William (Bill) Laing was born in Glasgow, Scotland and immigrated to Canada in 1960. He studied at the Vancouver School of Art, Brighton Polytechnic in England and received his Master’s Degree from the Royal College of Art in London, England in 1974. Bill came back to Canada to teach at the Alberta College of Art and Design but was then hired by Harry Kiyooka to teach at the University of Calgary in 1977, alongside John Hall, John Will, Noboru Sawai and John Chalke. Bill taught at the University of Calgary for 39 years, retiring at the end of 2015.  Bill’s legacy as a professor can be seen in his successful students which include Ken Webb, Marjan Eggermont, Laurel Johannesson, Jason Frizzell, Glen Semple, Marigold Santos and Brad Harms to name a few. He was awarded the University of Calgary Student Union Teaching Excellence Award in 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was also the University of Calgary Student Union Teaching Excellence “Hall of Fame Award” in 2013.

 

Bill Laing has exhibited in over 500 group shows and 50 solo shows across Canada and around the world, is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (R.C.A.), an elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Painters and Printmakers (London, England), and has received the Order of The University of Calgary in 2006.  Bill Laing’s extensive collections list includes (to name a few):   British Museum, National Gallery of Canada, Museum of Art, Strasbourg, France, Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal,  National Gallery of Australia, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Museum, the Kyoto Museum of Art, Japan, Guangdong Museum of Art, Shanghai, China and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England.

Education:
1967-71 - Diploma with honours (photography and printmaking), Vancouver
School of Art, Vancouver, B.C.
1971-72 - Certificate with distinction (printmaking), Brighton Polytechnic,
Brighton, England
1972-74 - Masters of Fine Arts Degree, Royal Collage of Art, London, England

 

Solo Exhibition :
1971 - Vancouver Community Arts Council Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1972 - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1973 - Die Treppe Gallerie, Lahr, Germany
1975 - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1976 - The University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
1977 - Glenbow-Alberta Institute, Calgary, AB1977 - Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK1977 - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1979 - Thomas Gallery, Winnipeg, MB
1979 - Graphica Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1979 - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1980 - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1980 - Graphica Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1980 - Thomas Gallery, Winnipeg, MB
1981 - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1982 - Susan Whitney Gallery, Regina, SK
1982 - Angel Art Gallery, Toronto, ON
1983 - Graphica Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1983 - Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB
1983 - James Ulrich Gallery, Calgary, AB
1984 - Angel Art Gallery, Toronto, ON
1985 - Paul Kuhn Fine Art Gallery, Calgary, AB
1986 - Peter Whyte Gallery, Banff, AB
1990 - Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary, AB
1990 - The New Gallery Window Project, Jack Singer Hall, Calgary, AB
1991 - Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary, AB1991 - Ferry Building, West Vancouver, B.C.
1992 - Muttart Public Art Gallery, Calgary, AB
1992 - Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary, AB1992 - Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff, AB
1994 - Bill Laing Constructions 1979-1993, Suncor Gallery, Calgary, AB
1995 - Ubicaciany Translado, Laing/Besant, Instituto Cultural de Provencia, Santiago, Chile
1996 - Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary, AB
1997 - William Laing: A journey – 25 Year Retrospective, The Nickle Arts Museum,  University of Calgary, Alberta
1997 - Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary, Alberta
1997 - S.N.A.P. Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1998 - Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1998 - Charles Scott Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1998 - Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC
1999 - The Prairie Art Gallery, Grande Prairie, Alberta
1999 - Canadian Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2000 - The Bugera / Kmet Galleries, Edmonton, Alberta
2002 - Wallace Galleries, Calgary, Alberta
2003 - Terrain of The Domestic: Bill Laing, Travelling Exhibition, Alberta, developed by the Alberta Society of Artists for The Alberta Foundation for the Arts – Toured 8 venues around Alberta
2004 - Art Ark Gallery, Kelowna, BC
2006 - “Paris”, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2006 - “Bill Laing”, Recent Silkscreen Prints, Malaspina Printmakers Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 - “Paris”, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2006 - “Bill Laing”, Gallery Jingueun, Tokyo, Japan
2008 - "Echo", Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2010 - "Stillness of Things", Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

​2013 -  "Lightfall", Herringer KIss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
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Selected Group Exhibitions:
1970 - British Columbia's Young Contemporary Exhibition, Vancouver, B.C. (Honourable Mention)
1971 - 11th Annual Calgary Graphics Exhibition, Calgary Burnaby Annual Print Show, Vancouver, B.C.
