About
Bio
Haley Bassett is an interdisciplinary artist of Métis and Eastern European descent from Dawson Creek, BC. She was born in 1991 to cattle-rancher parents and now lives and works in Sunset Prairie, BC, in the traditional territory of the Dene, Dane-zaa, and Cree encompassed by Treaty 8 and the Métis Homeland.
She studied painting and drawing at the Florence Academy of Art and has been mentored by Peter von Tiesenhausen, Brendan Tang, and Genevieve Robertson. In May 2020, she completed her BFA in Visual Art from Emily Carr University, minoring in Social Practice and Community Engagement. During her studies, she was awarded the BCAC Scholarship twice. She also received the Distinguished Award from the Juried Regional Art Exhibition and the BCAC Early Career Development Grant in 2020.
As part of her social practice, Bassett founded the Northern Arts - Community Development Program in 2019, in partnership with the Dawson Creek Art Gallery. This program is designed to alleviate barriers to artistic professional development in the Peace Region. As part of this program, she writes an arts column and organizes workshops and low-barrier art exhibitions in public venues. She became the Executive Director of the Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council in September 2021.
Bassett started out as a painter; however, her practice now includes sculpture, installation, beadwork, found objects, and textiles. Her visual work explores how time, place, family histories, and personal traumas converge as formational aspects of the self. Much of Bassett's work celebrates the culture and landscape of the Peace Region, and she hopes to make a positive impact on northern communities by representing them authentically in her work.
CV
Haley Bassett
Born October 28, 1991
Lives and works in Sunset Prairie, BC
Education
2020 - 2022
Mentored by Brendan Tang, Peter von Tiesenhausen
BCAC Early Career Development Grant, Sunset Prairie, BC
2020 - 2021
Mentored by Genevieve Roberston, Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council Artist in
Residence Program, Dawson Creek, BC
2017 - 2020
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Visual Art, Minor in Social Practice and Community Engagement, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver BC
2019
Mentored by Peter von Tiessenhausen and Diana Thorneycroft, Toni Onley Artists’ Project, Wells BC
Mentored in beadwork by Adrienne Greyeyes, Fort Saint John, BC
2018
Mentored by Lisa Milroy and Jen Mann, Toni Onley Artists’ Project, Wells BC
2016
Six Week Intensive Drawing and Painting Workshop, Florence Academy of Art, Florence Italy
2008 - 2009
Visual Arts Foundation Program, Northern Lights College, Dawson Creek BC
Solo Exhibitions
2022
“Matrilineal,” Two Rivers Gallery, Kaitlyn Herlehy, Prince George, BC
2021
“Matrilineal,” Peace Gallery North, Richard Bell, Fort Saint John, BC
“Lineage,” Island Mountain Arts, Elyssia Sasaki, Wells, BC
“Lineage,” Mackenzie Arts Centre, Megan Brumovsky, Mackenzie, BC
“Lineage,” Dawson Creek Art Gallery, kit fast, Dawson Creek, BC
2020
“Snare,” Burrard Arts Foundation, Kate Bellringer, Vancouver BC
2019
“Through a Forest,” Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre, Shayna Hammer, Dawson Creek BC
Group Exhibitions
2022
Upcoming Exhibition, "Where the NDN's Wear Cowboy Hats," Dawson Creek Art Gallery, kit fast, Dawson Creek BC
Upcoming Exhibition, "Octopus Bag Series," Métis Nation BC Headquarters, Gregory Scofield, Surrey, BC
“Dissecting Identities,” Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Manar Abo-Touk, Grande Prairie, Alberta
“Invisible Forces, Leaning Out of Windows,” Emily Carr Exhibitions Commons, Ingrid Koenig, and Randy Lee Cutler, Vancouver BC
2020
“Together, Apart,” Dawson Creek Art Gallery, kit fast, Dawson Creek BC
“Juried Regional Art Exhibition,” Virtual Exhibition, Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council, Kim Guillion-Stewart and Meghan Hunter-Gauthier
“Here.”, Exhibition Commons, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Megan Jensen, Diane Blunt, Sydney Pickering, Kelsey Sparrow, Vancouver BC
2019
