Janie McLaughlin is a multidisciplinary artist, fashion designer, hard of hearing and Acadian, originally from Rivière-du-Portage, located in the territory of Greater Tracadie, New Brunswick (Canada).
Janie holds a college diploma in fashion design from Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy in Quebec, as well as a bachelor's degree in fashion design and styling from the École supérieure de mode de Montréal (ESG UQAM). In 2017, she completed an internship at the Théâtre de la Monnaie / De Munt in Brussels, Belgium — a significant step in her artistic development.
Artistic Practice and Inspirations
Her artistic process draws inspiration from her ancestral roots—Celtic, Acadian, and Lebanese—as well as from the shape of the cochlea, which is connected to the cause of her hearing loss and resembles a spiral seashell.
As the artist explores fashion, textile, and visual arts, she works with a variety of mediums and techniques, including traditional sewing and textile methods, portraiture, and depictions of boats. Her works are characterized by fluidity, movement, and rounded forms (tondo).
Towards the end of 2025, her largest canvas (7 feet × 4 feet), from her exhibition Le voyage ancestral, was acquired by the Union des pêcheurs des maritimes.
Her artistic and fashion creations have been exhibited, featured in the media, and showcased in fashion shows on numerous occasions across Canada.
Community Involvement
Since moving from Montreal to Rivière-du-Portage in 2023, Janie McLaughlin has been actively involved in the artistic, educational, and entrepreneurial communities. She shares her traditional sewing knowledge in schools and teaches sewing courses at La Fontaine des Arts, part of Académie Sainte-Famille, in Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick.
From February to April 2026, Janie was part of one of the selected projects of the CréArts (N.B.) program in schools.
Her role was to guide students, with an ecological mindset, in creating costumes and stage sets for a musical directed by music teacher Cassandre Arseneau at École secondaire Nepisiguit in Bathurst. The project was carried out in collaboration with several teachers and approximately one hundred students, including the musical theatre troupe.
Memberships
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AAAPNB – Professional Artist / 2025
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Centr’Art, Caraquet, N.B. / 2025 -
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Les Arts Visuels de la Baie, Petit-Rocher, N.B. / 2025 -
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ArtsLink NB / 2024
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Artist Registry, collection artnb / 2024 -
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Course Instructor, Fashion Design and Sewing, La Fontaine des Arts, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2024 –
Exhibitions
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“Le voyage ancestral” – Espace Corridart, Centre culturel de Caraquet, N.B. / April 29 to August 31, 2025
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“Le voyage ancestral” – Galerie ARTcadienne, Miramichi, N.B. / March 21 to April 24, 2025
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“Retour aux sources” – Père-Zoël-Saulnier Public Library, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2024
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Léo-Lecavalier Library, La Prairie, QC / December 2022 to February 2023
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“Être dans le même bateau” – Vieux Moulin de Verchères, Verchères, QC / June to August 2022
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Boutique Le coin des artistes, Caraquet, N.B. / 2021–22
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Le corridor des artistes, Académie Sainte-Famille, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2013
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Festival Moisson d’art, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2008
Symposiums / Events
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Intervalles, Artist Residency: “Les Stella Marie de la mer”, Le Quai des artistes, Caraquet, N.B. / September 2025
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Exhibitor, Les Arts Visuels de la Baie, Petit-Rocher, N.B. / August 2025
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Exhibitor, FAVA – Festival des arts de l’Atlantique, Caraquet, N.B. / June 2025
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Community Project, creation of an outfit under the theme “Living Like a Tree.”
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Intervalles, Sunset Creation, Le Quai des artistes, Caraquet, N.B. / September 2024 and 2025
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Exhibitor, Symposium Le Rendez-vous des artistes, 100 artists – Paintings and Sculptures, St-Léonard, N.B. / 2024
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Artists’ Tent, L’Aquafête de Tracadie, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / August 2024
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Exhibitor, FAVA – Festival des arts de l’Atlantique, Caraquet, N.B. / June 2024
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Live artwork creation during La Nuit des arts.
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Fashion show: “Les astres s’enlignent” during La Nuit des arts.
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Fusion Productions, Caraquet, N.B. / 2023, 2024, and 2025
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Seamstress services – costume adjustments and repairs
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Fashion Shows and Displays
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“Les Stella Marie de la mer”, Intervalles, Caraquet, N.B. / September 2025
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“Les astres s’enlignent”, La Nuit des arts, FAVA 2024, Caraquet, N.B. / June 2024
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“Enjoy”, Spring/Summer 2020 Collection / October 2019
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MAD Festival, Montréal, QC / 2019
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Collaboration: “Essential – Fashion & Art Show.”
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“It’s Time”, Fall/Winter 2019–20 Collection, Fashion Preview, Montréal, QC / February 2019
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Showcase, École Supérieure de mode, UQÀM, Montréal, QC / 2018
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Showcase, Montagne Boutique, Montréal, QC / 2018
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“Anthropos”, Spring/Summer 2019 Collection, ÉSM18, Montréal, QC / April 2018
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“Bossy Women”, Fall/Winter 2012–13 Collection, Ottawa Fashion Week, Gatineau, QC / February 2011
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Graduation Fashion Show, CNDF, Québec, QC / June 2010
Education
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Catapult Arts Accelerator Program, ArtsLink NB, Moncton, N.B. / 2024
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Femme en affaires NB (FANB) | 2023 –
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B.A. in Fashion Design and Styling, École Supérieure de mode, ESG UQÀM, Montréal, QC / 2015–2018
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Intern, Théâtre de La Monnaie / De Munt workshops, Brussels, Belgium (2017)
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Intern, Ève Gravel, Montréal, QC (2017)
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D.E.C. in Fashion Design, Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy, QC / 2010–2013
Workshops and Presentations
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Sewing Workshops (for adults and children), Café des Bonnes Sœurs, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2025
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Workshop: “Living Like a Tree”, École La Villa des Amis, Tracadie Beach, N.B. / 2025
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Workshop: “Upcycling”, École Le Tremplin, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2024
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Workshop: “Christmas Painting”, Polyvalente W.-A.-Losier, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2023
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Presentation: “The Fashion Designer Profession”, École de la Fontaine, Néguac, N.B. / 2019
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Presentation: “The Fashion Designer Profession”, Café des Bonnes Sœurs, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. / 2012
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Presentation: “Living with Hearing Loss” / 2011
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École La Ruche, Tracadie-Sheila, N.B.
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Polyvalente W.-A.-Losier, N.B.
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