Biography and Cv
Biography
Hélène La Haye has a B.A. in Visual Arts and Jazz from Concordia University. She spent a few years in Toscana and France, and she is now based in Montreal. She has been working for Cirque du Soleil, cinema shootings and television shows as a scenic painter and has created a series of large public mural paintings, including the one in the hall of the Belgo Building (where most of Montreal’s contemporary art galleries are located) and many others in Complexe Desjardins. Through time, she has developed a specific technique to do large pieces on glass. This led her to win a jury’s Grand Prize in a contest organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The prize was attributed to her for a glass wall-painting she did for the Eaton Centre. Also, her work has been exhibited in Zurich, Switzerland, and Montreal, at the Cinémathèque québécoise as well as in various galleries in Quebec and Ontario.
For four years, she taught arts to children in primary school. She has had the initiative to create an art history program that covered everything from rupestrian art to contemporary art and to which she related all the projects she did with the children.
On top of her own art production, Hélène La Haye has set up painting and drawing classes based on a sensory approach of matter and movement in her own art school which will celebrate 10 years this year. With adults and youngsters, she delves into imagination and observation in relation to movement and music, just as she does with her own work, to which she dedicates most of her time.

Curriculum Vitae
Exhibitions
Solos
2020-21
Courage – Museum Marius Barbeau, St-Joseph de Beauce, Quebec
2019
You are wonderful– Gallery 202, Montreal, Quebec
2018
Facing Yourself – Gallery 202, Montreal, Quebec
2017
My Virgin Heart – Gallery 202, Montreal, Quebec
2016
Legato – Art[o], Saint-Jean- sur-Richelieu
Peace in this Chaos – Gallery 202, Montreal, Quebec
Not playing anymore – Cambridge Center for the Arts, Cambridge, Ontario
Is it me? – Gallery Arts Sutton, Sutton, Quebec
She wins – Maison de la culture de Longueuil, Longueuil
2015
The Cheats – Galerie Vincent d’Indy, Boucherville
2013
Magnetic Resonances – Espace 316, Édifice Cadbury, Montréal
2002
Upright Bass – Cinémathèque Québécoise, Montreal
1995
Disruptions – Espace 414, Édifice Belgo, Montreal
1990
Dive – Alter Ego workshop, 445 St.Pierre, Old Montreal
1989
Mit Pinsel und Saxophon – West Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
1988
Bright Jazz Color – Cinémathèque Québécoise, Montreal
Group
2020
Museum in Quarantaine– Art Museum of Joliette, Quebec
2019
Lights – Mont St-Hilaire Fine Arts Museum, St-Hilaire, Quebec
2018
The Spring Exhibition – Invited artist at AAPARS, Mont St-Hilaire, Quebec
2016
The Rebels – Gallery Art Plus, Sutton, Quebec
Showfrette – Beloeil, Quebec
2016
The Rebels – Gallery Art Plus, Sutton, Quebec
Showfrette – Beloeil, Quebec
2015
The Rebels – Galerie Art Plus, Sutton, Quebec
1995
Gallery’s artists -Libre comme l’art Gallery, Quebec City, Quebec
1993
Jazz in color – Fra Angelico Art House, Montreal
1992
Turns – Prismart, Complexe Guy Favreau, Montreal
1991
Gallery’s artists – Van Gogh Gallery, Montreal
1988-97
Gallery’s artists – Maison des Arts, Piedmont
1982
Au Tour des arts – Rivière-de-Loup Art Museum
![Hélène présente ses personnages chez art[o]](https://helenelahaye.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CanadaFrancais-614x1024.jpg)
Public pieces (selection)
2007
World Beats (2 x 12 m) – Montreal International Jazz Festival, Complexe Desjardins, Ste-Catherine St. side, glass paint
2006
Crazy Winter (2,4 x 5 m) – Complexe Desjardins, Metro level, glass paint
2005
Are you coming? (2,4 x 6 m) – Complexe Desjardins, ground level, glass paint
2004
The Green Piano (2 x 5,7 m) – Belgo Building, hall, acrylic on gypsum
2003
Musicians (2,7 x 15,8 m) – Complexe Desjardins, ground level, acrylic on gypsum
2002
Tell me (2,4 x 10,2 m) – Interquisa Canada, acrylic on gypsum
2001
The Factory (2,4 x 6 m) – Quebecor World, hall, acrylic on gypsum
2000
Business (3 x 14,5 m) -Centre du Commerce Mondial, Montreal, acrylic on gypsum
2000
Wait for me! (4,9 x 6,7 m) – Eaton Centre, De Maisonneuve entrance, glass paint
1999
Yellow Field (8 x 8,5 m) – Eaton Centre, Sainte-Catherine mezzanine, glass paint
1999
Perfumes (4,9 x 6,7 m) – Eaton Centre, De Maisonneuve entrance, glass paint
1998
Signs (1,5 x 25,5 m) – Place Versailles, central rotunda, acrylic on gypsum
1998
Listen to this music (1,8 x 9 m) – Marché de l’Ouest, central place, acrylic on gypsum
1997
Around the Fountain I and II (two wall-paintings 3,3 x 12,7 m each) – Place Versailles, around the fountain, 3 meters above the floor, acrylic on gypsum
1996
Cubist Winter (2,7 x 19,4 m) – Complexe Desjardins, Metro level, acrylic on gypsum
Training
Education
1986
B.A. Fine arts (visual arts and jazz music), Concordia University, Montreal
1983-84
Jazz music (saxophone), St. Francis-Xavier University, Nova Scotia
1980
Collegial studies diploma, Fine arts, Brébeuf college, Montreal, and Rivière-du-Loup Cegep
Upgrading
2010
The artist’s file: constituent parts and presentation strategies.
