, 2022
2022 | “Kitchener artists creating quilts with a message”
The Record, Johanna Weidner, January 6, 2022
2021 | “Giant quilt made of masks chronicles ‘struggles and triumphs’ amid pandemic”
CBC, Tiffany Mongu, July 24, 2021
2021 | “A Stitch in Time”, University of Waterloo, Carol Truemner, April 15, 2021
2021 | “Waterloo Region community quilt being assembled and on display”
CTV Kitchener, Interviewed by Jessica Smith, March 13, 2021
2021 | “Patching together our collective view of pandemic life”
The Observer, Damon Maclean, February 10, 2021
2020 | “Community art project helps people share pandemic experiences with quilting”
CTV Kitchener, Interviewed by Jessica Smith, December 12, 2020
2020 | “From Behind the Mask: A Community Quilt of COVID-19 Stories”
Feature in Toque magazine, written by Cai Sepulis, December 2020, pg 150-151
2020 | “Community Quilt of COVID-19 Stories”
The Community Edition, written by Mellisa Embury, December 3, 2020
2020 | “Connected while apart: Community quilt tying together stories of the pandemic”
CTV News, written by Katherine Hill, October 13, 2020