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

2025TBA (upcoming), 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
2023The Caretaker, CAFKA Biennial, Schneider Haus Museum, Kitchener, ON
2022Another Way Through, with Vic Mantha-Blythe, May 9 – June 10, Design At Riverside, Cambridge, ON
2021-2022From 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

2024Underlay, CAFKA & Pat the Dog, Kitchener, ON
2024HOLD FAST, Contemporary Art Festival, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL 
2024THIRD SHIFT, Contemporary Art Festival, Third Shift Gallery, Saint John, NB
2024Trans in KW, February 14 – March 30, The Gallery at Central Library, Kitchener, ON
2024Just Can’t Get It Together, January 19 – Feb 1, DesignTO Festival, gravitypope, 1010 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON
2023Postcards for Palestine, Berlinskej Model Gallery in Prague, Claire de Rouen Books in London
2023Mainframe Showcase, July 29 – July ’24, (virtual), Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL
2023Rolling: Inkfest Steamroller Exhibition, July 13 – August 12, St. Michaels Printshop Gallery, St. John’s, NL
2023Boil-Up, June 30 – August 12, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL
2023Peaceful Gathering, June – June ’24, (augmented reality, Downtown Community Centre, Kitchener, ON
2023The Caretaker, June 3 – September 10, CAFKA Biennial “Stay With Me,” Schneider Haus Museum, Kitchener, ON
2022Journey With Our Kin, October 29 – February 5 (’23), Cambridge Art Galleries: Queen’s Square, Galt, ON
2022On Courthouse Steps, September 17 – December 31, Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, Oakville, ON
2022Being Scene, March 31 – May 31, Workman Arts, Toronto, ON
2021SHOW.21, November 22, 2021 – February 13, 2022, Cambridge Art Galleries: Queen’s Square, Galt, ON
2021Carmichael Canadian Landscape Exhibition: Tradition Transformed, Nov. 5, 2021 – Jan. 22, 2022, Orillia Museum of Art and History, Orillia, ON


Residencies

2025A-I-R, Union House Arts, Port Union, NL, (Upcoming) 
2023Mainframe Residency, May-June, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL
2023Emerging Artist Residency, February-April, Centre[3] For Artistic + Social Practice, Hamilton, ON
2021-2022Artist-in-Residence, Nov ’21 – Feb ’22, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, ON
2021Co-Create Residency, May, Otherwise Studio & Bumaroo Collective, Guelph, ON


Grants

2024Concept to Realization Grant, Canada Council For The Arts
2022-24Waterloo Region Micro-Grant, Research, Pat the Dog Theatre Creation (x3)
2023Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2023Microgrant, CAFKA Biennial
2023Craft Project Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2023Research & Creation Grant, Canada Council For The Arts
2022Career Catalyst Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2020Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, Project Grant
2020Love My Hood, City of Kitchener Community Grant
2020SSHRC J. Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Gov. of Canada
2020President’s Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo
2020Engineering Matching Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo
2019Faculty of Engineering Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo


Awards

2022Alpha Rho Chi Medal, University of Waterloo
2022Thesis Commendation, University of Waterloo
2021Joy Experiment Award, HIP Developments
2021Nomination, Arts and Culture, KW Women of the Year Award
2021M.Arch Merit and Community Engagement Award, University of Waterloo
2017FORREC Design Award of Excellence, University of Waterloo


Collections

Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum
St. Michaels Printshop Archive


Publications

2022A Brick Amiss, Art Quilting Studio magazine, Summer Issue, pg 144
2021Care, Community and COVID-19, Galt Publication Issue 04: Pause/Play pg 114-118
2021From Behind the Mask, The Joy Experiments, 2021, pg 147-149
2021Care As Architectural Practice, Master of Architecture Thesis, University of Waterloo


Artist Talks / Lectures / Conferences

2024Prisons, Politics & Power, University of Waterloo, Cambridge, ON, September 5
2024The Making Of Underlay, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL, August 23
2023As I Go, From 1 Queer 2 Another, Guelph, ON, August 19
2023Artist’s Talk, Eastern Edge, St. John’s, NL, May 23
2022Quilting Political Space, Norfolk County Quilt Guild, ON, September 6
2022Quilt Architectures: Making Political Space, Association For Art History, Summer Symposium Conference, UK (virtual), July 21
2022Care Not Contract, CAFÉ Capital: Teaching & Learning Workshop, Carleton University, May 10, ON
2022Show.21 Artist Talk, Video, Idea Exchange Gallery, ON, January
2021Community Impact & The Gallery, Art$Pay, ON, August 23
2021From Behind the Mask, Artist Talk, Homer Watson House and Gallery, ON, July 23


Community: Projects, Exhibitions, Happenings

2024REST: An Outdoor Community Nap, February 17, Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON
2022Unstitching Maps / Retelling Stories, Cambridge Art Galleries, ON
2022Expressions 47: InSight, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, ON
2020-2021From Behind the Mask Community Quilt Project, Waterloo Region, ON


Education

2021Master of Architecture (M.Arch), University of Waterloo, Cambridge, ON
2019Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS), University of Waterloo, Cambridge, ON


Professional Experience

2024Special Lecturer, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Studio ARCH 292
2024Co-editor, In Process: Visiting Creatives in Their Spaces zine
2024Artistic Programming Intern, Inter Arts Matrix
2024Public Art Working Group, City of Kitchener
2023-24Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, City of Kitchener
2023Juror, CAFKA Biennale 2025
2023 – 2024Artist-Researcher, “Uncovering Barriers” regional artists’ survey, City Of Kitchener
2021 – 2022Artist-Educator, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
2021 – 2022Architectural Researcher & Archival Preparation, University Of Waterloo
2021 – 2022Arriscraft 2021-2023 Lecture Series “Praxes of Care” Planning Committee, University of Waterloo
2021Special 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