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 deals with the complexity of care relationships and thinking about ethics in urban living, 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. Currently, they are tackling questions of care through combinations of media, including textile, animation, printmaking, sound work, photography and sculpture.
brendamabelreid [at] gmail.com
CV
Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions
| 2025 | TBA (upcoming), February 4 – March 30, Homer Watson House and Gallery, Kitchener, ON |
| 2024 | Steel Plate, Slag Block, February 23 – April 5, Centre[3] for Artistic + Social Practice, Hamilton, 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
| 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 | 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
| 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 | Waterloo Region Micro-Grant, Research, Pat the Dog Theatre Creation |
| 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 |
| 2023 | Waterloo Region Micro-Grant, Research, Pat the Dog Theatre Creation |
| 2022 | Career Catalyst Grant, Ontario Arts Council |
| 2022 | Waterloo Region Micro-Grant, Research, Pat the Dog Theatre Creation |
| 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
| 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 |
Publications
| 2022 | A Brick Amiss, Art Quilting Studio magazine, Summer Issue, pg 144 |
| 2021 | Care, Community and COVID-19, Galt Publication Issue 04: Pause/Play pg 114-118 |
| 2021 | From Behind the Mask, The Joy Experiments, 2021, pg 147-149 |
| 2021 | Care As Architectural Practice, Master of Architecture Thesis, University of Waterloo |
Artist Talks / Lectures / Conferences
| 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 | Public Art Working Group, City of Kitchener |
| 2023 – Pres. | Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, City of Kitchener |
| 2023 – Pres. | Juror + Program Committee Member, 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 | Sessional Lecturer, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Fall 1A Studio ARCH 190 |
| 2019 – Pres. | Guest Critic, University of Waterloo School of Architecture |
Bibliography
2023 “Portfolio: Brenda Reid,” Newfoundland Quarterly, Fall Issue, Volume 116 Number 2
2022 “Expressions 47 Brings Student Art To The Forefront,”
The Community Edition, Alex Kinsella, June 3, 2022
2022 Interview with Midtown Radio KW, Matt Rappolt, April 9, 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 Interview with 98.5 CKWR, John Maciel, March 15, 2021
2021 “Waterloo Region community quilt being assembled and on display”
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