Thesis inspires artistic career

Brenda Reid laughs when she thinks about anticipating some downtime after finishing her architecture master's degree last spring. Since graduating, Reid (BAS '19; MArch '21), has served as an Artist in Residence for the Co-Create Residency in Guelph, Ontario, joined the KW Artists Co-op where she has studio space, and led Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery architecture walking tours. In September, she began teaching in Waterloo's first-year architecture studio. "Much of my thesis work resulted in thinking that offering public education around design and architecture is one of the most important things we can do," says Reid, a nominee in the arts and culture category of the 2021 Oktoberfest Women of the Year awards. Focusing on care in architecture for her thesis, Reid launched the From Behind the Mask community quilt project for people to artistically share their COVID-19 experiences. Individuals from three to 89 years old submitted 568 blocks in four different languages using a variety of mediums. Exhibited this past summer in Kitchener's Homer Watson Gallery, the 25-foot-long quilt is now on display in the city's Stanley Park Community Centre.