Trainer: Valérie Gill. Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels (RAAV)*
2000
Art since 1968. Trainer: Thérèse St-Gelais. Université du Québec à Montreal
1999
Drawing and design. Trainers: Jacques Coutu and Serge Gagnon. Université du Québec à Montreal, Design Department
1989
Jazz internship. Università del Jazz, Siena, Italy. Trainers: Enrico Rava and Luigi Trovesi
1987
Painting internship with Schuyler Lake, former teacher at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Location: Ploemeur, Brittany, France
Employment in the field
2011-2021
Helene La Haye’s Art School, founder. Painting and drawing teacher for adults and children
2017-18
Member of jury for the evaluation of artists applications (on request)
2017
Conference The Creation Process, Anjou’s Visual Art Symposium, Montreal, Quebec
2017
Member of jury for the evaluation of artists applications, (details on request)
2017
Technical demonstration and specific formation, for the painters of the Association of Painters from the South Shore (AAPARS), St-Bruno, Quebec
2011-2014
Painting and drawing teacher for children, Centre La Relance
Painting and drawing teacher for adults, teenagers and children, Art Center La Salamandre
2006-2010
Visual arts teacher, 1st to 6th grade children, Académie Lavalloise
2006-2008
Designed and implemented Art History programs, 1st to 6th grade children, Academie Lavalloise
1994-2007
Muralist painter and model maker, conceptualized and created large scale public art in Montreal and Quebec
1994-2005
Scenic and artistic painting workshops, Westminster’s School CEPM and Terre-Soleil School CSSMI, Ministry of Education’s programm The artists at school
1990-1994
Scenic painter, Cirque du Soleil, Radio-Quebec, SDA Television Productions, Congress Palace, Old Port of Montreal
1988
Drawing teacher, Clé de Sol School CECM, Montreal
Music teacher, La Mennais School, CECM, Montreal
1986-1992
Jazz Concerts, alto saxophone, Montreal, France, Italy
1975-1994
Muralist painter, original models, residential and commercial sectors
Prizes, events and memberships
2020
Grant from the Visual Art Serge Lemoyne Foundation
Grant from the Artists Union
2019 and 2016
Town of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu collection
2014
« Brain » A Video of Helene La Haye’s Art Practice
An online interactive web film about the music and visual memory that accompany the creative process ; produced for TV5 and directed by Isabelle Raynaud and TV5
In collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2010
Member of the Visual Art Artists Group, called Regroupement des Artistes en Arts Visuels (RAAV) as a professional artist
1999
Jury Grand Prize, wall-painting on glass Perfumes, contest organized by Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Tourism Montreal.
Jury : Danielle Sauvage, Carmen Ciotola, Nicolas Caprio and Jean-Pierre Viau.
1993-94
Live Painting, organized by Harrison Gallery at the Centre de commerce mondial Montreal and in Émilie-Gamelin park
1992
La langue à terre (Clapped-out), body-painting dance duo at Espace Tangente, with Marise Vachon and Nathalie Valiquette

Bibliography
CLÉMENT, Éric
« Her love of drawing », LA PRESSE, April 14 2020
MÉNARD, Marie-Gabrielle
« Draw with Helene » , ICI RADIO-CANADA, Radio Interview, April 7 2020
LEBLOND, Marie-Andrée
« Studio in direct » , TVRS, Tv interview, April 30, 2018
LARAMÉE, Isabelle
« Hélène La Haye presents her characters at Arto », LE CANADA FRANÇAIS, October 27th 2016
GAGNON, Marie-Pier
« The City acquires six new artworks », LE CANADA FRANÇAIS, August 4th 2016
VILLENEUVE, Paul
« Hélène La Haye jazzes her paintings », JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL, June 30th, 2002
REDFERN, Christine
« Captured beats », MIRROR, July 3th, 2002
MASSÉ, Isabelle
«Makeup Shops », LA PRESSE, April 29, 1999
BLOUIN, Yves
« Pure Wonders », PARLONS AFFAIRES, December 1994
DE NARDIS, Hans
« Mit pinsel und saxophon », ZÜRIWOCHE, February 9, 1989
5570 rue Cartier, Montréal, H2H 1X9 – (514) 567-8255 – hl@helenelahaye.com / Copyright © 2022 Hélène La Haye. All Rights Reserved. / No further reproduction or distribution of the art works shown on this site is permitted without authorization. / Website realization Artlab