Jessie Stainton

Jessie Stainton is an artist and FQRSC-funded doctoral student based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal. She utilizes research-creation and critical theory to consider issues of disability and access in political and cultural contexts. Her research centers around intellectual and developmental disability in arts and culture scenes, to think of engagement that moves beyond representation.

Often experimenting with materiality, her art practice weaves around textiles, technology and sound. She works with fabric, fiber, trash, biomaterial, natural dye and soft circuitry to create immersive and collaborative installations.

Jessie is a steering committee member and co-technical coordinator of the Access in the Making (AIM) Lab. She is an active member of the Textiles and Materiality Milieux Cluster, Speculative Life BioLab, and COMS Doctoral Students Association, where she also serves as co-coordinator.

Her community work spans radio, art spaces and provincial organizations. She is collaborating on a Mitacs-funded research project with Centre d'art et de diffusion CLARK, exploring accessibility in artist-run centers and has previously served as a research associate for the Société Québécoise de la Déficience Intellectuelle.