Amy Friend

Amy Friend is an Associate Professor in the Department of Studio Art at Brock University. She holds a BFA Honours from York University, a BEd from York, and an MFA from the University of Windsor. Her practice focuses on process-driven contemporary art, experimental photography, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Friend’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the National Portrait Gallery (London), Museum London, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. She is known for her monograph Stardust and her participation in prestigious exhibitions like Elles X at Paris Photo.

Research & Creative Activities
Friend’s research explores the intersection of art and society, with emphasis on photographic archives, curatorial practices, and site-specific installations. Recent presentations include talks at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Rodman Hall, and the Society for Photographic Education conferences. She has curated exhibitions addressing themes of memory, migration, and cultural identity.

Awards & Grants
Recipient of the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, Clarke Thompson Teaching Award, and grants from SSHRC, Canada Council for the Arts, and Ontario Arts Council. Her work is held in collections at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ritz Carlton Collection, and York University.

Teaching & Innovation
Received Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant (2020) for The Touch of Land: Creative Response to Migration. Active in integrating arts education through interdisciplinary methods and community-based projects.

Labs/Teams
Leads creative research projects focusing on photographic archives and material culture. Collaborates with international institutions on exhibitions and curatorial initiatives.