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).
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