Photo by Aok Palad
Clara Congdon is a Montreal-based emerging artist whose practice includes textiles, drawing, painting, and artists’ books. She has presented across North America including at Monastiraki and Le Livart (Montreal, QC), Owens Art Gallery (Sackville, NB), the University of Iowa Center for the Book (Iowa City, IA), and the first edition of Artch, an outdoor exhibition of emerging contemporary art held annually in Montreal’s Dorchester Square. Her work can be found in Broken Pencil Magazine, Emotional Magazine, and her own two series of zines: L’oubli and YOU BETCHA IRIS.
CLARA CONGDON
b. 1991, Ottawa ON
EDUCATION
2013 BFA, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, Halifax NS
SOLO & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2019 Calendar: December 2019, Owens Online, Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, Sackville NB
2018 Asma A. Khan & Clara Congdon, Monastiraki, Montreal QC
2013 Volume 1, Anna Leonowens Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 P.S., Inverness County Centre for the Arts, Inverness NS
2021 Measures of Absence, Inverness County Centre for the Arts, Inverness NS
2020 Art of the Book 2018, Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, Florenceville-Bristol NB
2020 Art of the Book 2018, Craft Ontario, Toronto ON
2019 - 2020 Art of the Book 2018, McLennan Library Building, McGill University, Montreal QC
2019 Réminiscences, Le Livart, Montreal QC
2019 All Stitched Up, Collins Memorial Library, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma WA
2019 Art of the Book 2018, CCFM Art Gallery, Centre culturel franco-manitobain, Winnipeg MB
2019 Art of the Book 2018, Creation Cube, George Bothwell Branch, Regina Public Library, Regina SK
2019 Art of the Book 2018, Fine Arts Building Gallery, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB
2018 Art of the Book 2018, University of the Fraser Valley Library, Abbotsford BC
2018 Art of the Book 2018, Audain Gallery, University of Victoria, Victoria BC
2017 Underpinnings: Celebrating 130 Years of NSCAD, Anna Leonowens Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
2017 Who Are You?, The Red Head Gallery, Toronto ON
2017 Beyond, Espace POP, Montreal QC
2017 Handy Books, University of Iowa Center for the Book, Iowa City IA
2013 NSCAD Graduation Exhibition, Anna Leonowens Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
2012 Major Change, Seeds Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
ART FAIRS
2020 Volume 3 MTL: Art and the Book, Montreal QC
2019 The Sketchbook Project Vol. 14 at The Makers Market, The General by Vans, Brooklyn NY
2019 What the Pop! : Plateau, WIP Gallery, Montreal QC
2018 Expozine, Église Saint-Arsène, Montreal QC
2018 Volume 1 MTL: Art and the Book, Société des arts technologiques (SAT), Montreal QC
2018 Artch: Art contemporain émergent, Dorchester Square, Montreal QC
2018 What the Pop! : Mile Ex, Eastern Bloc, Montreal QC
2018 CBBAG Book Arts Show and Sale, Glebe Community Centre, Ottawa ON
2018 Emerging Artists Showcase, Business Skills for Creative Souls Artist Conference, St Jax, Montreal QC
2017 Le Shindig Edition 3 Zine Launch, Psychic City, Montreal QC
AUCTIONS
2023 The Sweetest Little Thing, Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery, Sackville NB
2022 The Sweetest Little Thing, Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery, Sackville NB
2021 The Sweetest Little Thing, Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery, Sackville NB
2020 Parle-moi d'amour Centre Wellington, Les Impatients, Montreal QC
2020 The Sweetest Little Thing, Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery, Sackville NB
2019 Parle-moi d'amour Centre Wellington, Les Impatients, Verdun QC
2012 Starfish Student Art Awards Gala, Port Loggia Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
COMMUNITY PROJECT PARTICIPATION