1972 - 12th Annual Calgary Graphics Exhibition, Calgary, AB (First Purchase Prize)
1973 - 7th Burnaby Print Bienniale, Vancouver, B.C. (Purchase Prize)
1974 - Canadian Prinkmakers Showcase, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
1974 - The Society of Canadian Painter-Etchers and Engravers, Montreal, QC
1974 - SCAN 1974, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1975 - Current Energies, British Columbia '75,Art gallery of the Saidye
1975 - Bronfman Centre, Montreal, QC
1975 - Pacific Coast Consciousness, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON
1976 - Spectrum Canada, Montreal, QC
1976 - Imprint, Montreal, QC
1977 - Selections, Glenbow-Alberta Institute, Calgary, AB
1978 - Graphex 6, Art Galleryof Brant, Brantford (purchase Price)
1978 - Surrealism in Canadian Art, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, ON
1978 - 1st Canadian Biennale of Prints and Drawings, Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) Gallery, Calgary, AB
1981 - L'Art misen Boite,Musee D'Art de Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC (Invited Artist)
1981 - Graphic Newfoundland, Burnaby Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1983 - Edge + Image - Frame in Canadian Art, Sir George Williams Art Gallery, Montreal, QC
1983 - Printmaking in British Columbia, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
1986 - Burnaby Print Show 1986, Burnaby Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1987 - A Sense of Place, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
1987 - Tables Turned, Whyte Musemof the Canadian Rockies, Banff, AB
1990 - Printmanking Alberta, Kitchener/Waterloo Gallery, Kitchener, ON
1994 '64-94' - Contemporary Decades, Charles H. Scott Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1996 - A Visual Interlude, The Triangle Gallery, Calgary, AB
1996 - A Visual Interlude, The Triangle Gallery, Calgary, AB
1996 - Canadian Portfolio ’96, University of Windsor, Ontario
1996 - “Ten Year, Ten Works”, A Tenth Anniversary Retrospective, J.B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
1996 - A Natural Fixation Exhibition, Edmonton Centennial Lib. Edmonton, Alberta
1997 - “In Sito, Contemporary Canadian Prints”, McMullen Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1997 - “International Printmaking Cooperatives Exhibition” Sightlines International Symposium, Edmonton, AB
1997 - “Gallerie Largeness World Art”, Issue 15, Toronto, Ontario
1997 - “Art Unleashed”, Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, Vancouver, BC
1998 - “Images and Reflections, 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Artists Circle”, Triangle Gallery, Calgary, AB
1998 - “Moment: Observed Values”, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
1998 - “The Alberta Foundation for the Arts 25th Anniversary Exhibition, Medicine Hat Museum, Alberta
1998 - “Just for the Love of It”, The Shirley and Peter Savage Collection, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1998 - “Calgary in Perspective, The Alberta Foundation for the Art Collects”, Muttart Art Gallery, Calgary, AB
1998 - “The Fourth Annual Great Canadian Printmakers Competition” Ernst & Young, Toronto, Ontario
1999 - “Director’s Choice”, Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary, Alberta
1999 - “Intimate Impressions: Art from Pan America”, SITE Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
1999 - “Collecting Works on Paper”, Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
1999 - “34 at 54: University of Calgary Printmaking Department Millennium Portfolio, Image 54 Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1999 - “Friends and Mentors Revisited”, Muttart Public Art Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2000 - “Arts 2000, A National Celebration of Visual Arts by the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts, Stratford, Ontario
2000 - “Kaleidoscope Artist Circle”, Triangle Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2000 - “Two x Two”, The Bugera/Kmet Galleries, Edmonton, Alberta
2000 - “Garden Works”, Wallace Galleries, Calgary, Alberta
2000 - “SNAP Showcase of Prints Portfolio”, SNAP Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
