Colleen Reid

Artist. Architect. Professor

About

My career comprises of three intertwined strands;

an architectural practice concentrated on design for First Nations,

an academic career including a professorship and senior administrative positions at OCAD University,, in Toronto, Ontario.

and an artistic career including courses taken in varying institutions as well as my own practice.

I have practiced Architecture since 1984 and became a licensed architect in 1992. I have worked with Brook Carruthers Shaw Architects, Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects and others, and opened my own firm in 1995. I was Project Architect for Metro Hall in Toronto, a $220 million project for Metro Toronto. After moving to Hamilton in 1995 I began working with engineers from Six Nations, developing projects for many First Nations in Ontario. Most recently, I have worked on the feasibility studies for First Nations schools in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and Eabametoong, First Nation. I designed and supervised the Youth and Elders Centre (Dajoh) at Six Nations, the community building at Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Administration & Council Chamber building at Saugeen First Nation.

I have taught at OCAD University since 1996, I am a fully tenured Professor. I have served in senior administrative positions in the Faculty of Design, including 11 years as Assistant Dean, Associate Dean and Interim Dean. At present I teach full time in the Environmental Design program (spatial design. ) In 2011 I taught art in the OCAD Florence program.

Throughout my career I have practiced art, as my central and life-long passion. In 2008 I took a one year leave of absence and completed an art Thesis at McMaster University. I have used my various skills and learning to serve my art, architecture and teaching. I am presently concentrating on further developing my art practice. The Pandemic has allowed me to reassess my work priorities and strengthen desire to develop my artistic practice. My increased concern over Climate Change has similarly underlined my concern for nature and our interaction with it.

My Art

I have always been interested in why we are (I am) driven to create beauty in many forms and why it is so important in all of our lives. In the last few years climate change and the need to address sustainability in our personal lives, as well as in our work, has concentrated my desire to demonstrate nature and our interactions with it, within my art and design. I have followed this interest in the teaching of my students, helping them learn to design space that provides joy and comfort, as well as respecting our part within nature, and our impact on it.

Beauty, Nature and Our Man-made World

My artwork explores ideas of nature, beauty and the man-made world as well as their intertwined relationships. I like to play with collage, gel transfer prints and my photographic images of the world around me. I love the meditative act of stippling lines with nib and ink and exploring the extensive happy accidents of the ragged edges of gel transfers. I look for the beautiful patterns in nature and explore their juxtaposition with man-made objects as well as ourselves.

Recently I have become intrigued by the beauty in the decline of nature: the dying vines, flowers and leaves. Walking in the forest in the fall you are surrounded by incredible beauty, never mind just walking through the back alleys of west Hamilton. I find the skeletal remains of weeds and flowers, sometimes covered with small drifts of snow, absolutely stunning.

My desire is to share the beauty, joy and comfort I find in nature, as well as share my awe and respect for nature, particularly in this difficult period of time.
My hope is to underline the importance of nature, the incredible beauty of nature and the significance of our needed respect for it.