SOCIAL
BIOGRAPHY
BACKGROUND
Leo LaBelle is an artist of both international and local fame. He has toiled with his paints, brushes, pencils, pens and sculptural implements for over fifty years.
Showing from the West Coast of British Columbia Canada to the East Coast of the United States in New York, in Europe, South America and the Orient as well. His work can be found in both local and international, private and public collections.
Among the many awards Leo has won for his work are a First Prize Award( shared with the late Jack Shadbolt) in a juried show at the Burnaby Art Gallery and First Place Prize & Award in the sculpture category in the New York Art Horizons International Art Competition juried at the New York City Art 54 Gallery.
With an art education from the Minneapolis School of Art and hands on experience of owning-operating the Avelles Gallery in Vancouver, he has held many curatorial positions including, Art Director for the prestigious Bau-Xi Gallery in Vancouver, Art Director for the Vancouver Children’s Centennial Theater as well as original Assistant Curator and Director for the City of Vancouver’s LIP Gallery and Art Program.
Awards/Prizes/Grants
2010
Artist of Distinction Award for extraordinary artistry (shown at Hands Across the Pacific) – Canadian International Cultural Exchange Society
1988
First Place (sculpture category), Art Horizons International Art Competition – Art 54 Gallery, NY NY
1983
Honorable Mention – Valley Fine Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1975
Local Industries Projects (Arts) Grant
1974
Local Industries Projects (Arts) Grant
1973
Local Industries Projects (Arts) Grant
1972
Local Industries Projects (Arts) Grant
1967
First Prize (shared with Jack Shadbolt) – Juried Art Show, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1953
First Prize – Orange Crush Coloring Contest
Curatorial Positions
1974-76
Director – City of Vancouver Artists Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1972-73
Director – Bau-Xi Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1970-72
Director – Avelles Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1968-69
Director – Olympus Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1967
Art Director – Children’s Centennial Theatre, New Westminister, BC
EXHIBITIONS ~ COLLECTIONS
Collections
* CAT – Coast Art Trust Society
* St. Pauls Hospital Art Foundation, Vancouver
* Museo De La Solidaridad – Santiago, Chile
* City of Vancouver
* Imperial Oil
* Simon Fraser Art Gallery
* Numerous other private Canadian, American, And International Collections
SOLO
Solo Exhibitions
2021
NEW ICONS for the Collective Unconscious – September 30 – October 31, Kent Arts Council ~ Ranger Station Art Gallery
NEW ICONS for the Collective Unconscious – September 7 – 25, Mission Arts Centre: Rock Family Gallery
2012
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
2011
Woodside Gallery, Agassiz, BC
2001
New Icons for the Collective Unconsciousness, Downstairs Gallery, Chilliwack , BC
1997
Griffin Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1996
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1992
Gallery Alpha West, West Vancouver, BC
1985
The Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1983
Harrison Festival of the Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1982
Agassiz Centennial Theatre, Agassiz, BC
BC Arts Club Theater Vancouver, BC
1980
Gallery Move, Vancouver, BC
1976
BC Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver, BC
Artists Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1975
Contemporary Royale, Vancouver, BC, 3 Exhibitions
Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC
1972
Avelles Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Free Space, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1969
Olympus Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1967
Zig Zag Gallery, Seattle, Washington
Two Person Exhibitions
1997
Griffin Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1995
Chilliwack Music Academy, Chilliwack, BC
1989
Graceland, Vancouver, BC
1972
Avelles Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1971
Avelles Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1967
Simon Fraser Co-op, Burnaby, BC
Vancouver Free University, Vancouver, BC
1966
Slater’s Studio, New Westminster, BC
Group Exhibitions
2021
Artsy (Nov 08 – 14)
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
VOYZX Exhibition of Contemporary Surrealism (July 17th – August 15th)
Italy: Mail Art International Project – Globalization
Agassiz Museum ~ Small Works Exhibition (Feb 09 – 28)
2020
Angel Art Gallery – Hong Kong (Dec 21 2020 – Feb 12 2021)
VOYZX VIRTUAL EXHIBITION of Contemporary Surrealism, VOYZX 3D VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS – VOYZX.com (August 14th – September 4th, 2020)
2019
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
VOYZX International Exhibition of Contemporary Surrealism, Chinese Cultural Center Vancouver, BC, Canada (August 10 to 20)
The 15th China International Cultural Industrial Fair, Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center (May 16 to 20)
Pride Mail Project Art Exhibition – Sheldon Rose Gallery, Toronto Ontario, Canada
‘Kunst and Imagination’ Mail Art Exhibition – Aurea Art Gallery, Portugal
2018
Shenzhen International Art Fair – Shenzhen, China
40 Year Harrison Festival of the Arts Retrospect
Kent- Harrison Arts Council ~ Members Show
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
2017
Kent- Harrison Arts Council ~ Members Show
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
2016
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
Kent- Harrison Arts Council ~ Members Show
Costa Rica National Library – Expo Las Llaves del Deseo/Keys of Desire(September)
THE 80s CALLED; THEY WANT THEIR ART BACK! – An Exhibition of Vancouver Outsider Art of the 1980s
