The City of Kitchener has appointed Ellie Anglin as Kitchener's 2024 artist in residence. Selected from 19 applicants in a public call for proposals, Anglin is a Kitchener-based multimedia artist working in collage, illustration, animation and graphic design, as well as a writer of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. She has self-published 30 zines combining visual art and text; created pieces of public art displayed across Waterloo Region, Ottawa and Toronto; and contributed to many visual art and literary publications.

“I’m excited to welcome Ellie Anglin as the City’s newest artist in residence and to see how our community and surrounding landscape are represented in her work,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “This year’s residency creates a unique opportunity to combine the incredible talent of many local artists, writers and other creatives. Having seen Ellie’s work, I’m inspired by her ability to incorporate all types of creativity into cohesive pieces that capture moments in time. I can’t wait to see how our arts community is reflected in her unique project.”

During her 6-month residency, Anglin will create Ribbon, a collaborative zine featuring her own work as well as work by other local artists and writers. The zine will respond to the Grand River watershed, including reflecting on themes around our surrounding rivers, creeks and streams as well as the metaphoric meaning of “watershed”, the surrealism of nature and the fluidity of being. The project will also incorporate opportunities for the community to engage in and learn about Anglin’s work, which may include opportunities to contribute to the publication and unique community features to help distribute copies of the finished product to the community.

“As a group, we were all struck by the consideration and generous nature of both the collage and the poetic narratives included in Ellie’s proposal,” the City’s Public Art Working Group shared in a jury statement. “There is a high level of craft and uniqueness in how Ellie presented their design concepts, which gave the jury a focal point that we kept coming back to. The concept of the zine publication felt interesting, intriguing, and locally specific.”

The City of Kitchener’s Artist in Residence program is celebrating its 29th anniversary this year. The program was the first of its kind among Canadian municipalities and each year has invited artists local artists working in various disciplines to develop their practice or interests as they engage and collaborate with the community.

“Ellie’s artistic eye and her commitment to community connectivity create stunning pieces that capture her subject’s unique spirit,” said Andrea Hallam, Manager, Arts and Creative Industries for the City of Kitchener.“ This year’s creative publication residency is a unique opportunity to bring together different elements of art and creativity from across our region, and having seen how Ellie has done just that in her past projects, I’m excited to see how her artistic vision is expressed in Ribbon.”

Learn more about Ellie Anglin and their work at www.ellieanglin.com . For more information on the Artist in Residence program and the 2024 residency, visit www.kitchener.ca/AIR .

For more information, contact:   

Shawn Falcao 
Manager, Corporate Communication
City of Kitchener
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca