Brampton Arts Organization and Brampton Library select Janice Reid as the 2025 Brampton Artist in Residence

Brampton residents are invited to share their family histories and migration journeys with the artist.

BRAMPTON, ON (May 23, 2025) – Janice Reid is the third Brampton Artist in Residence, a program developed and run by the Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) and Brampton Library.

Initiated in 2023, the Brampton Artist in Residence program offers the recipient, selected from local professional artists, collectives, and arts organizations, an $8,000 stipend and free workspace to undertake a community-based artist residency at Brampton Library’s Mount Pleasant Village Branch from June to September 2025. 

Reid’s residency will transform the library into a living archive, creating a welcoming space for communal storytelling and connection. Community members are invited to share their family histories and migration journeys with the artist. Together, they will weave personal narratives into a collective visual memory. That collective result will deepen our understanding of heritage, resilience, and the ties that bind communities together in Brampton.

About the Artist

Janice Reid is a Brampton-based artist exploring memory, migration, and ancestral knowledge through storytelling. Her work engages with archives, community narratives, and visual art to uncover hidden histories, particularly within Caribbean and diasporic communities. Through photography, research, and workshops, she creates spaces for reflection, dialogue, and reconnection with the past. Her work has been exhibited at Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, BAND Gallery, PAMA, the Art Gallery of Mississauga, the National Gallery of Jamaica, and the National Portrait Gallery.

About the Residency

From June 4 to September 20, 2025, Janice will hold weekly public office hours on Mondays from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. These office hours are a great opportunity to learn more about this residency project, her experience as an artist and to share your family photos and stories with her.

In addition to her office hours, Janice will hold weekly one-on-one portrait sessions on Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. To schedule a one-on-one portrait session, community members are asked to email events@bramptonlibrary.ca with their preferred dates and times. Please note the appointments are 45 minutes each.

Janice will also deliver free, community-focused, public arts programming for all ages through two workshops. These workshops will focus on creating a welcoming space for storytelling, connection and sharing. An initial meet-the-artist session will introduce the community to Janice, her creative practice and her intentions for the project. Throughout the residency, a wall of portraits and memories will take shape culminating in the final celebration and showcase hosted by Janice. There, participants will share the mixed-media family portraits they created, along with the personal and migration stories that shaped them. 

Save the Dates

Meet the Brampton Artist in Residence Janice Reid
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.

Drop-in Office Hours
Every Monday from June 9 to August 25, 2025
4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

One-on-One Portrait Sessions
Every Sunday from June 14 to August 23, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Mixed Media Workshop
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Community Storytelling – Ancestral Knowledge Workshop
Saturday, August 16, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Brampton Artist in Residency Celebration and Showcase
Saturday, September 20, 2025 
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Links

Further information and registration details at Brampton Library and Brampton Arts Organization.

Photographs of the artist and her work can be found here.

The Library is a place for community discovery, and we are very excited to invite residents to the Library to learn about the hidden history of families across the city and to showcase their own families’ journey. Working with Brampton Arts Organization, together we are able to bring you experiences that deepen your sense of connection to your community.

Todd Kyle, Chief Executive Officer, Brampton Library

We’re proud to launch the third edition of the Artist in Residence program in partnership with Brampton Library. Each year, this initiative continues to grow in its impact and reach, and we’re especially excited to welcome talented local photographer Janice Reid for 2025. Her creative vision and deep connection to the community promise to make this year’s program something truly special.

Michael Vickers, Executive Director, Brampton Arts Organization

This residency offers me the time and space to deepen my practice, to slow down and listen — not just to my own creative instincts, but to the stories and voices around me. It will allow me to reconnect with what grounds my work: memory, place, and the power of storytelling. In that focused environment, I find clarity, direction, and a renewed commitment to making work that builds connection and honors heritage.

Janice Reid, Local Artist; Brampton Artist in Residence

About the Brampton Arts Organization 

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) is a registered non-profit that champions Brampton’s diverse arts, culture and creative industries and advocates for the #BramptonArtist. We work to build a thriving, confident, valued, and empowered creative scene by offering a range of programs, services and resources. In this, BAO is a key partner in fulfilling the City of Brampton’s strategic vision and Culture Master Plan. Learn more at bramptonartsorg.ca and connect with us at Instagram, Facebook, X(formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

About Brampton Library

In its nine modern branches and online, Brampton Library is building an inclusive community by inspiring learning, literacy, and social cohesion. Apply online for your free Brampton Library card, or in person at any of our branches. Register for in-person and virtual programs for all ages and interests through our program calendar and subscribe to our email updates. Follow us on social media and download our Brampton Library mobile app on iOS and Google Play. Learn more at bramptonlibrary.ca.

Media inquiries, please contact:

Gardenia Flores, Marketing & Communications Lead
gardenia@bramptonartsorg.ca