2022 Assembling Recipes for Sustainability, Centre for Sustainable Curating, Western University, London ON
2021 #cecinestpasàvendre, Thierry du Bois, Montreal QC
2019 The Sketchbook Project Vol. 14, Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn NY
2018 Shubenacadie River Beading Project, Carrie Allison, Treaty Space Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
2017 Sesquicentennial Quilt, Canadian Craft Biennial, Art Gallery of Burlington, Burlington ON
2013 Halifax NS Down Syndrome Society's Team Possibles, 23rd Wearable Art Show, Spatz Theatre, Halifax NS
2012 Halifax NS Down Syndrome Society's Team Possibles, 22nd Wearable Art Show, Halifax Forum, Halifax NS
COSTUME DESIGN
2015 Nuclear Sky: The Experiment, Title 66 Productions, Théâtre Rouge du Conservatoire, Montreal QC
PUBLICATIONS
2022 Zine 0005 - Collaboration, Ottawa Design Club
2021 100 More Art Prompts, The Sketchbook Project
2020 YOU BETCHA IRIS 3 : Nat King Pole, Clara Congdon
2019 YOU BETCHA IRIS 2 : Lizzy Strange, Clara Congdon
2019 All Stitched Up Exhibition Catalog, University of Puget Sound
2019 Emotional Magazine Issue #2
2019 YOU BETCHA IRIS 1 : Anaconda LaSabrosa, Clara Congdon
2019 Folio: Clara Congdon, Broken Pencil Magazine Issue #82
2018 L'oubli No. 3, Clara Congdon
2018 L'oubli No. 2, Clara Congdon
2018 Art of the Book 2018 Exhibition Catalogue, Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild
2018 L'oubli No. 1, Clara Congdon
2017 Le Shindig Edition 3: Holy Fêtes, Le Shindig Collective
2017 Canadian Craft Biennial: Community Projects, Art Gallery of Burlington
2013 2013 Graduation Catalogue, NSCAD University
ARTIST TALKS
2020 A Series of Small Things Brought Together: Textiles and the Book Form, Volume 3 MTL: Art and the Book, Montreal QC
2013 Volume 1, Anna Leonowens Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2016 - 2017 Studio Coordinator, SSENSE, Montreal QC
2015 - 2016 Set Coordinator, SSENSE, Montreal QC
2014 Production & Design Intern, Denis Gagnon, Montreal QC
2013 Costume Stitcher, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Company, Canning NS
2013 Set Construction Assistant, Mocean Dance, Halifax NS
2011 - 2012 Gallery Assistant, Seeds Gallery, NSCAD University, Halifax NS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2020 Beyond the Page: Clara Congdon, The Sketchbook Project IGTV, 28 Oct. 2020
2020 Beyond the Page: Clara Congdon, Alison Pirie, Brooklyn Art Library, 15 Jun. 2020
2020 Montreal's drag zine YOU BETCHA IRIS issues 1-3, Canadian Art, 20-26 Apr. 2020
2019 Calendar: December 2019, Canadian Art, 9-15 Dec. 2019
2019 Artist Portrait: Clara Congdon, Aok Palad, Aug. 2019
2019 Artists Illuminated: Clara Congdon, Lital Khaikin, ELAN Quebec, 12 Feb. 2019
2018 La relève en art contemporain, Evelyne Charuest, Gravel le matin, ICI Radio-Canada, 28 Sept. 2018
2017 Handy Books, Julia Leonard, Book Arts | arts du livre Canada, Vol. 8, No. 2
2013 Canvas by NSCAD, The Chronicle Herald, 10 Aug. 2013
2012 Major Change, Marilyn Smulders, NSCAD University News, 9 Mar. 2012
GRANTS, RESIDENCIES & AWARDS
2022 Can Serrat International Contemporary Art Residency
2019 - 2020 Young Volunteers Project Grant, Emploi Québec
2018 Production Grant, Artch with CJE Montréal Centre-Ville, Foundation of Greater Montreal and the Bronfman Foundation
2013 Margó Marshall Award for Textiles, NSCAD University
2013 Wearable Art Show Scholarship, NSCAD University
2012 MacAdam Trust Scholarship, NSCAD University
COLLECTIONS
ARCMTL, Montreal QC
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Montreal QC
Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn NY
Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa ON
Scott Library, York University, North York ON
AFFILIATIONS
English Language Arts Network (ELAN) Quebec, Montreal QC (Current Member)
Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG), Toronto ON (Member 2017 - 2021)