INNER SANCTUM POP-UP GALLERY – 324 Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC
Featuring the art of: 12 Midnite, Jan Wade, Martin Guderna, ManWoman, Colin Upton, Maurice Spira, Pat Beaton, Ladislav Guderna, Dorothy Manning, Dave Ostrem, Oraf, Ken Straiton, Michael de Courcy, Greg Zbitnew, John Hersey, Leo Labelle, Francis Thenard, Mia Johnson, Davide Pan, Ed Varney, Lincoln Clarkes, Kent Tate, Ken Gerberick, Man Dad, I Braineater, Henri Robideau, Jed Irwin, Patty Josin, Henry Rappaport, David Cochrane and Dale Pickering Curated by Ocean Varney – An Elevate the Arts 2016 Event
2015
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
Mission Art Gallery 3rd Fraser Valley Regional Biennale – Mission, British Columbia
Kent- Harrison Arts Council ~ Members Show
2014
Kent- Harrison Arts Council ~ Members Show
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs ~ Small Works Exhibition
2013
Ranger Station Art Gallery [Small Works Show], Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Woodside Gallery [Rivers of Peace], Agassiz, BC
2012
Ranger Station Art Gallery [Small Works Show], Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Woodside Gallery [Return To The Garden], Agassiz, BC
2011
Woodside Gallery, Agassiz, BC
2010
Museum of Valparaiso at the University of Talca, Chile [March – June]
Museo Municipal de Belles Artes, Valparaiso, Chile
Cross Connections ~ 5 Decades of Contemporary Art in the Pacific Northwest at the Legacy Art Gallery, Victoria, BC [January 06 – February 21]
The Wuhan Museum, Hunan Province, China
Tower Hall, Funabori, Japan
Woodside Gallery, Agassiz, BC
Cultural Center, Chilliwack, BC
Asai Gallery, Chilliwack
2009
Coast Art Trust (CAT) – Momentum ~ 25 Artists from Past to Present at the Leighdon Studio Gallery, Vancouver [February 02 – 27]
New & Recent Works at the Evergreen Cultural Art Gallery [March 27 – May 09]
El Umbral Secreto ~ Encuentro Internacional De Surrealismo Actual at the Museo De La Solidaridad, Santiago, Chile
2008
“Fugitive Visions” A Selection of Works by Five BC Painters (John Haig, Chris Blades, Gregg Simpson, Alvin Jang, Leo Labelle) at “Falcioni’s” European-style Cafe-Gallery, located at 1391 Richards Street in Vancouver
2003
25th Anniversary of the Harrison Festival of Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
2002
Surrealists Harrison Festival of the Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
2001
Self-Portrait Exhibition, Artropolis Art Extension, Vancouver BC
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs
City Hall. Chilliwack
2000
Down Stairs Gallery, Chilliwack
Freeman Gallery, Chilliwack
Ranger Station Art Gallery [The Miniature Show: 4th], Harrison Hot Springs
Canada\Korea International Exchange Exhibition. Korea Times Gallery, Toronto
Miniature Show. Rec. Center, Chilliwack
1999
The Miniature Show: 3rd, the Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs
Down Stairs Gallery, Chilliwack, BC
1998
Harrison Festival of the Arts 20th Annual Art Show, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Juried Art Exhibition, Port Moody Arts Center
White Rock & South Surrey Art Society Juried Exhibition, White Rock, BC
Works in 3-D 8th Annual Sculpture Exhibition, City Hall, Port Coquitlam, BC
The Miniature Show: 2nd, the Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1997
The Mask Show Griffin Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Tri Artist Show, Griffin Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1996
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Exhibition Centre, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1995
Torres Gallery, Vancouver, BC
A Walk Is Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Festival of the Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1994
Festival of the Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Down Stairs Gallery, Chilliwack, BC
A Walk Is Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1994
Torres Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1993
Art Clothing for the Body and Spirit, Claudia Chapline Gallery, San Francisco
Sorting Through the Seventies -Permanent Collection- Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Interior Design Show, Hong Kong Bank Building, Vancouver, BC
Black Orpheus Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Hot Springs Art Fair, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1992
Black Orpheus Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Harrison Art Walk, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Art Fair, Harrison Hotel, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Wearable Art Show, Cecil Green House, University of British Columbia
1991
Brute Primitive, Gallery Alpha, West Vancouver, BC
Geometric Expressions, Gallery Alpha, West Vancouver, BC
Fertility Rites, Gallery Alpha, West Vancouver, BC
Black Orpheus Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Art Metamorphos, Black Orpheus Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1990
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1989
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1988
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1987
Festival of the Arts, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1986
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
1984
Ranger Station Art Gallery, Harrison Hot Springs, BC
7th Annual Fraser Regional Arts Council Juried Exhibition, BC
1983
6th Annual Fraser Regional Arts Council Juried Exhibition, BC
Fraser Regional Arts Council Traveling Exhibition, BC
‘Images and Objects’, Robson Square Media Centre, Vancouver, BC
1981
Gallery Move, Vancouver, BC
1980
Drawing Exhibition, Artist’s Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1977
Gallery Move, Vancouver, BC
1976
Gallery Royale, Vancouver, BC
1975
Traveling Collage Show, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa , Ont.
