Biography and Cv

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.

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

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