2000 - “BIMPE 1” 1st International Print Exhibition, Vancouver, BC
2001 - “2001: An Art Odyssey” Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
2001 - “Willy Art”, Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
2002 - “Variety Pack: Pop Art’s Legacy in Canada”, The Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
2002 - “Western Panic”, Art Gallery of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2002 - “Unravel the Sequel”, The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
2002 - “Surface and Mettle” FAB Gallery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
2002 - “From the Collection, Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts”, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
2003 - “New Works”, Wallace Galleries, Calgary, Alberta
2003 - “Faculty Show, Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta
2003 - Japan and Alberta, Invited Exchange Exhibition 20 Artists, Gallery San Chun, Calgary, Alberta
2003 - New Work, The Art Ark Gallery, Kelowna, BC
2003 - Grand Opening of Vertigo Theatre, Calgary (Curator Marybeth Laviolette)
2003 - “Locations: Space, Culture and Identity”, The Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, AB
2003 - “The Millennium Print Portfolio” Mountain Arts Festival, Canmore, Alberta
2004 - “Canadian Fund Exhibition”, Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ontario
2004 - “To the Heart of the City”, City Scapes from the Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary
2004 - “The Alberta Art Foundation for the Arts Celebration”, TransCanada Pipeline Tower, Calgary, Alberta
2005 - “Evolution 80th Anniversary Alumni Exhibition” Emily Carr
2005 - Gallery O.M. Yokohama, Japan
2005 - Celest Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
2005 - St. Pauls Gallery, Gunma, Japan
2005 - J. Trip Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2005 - Nagasaki Peace Museum, Nagasaki, Japan5
2005 - Ino-Cho Paper Museum, Kochi, Japan
2006 - College of Art & Design, Vancouver, BC
2006 -“Seventh, Bharat Bhavan International Biennal of Print Art 2006”, India
2006 -“Biurosmtg Triennial Cracow”, Poland
2006 -“V. Printmaking Festival of Evora 2006”, Portugal
2006 -“10 Artist From The Richmond Art Gallery”, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 -“5th British International Miniature Print Exhibition”, Dumfries, Scotland
2006 -“Bimep IV” Federation Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 -“4th Soeul Space International Print Biennial”, Seoul, Korea
2006 -“Ards Arts Centre”, Conway Square, New Tonards, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2006 -“St. Fergus Gallery”, Davidsons Lane Thurso, Scotland
2006 -“In Print and Phantas Magoria”, Richmond Art gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 -“Royal Society of Painters and Printmakers Annual Exhibition”, Bankside Gallery, London, England
2006 -“Re-Indentification, Contemporary Works from Japan, Canada and the Netherlands”, Glenbow Museum
2006 -Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 -Malaspina Printmakers”, Vancouver, B.C.
2006 -Capilano College, North Vancouver, B.C.
2006 -Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, B.C.
2006 -Fresh Art – Canadian Contemporary Art, Glenbow Museum, Calgary

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Selected International Exhibitions:
1971 - Pratt Institute Miniature Print Show, New York, NY, USA
1972 - 3rd British International Print Biennial, England
1972 - International KunstmesseArt 3'72, Basle, Switzerland
1973 - British Printmakers, Svea Galleriet, Stockholm, Swerden
1973 - 1st British International Drawing Biennial, Middlesborough, England
1973 - BEA Travel Award Show, ICAS Gallery, London, England
1974 - British Printmakers, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, USA
1974 - International Kunstmesse Art 5 '74, Basle, Switzerland
1974 - 5th International Print Biennial, Krakow, Poland
1974 - 2nd New Hampshire International Graphics Annual, USA
1974 - De Young Museum, San Francisco, USA
1975 - 5th International Miniature Print Exhibition, New York, USA
1975 - Graphex 3, Art Gallery of Brant, Brantford (Purchase Prize) DM Gallery, London, England.