Traveling Show, British Columbia Prisons, BC
‘Pacific Coast Consciousness’- Touring Show of Eastern Canada
-University of Guelph, Ontario
-Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, NS
-Gallery Stratford, Ontario
-Thames Theatre And Arts Center, Chatham, Ontario,
-Simon Fraser Gallery, Burnaby, BC,
-Bayard Gallery, Seattle, Washington, -Vancouver East End Cultural
Center, Vancouver, BC (3 Exhibitions), -Artist’s Gallery, Vancouver, BC
(2 Showings), -Contemporary Royale Gallery, Vancouver, -Galerie Royale, Calgary, Alberta, -Galerie Royale, Edmonton, Alberta,
-Prince George Art Gallery, Prince George, BC
1974
Artist’s Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Open Space Gallery, Victoria BC
1973
Artist’s Gallery, Vancouver, BC
‘Fine Arts as the Forum’ Vancouver, BC
‘Art-Latch’, City of Vancouver
1972
Microprosophus International Show of Visual Poetry, Avelles Gallery,
Vancouver, BC (2 showings)
Mythodromos of Twelve Artists, Avelles Gallery, Vancouver, BC
BC Sculpture and Print Exhibition, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
BC Drawing and Watercolour Exhibition, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
‘The Private Patron’ Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
1971
of Twelve Artists Exhibition, Theatre Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1970
of Twelve Artists Exhibition, Theatre Gallery, New Westminster
Public Library, New Westminster, BC
1969
First Annual of Art, New Westminster, BC
1966
First Annual Fall Art Exhibition of the Art Activity Association, Bau-Xi
Galley, Vancouver, BC
1967
Juried Art Show, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1964
Little Gallery, New Westminster, BC
Event Exhibitions
2014
River of Peace Festival. Mt Woodside, British Columbia.
2013
River of Peace Festival. Mt Woodside, British Columbia.
2012
River of Peace Festival. Mt Woodside, British Columbia.
1999
Canada Day /Art Exhibition. Evergreen Hall, Chilliwack, British Columbia.
National Gallery of Canada *archives*
The PDF below is courtesy National Gallery of Canada Library Archive department.
In 1971, I was asked to provide them with my bio and art activities for their archive. I decided in 2025 to write them as to the state of those materials. They kindly sent me a PDF of the scans of those, and are in the PDF below.
MEDIA
Publications
2021
GLOBALIZATION – mail art international project – MARIO MANZONI SALA
Click here for pdf on MEDIA page
2019
Casa Cultural – Centenary of the Surrealist Movement (Costa Rica)
Click here for Web Magazine (page 88-89)on pubhtml5.com
2015
The Phala ~ February 2015 {Brazilian magazine of the surrealist movement)
2014
Il Surrealismo. Ieri e oggi Storia, filosofia, politica ~ Arturo Schwarz [http://julietartmagazine.com/en/il-surrealismo-ieri-oggi/]
Television Coverage
2011
SHAW Cable, Chilliwack, BC – Woodside Gallery
1995
CKVU, ‘U’ TV, Vancouver, BC
1994
CKVU, ‘U’ TV, Vancouver, BC
1993
CKVU, ‘U’ TV, Vancouver, BC, NHK TV, Japan
1992
BCTV, Vancouver, BC, CBC TV, Vancouver (local), CBC TV, Canada,
CKVU, ‘U’ TV, Vancouver, BC