Edith Brunette

Edith Brunette is a researcher in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and previously a doctoral student in Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. She holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Visual Arts from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Her work bridges art practice, political theory, and aesthetics, critically examining the intersections of art, freedom, and systemic inequities. She has been awarded prestigious scholarships from the CRSH and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Education:

• PhD Candidate, Political Studies, University of Ottawa (2024)
• Maitrise en arts visuels et médiatiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (2011)
• Baccalauréat en arts visuels et médiatiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (2002)

Research Interests: Her research focuses on conceptions of freedom in Canadian contemporary art, cultural appropriation debates, and the political agency of artists. She co-founded the activist initiative Journée sans culture and edited works linking art to social justice. Her methodologies blend artistic practice with theoretical frameworks from Hannah Arendt and poststructuralist thought.

Key Contributions:

• Explored tensions between artistic autonomy and systemic racism in Quebec’s cultural sector
• Analyzed the Council of the Arts of Canada’s avoidance of contentious debates
• Examined collective voice in theater through works like *No One Gives a F**K About a Cop*

Awards & Grants:

• J.-A. Bombardier Scholarship (CRSH)
• Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellowship

Labs/Initiatives: Co-founder of Journée sans culture (2015), a day of collective reflection and strike action in Montreal’s cultural sector. Collaborated on projects like *Aller à, faire avec, passer pareil* (2021), exploring inhabiting inhospitable worlds through art.