Olivia Brouwer is a partially Blind, interdisciplinary artist based in Cambridge, Ontario. In 2016, she graduated from the Art and Art History joint program, specializing in painting and printmaking, at the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College. Since then, her work has explored visual art accessibility, the “viewing” culture of visual spaces, and the activation of human senses beyond the reliance of vision, enabling an inclusive experience for both visually impaired and sighted viewers. Brouwer’s work has exhibited primarily across Southern Ontario, including the Blackwood Gallery, the Art Gallery of Mississauga, and Tangled Art + Disability. She was a finalist for the 2021 Salt Spring National Art Prize, an award winner of the City of Hamilton Creator Award, and a recipient of various grants from the Waterloo Region Arts Fund, Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts..
The Sync Re-Ignite program is a coaching opportunity from professional leaders in the field of Deaf, disability and neurodivergent art and curation, a valuable initiative that will further develop my leadership skills as a disability arts advocate, and enhance my creation and curation process to realize its full potential.