Alicia Reid, Our #ScarboroughSpotlight
Image by Jezebelle “Jzb” Mossong (@cntrlnshift)
Scarborough Spotlight is an initiative by Scarborough Arts that highlights the work and profile of community, emerging and professional artists based in, working in, or with a strong connection to Scarborough. We are so excited to feature this month’s Spotlight: Alicia Reid.
Alicia Reid is an Award-winning photographer, journalist, and documentarian from Scarborough whose work is rooted in community, culture, and lived experiences. Inspired by her Jamaican heritage, her upbringing in Scarborough, and everyday moments within the neighbourhoods she calls home, she uses photography and film to uplift the people and environments that have shaped her journey. Her work contributes to the visual archive of Toronto’s Caribbean and Black cultural scenes, transforming daily interactions into compelling visual narratives that preserve cultural memory.
Her work has been featured by the Scarborough Museum, Doris McCarthy Gallery (UTSC), and Scarborough Arts, as well as in Global News and the Toronto Star. She is an alumni of The Remix Project, ArtWorksTO, and Scarborough Made, and was a recipient of the Grand Prize for Toronto New View by Scarborough Arts in 2020. She is also the co-founder of the photography program Lens on the Ends @lensontheends, supporting emerging Scarborough photographers. Through her practises, Reid continues to build community-centered projects rooted in representation, memory, and creative expression.
Warden Station Patty (2020) by Alicia Reid
Blue Skies (2021) by Alicia Reid
Deh’ya Fest (2024) by Alicia Reid
Taste of Lawrence (2024) by Alicia Reid
Caribana (2023) by Alicia Reid
When it comes to the impact of her work, she shares “I want people to feel a sense of pride when they see my work and the way I capture the community that shapes our everyday lives. In Scarborough we’re often labeled as the underdogs in the city but that hasn’t stopped many of us from chasing our dreams and defying the odds and I want my work to embody that feeling of resilience that keeps us going no matter the outcome.”