1975 - 3rd USA International Graphics Annual, Pennsylvania, USA
1976 - Premio Internazionale Biella Per L'incisione, Italy
1976 - 10th Annual International Biennial Exhibition of Prints, Tokyo, Japan.
1977 - 3rd Miami Graphics Biennial, Miami, Florida, USA
1978 - 7th International Print Bienniale, Krakow Poland
1978 - Other Realities, Canadian Culture Centre, Paris, France
1978 - Los Angeles Printmaking Society, Sixth National print Exhibition, USA
1979 - Mednarodni Graficni Bienale, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
1979 - Cleveland International Drawing Biennale, England
1979 - Art Bank Works at The Adelphi University, The Adelphi University, Long Island, USA
1979 - 4th Miami Graphics Biennial, Miami, Florida, USA
1980 - 7th International Exhibition of Original Drawings, Museum of Modern Art, Rijeka, Yugoslavia (Invited Artist)
1980 - International Impact Art Festival 80, Kyoto, Japan
1980 - Intergrafia 80 - Katowice, Krakow, Poland
1981 - Biennial Americana Dos Artes Graficas, Colombia (invited artist)
1981 - 5th Miami Graphics Biennial, Miami, USA
1982 - Cabo Frio International Print Biennial, Cabo (invited artist)
1982 - 3rd Mini Print Internationale, Cadeques, Spain (Invited artist)
1982 - Drawing 83, Cleveland International Drawing Biennale, England
1982 - Premio Internazionale Biella Per L'incisione 1983, Italy (Invited artist)
1982 - International Print Exhibit Republic of China, Taipei City museum, Taiwan P.R.O.C.
1983 - Bienal Americana Dos Artes Graficas, Columbia
1983 - 4th Mini Print Internationale, Cadeques, Spain
1984 - Fifth International Impact Art Festival, Kyoto, Japan
1984 - Inter-Grafik 84, Verband Bildender Kunstler der DDR, Berlin, Germany
1984 - 1st Biennial International Copy Art, Barcelona, Spain
1984 - Ibiza Graphic 84, Ibiza, Spain
1984 - Tribute to Brigit Skiold Print Portfolio Exhibition, Camden Arts Centre, London
1984 - International Print Exhibition Republic of China, Taipei City Museum, Taiwan PROC
1985 - 6th International Impact Art Festival, Kyoto, Japan
1985 - Invitational Touring Exhibition, Australia/New Zealand
1985 - Contemporary Canadian Prints from Alberta, Svea Galleret, Stockholm, Sweden
1985 - U.S.A. Papelarte, Works on Paper; Salvador-Bahia, Brazil
1986 - 38th North American Print Exhibition, Decordova Museum, Lincoln, USA
1986 - 4th Festival Dea Arts Du Pacifique, New Caledonia
1986 - Grafikkaa Albertasha, Galeria Harmonia, jyvaskyla, Sweden
1986 - 12th International Prints in Kanagawa '86, Japan
1987 - Inter-Grafik 87, Verband Bildender Kunstler der DDR, Berlin, Germany (invited artist)
1987 - 17th International Biennial of Graphic Art, Ljubliana, Yugoslavia
1988 - 11th International Exhibition of Original Drawings, Museum of Modern Art, Rijeka, Yugoslavia
1988 - The 6th Seoul International Print Biennale, Seoul, Korea
1989 - Male Formy Grafiki, Polska-Lodz 89, Poland
1989 - 18th International Biennial of Graphic Art, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
1989 - 9th Norwegian Interantional Print Biennale, Norway (honourable Mention)
1990 - Art LA 90, 5th International Contemporary Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA
1990 - Studio Erte Jazdecka, Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovakia
1990 - Art of Today #3, Buda Castle palace Building, Budapest, Hungary
1991 - 19th International Biennial of Graphic Art, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
1991 - International Print Exhibition Miniature 6, Galleri Gamlebyen, Fredrikstad, Norway (invited artist)
1991 - Correo Para El Intercambio Des Pesquenasestamps, Cuba (invited artist)
