sophie anne edwards (she/her/settler) is an environmental artist, geopoet and curator of English and French descent based on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island), northeastern Ontario. A geographer (SSHRC funded, PhD Candidate, Queen’s U) she is interested in the spatial imaginary, geopoetics, creative field research, and the possibilities of interspecies collaboration. Through her field- and installation-based practice she engages with the complexities of local ecosystems (social, cultural, historical, colonial, environmental).
Her debut collection of visual and text-based poetry, Conversations with the Kagawong River (Talonbooks) was recommended by CBC as an October 'can’t wait to read’, and made both CBC's and Quill & Quire's most anticipated fall poetry lists. Her work has appeared in Empty Mirror, The Capilano Review, CNQ, and the Pi Review among others. A graduate of Humber College creative writing certificate program, she was longlisted for the 2021 CBC poetry prize, and shortlisted Arc Poetry Magazine's 2019 Poem of the Year. Recently, she was long-listed for the 1st/2nd book prize by U.S. based publisher Omnidawn. Her poetry has been published across Canada by numerous presses and journals including Gap Riot Press, Blasted Tree Press, JackPine Press, The Capilano Review, CNQ and others.
She co-founded 4elements Living Arts, acting as 4e’s founding artistic/executive director from 2003-2018. As 4e’s Curator, ED, and lead project manager she designed and curated numerous projects including the multi-partnered Connections Trail which won an Ontario Lieutenant Governor award for cultural landscape heritage preservation, The Bonnie Blink land use history research project (in collaboration with Queen’s U Geography), River School (the Art + Science of River Ecology) in partnership with Manitoulin Streams. She founded Elemental Festival which curated multidisciplinary site-specific work.
She has designed and facilitated hundreds of workshops, engagements and collaborative processes for artists, educators, children, families and intergenerational groups. She is a sought after facilitator by educators interested in creative research, land-based early learning, and ‘Reggio’ approaches.
Her curatorial, media and visual and writing work are supported by the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts. She is a highly respected arts consultant, administrator, coach and mentor, supporting artists and organizations across the Province.
Visual art/media resume HERE
Literary resume HERE
Academic resume HERE
Professional resume HERE
Press and profiles HERE
