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 




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