1991 - IV Biennial Exhibition of Small Graphical Forms, Ostrow, Weilkopolsk, Poland
1992 - International Biennial Exhibition Portrait Drawing '92, Tusla, Yugoslavia
1992 - The International Miniature Print Biennial, Seoul, Korea
1992 - 10th International Exhibition of Graphic Art, Frechen, Germany
1992 - 8th Monstra Internazionale Di Grafica, Cantania, Italy (invited artist)
1992 - Mednarodni Graficni Bienale, Ljubljana, Slovenija (invited artist)
1993 - The 5th Biennial Exhibition of Printis in Wakayama, Japan
1993 - International Print Biennale, Varna, Bulgaria
1993 - Twenty Second Annual Works on Paper Exhibtion, South West Texas  University, USA
1993 - 20th International Biennial of Graphic Art; Ljubljana, Slovenija
1994 - 1994 International Print Biennial, The Silvermine Guild, Connecticut, USA
1994 - International Triennial of Graphic Art, Bitola, Republic of Macedonia Ibiza Grafic 94, Ibiza, Spain
1995 - Norwegian International Print Triennale, Fredrikstad, Norway
1995 - Alternative Photgravure, Graphic Studio/university of South Florida, USA
1995 - Absolut Secret, Royal College of Art, London, England
1996 - 11th International Exhibition of Graphic Art, Frechen, Germany
1996 - Canadian Portfolio '96, Southern Graphics Council, West Virginia, USA
1995-1996 - Luihaisu Art Museum, Shanghai, China
1996 - 11th International Exhibition of Graphic Art, Frechen, Germany
1996 - Canadian Portfolio '96, Southern Graphics Council, West Virginia, USA
1996 - IV Biennial Internacional De Grabado, Spain
1996 - International Triennial of Graphic Art, Bitola, Republic of Macedonia
1996 - International Biennial of Graphic Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1997 - International Print Triennial 97, Krakow, Poland
1997 - 9th International Print Biennial, Varna, Bulgaria
1997 - “Print Types, Abilene Texas University, Abilene, USA
1998 - Triennial, KraKow-Nuremberg 98, Nuremberg, Germany
1998 - International Print in Kanagawa 98, Japan
1998 - “World Print Survey”, Truman State University, Missouri, USA
1998 - Bienal Internacional de Grabado, Orense, Espana
1999 - Triennale 100Miast Redum Muzeum Sztuki Wspotczesneg, Poland
1999 - Triennale 100Miast Muzeum Sztuki Wpotczesneg, Krakow, Poland
1999 - Deutche International Grafik Triennale, Frechen, Germany
1999 - Bienal Internacional de Grabado, Orense, Espana
1999 - International Triennial, Rio De Janeiro, Museu De Arte Moderna Do Rio De Janeriro, Brazil
1999 - 4th British International Miniature Print Exhibition” Bankside Gallery, London,  England
2000 - “Triennial – Krakow 2000”, Krakow, Poland
2000 - “Canada/Japan 2nd TAMA International Print Exhibition”, Tokyo, Japan
2000 - “WG Kunst / WG Expozaal”, Amsterdam, Holland
2000 - “Shin Oh ! No Dera Exhibition”, J2 Gallery, Kawaguchi, Kawaguchi-shi, Japan
2000 - “The Sharjah Arts Museum, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
2000 - “Sixth International Biennial of Minature Arts, The Cultural Centre, Goring, Milanovac, Yugoslavia
2000 - “VI Bienal Internacional De Grabado 2000”, Spain
2000 - “International Print Triennal Krakow 2000”, Krakow, Poland
2001 - “The Third Engraving Biennial of Ile-De-France”, Versailles, France
2001 - “Extension/Maxi Graphica” Exhibition, Kyoto, Municiple Museum of Art, Kyoto, Japan
2001 - “The Boston Printmakers North American Print Exhibition”, Boston, Mass. USA
2001 - “World Award Winners Gallery”, Intergrafia, Czetochowa, Poland
2001 - “Triennial 100 Cities 2001-2003” Katowice, Poland
2001 - “Maxi Graphica Satelite” Gallery Coco, Contemporary Art, Kyoto, Japan