“Juried Regional Art Exhibition,” Peace Gallery North, Asinnijaq and Genevieve Robertson, Fort Saint John BC
“The Hands Talk”, Exhibition Commons, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Zoe Cire, Dianne Blunt, Shawna Kiesman, Vancouver BC
2018
“In the Summertime,” Dawson Creek Art Gallery, kit fast, Dawson Creek BC
“Artwalk,” Here to Health, kit fast, Dawson Creek BC
“Juried Regional Art Exhibition,” Phoenix Theatre, Paul Crawford and Lee Claremont, Fort Nelson BC
2017
“Edge to Edge,” Landing Gallery, Landon Mackenzie, Vancouver BC
“Something in the Water”, District Co., Kurtis Nguyen, Dawson Creek BC
2009
“Visual Arts Program Foundation Show,” Northern Lights College, Laine Dahlen, Dawson Creek BC
Collections
Private collections
Montreal, Quebec
Dawson Creek, BC
Rolla, BC
Chetwynd, BC
Willow Valley, BC
Nanaimo, BC
Vancouver, BC
Hermosillo, Mexico
Scholarships and Awards
2022
First Peoples' Cultural Council, Individual Artist's Program
2021
First Peoples’ Cultural Council’s Indigenous Arts Program Internship
Distinguished Award, Juried Regional Art Exhibition, Peace-Liard Regional Arts
Council
2020
Opus Art Supplies Graduation Award
Honorable Mention, Vancouver Art Attack Award
Early Career Development Grant, BC Arts Council
Distinguished Award, Juried Regional Art Exhibition, Peace-Liard Regional Arts
Council
Ian Gillespie Aboriginal Award Scholarship, Emily Carr University of Art + Design
2019
Gwyneth Gunn Foundation Scholarship, Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Toni Onley Artists’ Project Scholarship, Island Mountain Arts
Most Experimental Award, Juried Regional Art Exhibition, Peace-Liard Regional Arts
Council
2018
Ian Gillespie Aboriginal Award Scholarship, Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Faculty of Culture + Community Micro-Grant, Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Scholarship, BC Arts Council
2017
Scholarship, BC Arts Council
Residencies
2020 - 2021
Artist in Residence, Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council, Dawson Creek, BC
2019
Toni Onley Artists’ Project, Wells BC
2018
Toni Onley Artists’ Project, Wells BC
Employment and Teaching Experience
September 2021 - Present
Executive Director, Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council
2021 - Present
Intern, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Dawson Creek BC, funding provided by First
Peoples’ Cultural Council
Mentor, Bin Top Artist in Residence, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Dawson Creek BC Mentor, At Home Artist in Residence, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Dawson Creek BC
2019 - Present
Founder / Coordinator for Northern Arts Community Development Program, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Dawson Creek BC
2018
Art instructor, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Dawson Creek BC
2015 - 2017
Guest art instructor, McLeod Elementary School, Groundbirch BC
Board and Committee Experience
2018 to 2021
Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council, treasurer
2019
Aboriginal Advisory Committee, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, student representative
Speaking Engagements
2021
Artist talk, Lineage, Island Mountain Arts, Wells, BC
Virtual Artist Talk, Wells-Barkerville Community School, Wells BC
2019
Arts BC Conference, Expanding Indigenous Arts Programming in Practice Panel Discussion, Kelowna, BC
Publications
2022
Dissecting Identities Catalogue, Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Grande Prairie, Alberta
2020 to Present
Columnist, Northern Arts Review, Dawson Creek Mirror, Alaska Highway News,
Chetwynd Coffee Talk Express, Tumbler Ridge Lines, Beaverlodge Arts Centre,
Fairview Fine Arts Society, Northern Rockies Arts Council
2021
Matrilineal Exhibition Catalogue, Peace Gallery North, Fort Saint John, BC
Lineage Exhibition Catalogue, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Dawson Creek, BC
2020
2021 Regional Juried Art Exhibition Calendar, Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council Rolla, BC
2019
2020 Regional Juried Art Exhibition Calendar, Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council Rolla, BC