ABOUT DEBBIE DOUEZ BSc NUTRITION, DVATI
Debbie is an artist and art therapist living in Lekwungen Territory (Esquimalt, BC) on Vancouver Island and has always been a creative being. As a child she was often found barefoot, playing in mud puddles and trying her hand at making mud sculptures that she would leave drying in the summer sun. When faced with the need to clean off those muddy hands she discovered the joy of painting on a large canvas, or rather, the side of her family home, much to the dismay of her parents. Despite those early discouragements, Debbie persevered and continued her art practice throughout her life and brought creative expression to everything she did. From a career in marketing, to creating video art and short films, Debbie surrounded herself with creative material and creative people all while developing her own art practice. Formally, Debbie studied art in Spain where she lived for 7 years. She graduated from the Valladolid Fine Arts school where she studied art history and sculpture and honed her sketching and painting skills in private studios in Valladolid and at the Arts Student League of New York. She became an art therapist in 2017, receiving her professional designation from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute.
While in Spain Debbie joined several art collaboratives and participated in numerous exhibitions.
I have focused on health and well being my entire life. In addition to my postgraduate Art Therapy diploma, I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, have studied art for 7 years in Spain and New York, and worked for over 20 years in business as a marketer, a mentor, and consultant to numerous clients. I have shown my art professionally in a number of solo and group shows and produced over 50 short films. I was the producer of a full-length documentary about traumatized kids in the school system called "Skids" which you can find online and on Optic TV. I have a yoga teacher training certificate from the Salt Spring Center of Yoga and received in-depth training in psycho-drama, Tibetan Bowl sound therapy, and Vipassana meditation.
Today Debbie works full time as an artist and art therapist out of her studio in her Esquimalt home. Her passion, along with her garden and her art practice, is working with young adults, helping to move Reconciliation and decolonizing efforts forward through the universal language of art. Please contact me if you would like a private viewing of my work.
"Image and meaning are identical: and as the former takes shape, so the latter becomes clear." MacLagan (2005)
Curriculum vitae
Education
-
BSc, Guelph University, 1991
-
Executive Management Development Program, Simon Fraser University. 2001
-
Yoga Teachers Training Certificate, Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, November 2002
-
Facilitation and Leadership Skills, The Justice Institute. 2003
-
Spanish Language, University of Valladolid, Spain. 2004
-
Arts Student League of New York. 2007
-
Valladolid Fine Art School. 2008
-
DVATI, Vancouver Art Therapy Institute 2018
-
Cultural Sensitivity Training, Victoria Native Friendship Centre, 2022
Art Therapy Practicums
-
Lord Roberts Elementary School: Fall 2017
-
George Jay Elementary: Winter/Spring 2018
-
Victoria Native Friendship Centre: Winter-Summer 2018
-
Quadra Village Summer Camp Program: Summer 2018
Work History
-
Community project lead, Art of Reconciliation Project: May 2019 - Present
-
Board member for the Esquimalt Community Art's Hub: August 2020 - August 2021
-
Board member for the Esquimalt Township Community Arts Council: 2017 - 2019
-
Documentary Producer for SKIDS, Barbershop Films: April 2017
-
Consultant / VP Strategy, Discourse Media: April 2015 - February 2017
-
Director of Marketing and Development, Museum of Vancouver: January 2013 - March 2015
-
Owner, Video 4 Web Productions: November 2010 - March 2014
-
Marketing Specialist, Minerva Foundation: April 2012 - March 2013
-
Consultant, Intrawest (Madrid, Spain): 2004 - 2006
-
Director CRM Development, Intrawest: 2002 - 2004
-
VP Card Programs, Ernex Marketing Technologies: 1997 - 2001
Art Events & Festivals
Esquimalt Urban Arts Tour - August 2021
ECAH Community Mosaic Project - January 2021
Relations Series, Esquimalt Community Arts Hub - November 2020
TEQNIK Abstract Art Fair, Victoria Arts Council - November 2018
Symbol and Language in art, Victoria Arts Council - September 2018
Esquimalt Arts Festival - Summer 2018
​
Art of Reconciliation Exhibitions
Cohort #1, ECAH Gallery, 901 Esquimalt Rd, Esquimalt August 2021
Cohort #1, Legacy Sidewalk Gallery, 630 Yates St, Victoria BC - April 2022 - September 2022
Cohort #2, A Wilfrid Johns Gallery, University of Victoria, June 2022
​
Individual Art Shows
-
Gallary Splash, 503 Park Place, Esquimalt BC - March 4 - April 4, 2022
-
TCAC Artist in Residence, Esquimalt, BC. June - August 2019
-
Mujer (Woman) Sala Cultural de Caja España, Valladolid Spain. 2009
-
Mujer (Woman) Sala de Exposiciones Mauro Muriedas, Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain. 2008
-
Vuelta a la inocencia. (Returning to Innocence) LaSala Cigüeñuela, Valladolid Spain. 2008
Collective Shows:
-
EXQUISITE CORPSE VIDEO PROJECT, Volume 3
-
Human Emotion Project: 2008-2009
A collective of over 100 video artists from all over the world using video to explore human emotion.
Showings:
Guildford Lane Gallery, Melbourne Australia 2009
Brancaleone Club, Rome, Italy. 2009
LaSala Art Gallery, Cigüeñuela Spain.2009
Ceramic Museum, Caldas-da-Rainha, Portugal 2009
Sguardi Sonori Festival of Media and Time Based Art, Italy, 2009
Fest I Nova, Villa Garikula, Georgia, 2009
Formverk Art Space, Eskilstuna, Sweden, 2009
Optica Festival, Cordova Spain, Paris France and Madrid, Spain. 2009
Valby Kulturhus, Copenhagen, Denmark. 2009
Portuguese Bookshop Gallery, Macau, China. 2009
Loop Festival, Video Dia Loghi. Centre for Contemporary Art in Torino, Italy. 2009
-
Vitruvian Woman Video Installation Project
A multimedia sculpture created by 34 artists from around the world inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's sketch, The Vitruvian Man.
Showings:
Formverk Art Space, Eskilstuna, Sweeden. 2009
Loop Festival, Video Dia Loghi. Centre for Contemporary Art in Torino, Italy. 2009
-
Javier Busetlo Colaboraciones. Multiple locations through Caja España in Castillia Leon, Spain. 2010
-
Bocallave Trilogia: Sala de Exposiciones de la ayuntamiento de Esquevillas de Esgueva, Spain. 2009
-
A Pedir de Boca, Palacio Pimentel, Valladolid, Spain. 2008 and 2009
-
Artate. LaSala Art Gallery, Cigüeñuela Spain.2009
-
Veo que me Ves. LaSala Art Gallery, Cigüeñuela Spain.2008
-
El Juego de la Boca. Patio Herreriano, Contemporary Art Museum, Valladolid, Spain. La Villa del Libro, Urueña, Spain, Palacio Pimental, Valladolid, Spain. 2008
-
Parentesis. Sala de Exposiciones del Teatro Calderon, Valladolid, Spain. 2008
-
De Boca en Boca. LaSala Art Gallery, Cigüeñuela Spain.2007. Palacio Pimentel, Valladolid Spain. 2008. Caja Espana, Ponferrada, Spain. 2008. Caja España Leon. 2008. Caja España Palencia. 2008. Caja España Zamora 2008.
-
Student Show, Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery, The Arts Student League, Manhattan, New York. 2007.
-
I am greatful, the exhibit. 44 Water St. Vancouver, Canada. 2004