Harreson Tanner
Harreson was born in Ottawa Ontario into a family of French-
Irish heritage that produced generations of wood carvers and
artisans. He studied at the Ottawa School of Art, and has
been sculpting for the past 25 years. Making his home in the
Yukon (Whitehorse) for the past 9 yrs, he is immersed in an
art community that "one could only dream of". He says of his
work- "My sculpture is primarily masks and busts of historical
figures and ceremonial images of various cultures. The style
is interpretative and intuitive, which allows the essence of the
subject to dominate. The primary medium is clay as well as
some works in bronze, and finishes range from waxes and
organic dyes to traditional ceramic glazes. I create works
that are both tactile and visual, thus I experience the joy that
comes from releasing a creation from its coarse bonds."
• Artists in Our Midst: '99-'01, Board of Directors
• Kitsilano Community Centre, Board of Directors: Chair,
Arts Committee: '00-'01
• Yukon Arts Society, Board Member: '02-'03
• Yukon Artists @ Work, Chair: '03-'08 member 09 to 11
• Arts Space North, Board Member: ’04-’09
• Gov’t of Yukon, Arts Advisory Council: ’04-‘10
• Tourism Industry Association(TIA) Cultural Facilities rep.
In early 09 he partnered with art entrepreneur Nerissa
Rosati, as Curator of a new Gallery, Copper Moon,
displaying the works of many First Nations, community
based artists and Northern artists .
• Artists in Our Midst: 04/99 – 04/01
• Vancouver Outdoor Exhibit: 07/99
• BC Festival of the Arts: 05/00
• Langley Outdoor Art Exhibition: 06/00
• Art for Life: 06/00
• Vancouver AIDS Memorial Show: 07/00
• Filberg Festival: 08/00
• VanDusen Christmas Show: 12/00, 12/01
• Batoche Gallery, Quadra Island: "Historical First Nations
Canadians": 00-02
• Yukon Art Society Gallery: 02, 03
• Arts In The Park; 03, 06, 08
• Yukon Arts Centre YAAW Exhibit ”With these Hands”: 06
• Yukon Artists @ Work Gallery: 03-11
• Guest Artist at the Great Northern Arts Festival,
Inuvik: 08, 09
• The Reach Gallery Museum, Abbottsford: Exhibitor and
Presenter 06-09/09
Works in private collections in Nunavut, Yukon, B.C.,
Saskatchewan' Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Oklahoma
feature:
• Mother Theresa
• Ghandi
• Sir Winston Churchill
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Geronimo
• Musqueam Chief Joe Sparling
• Haida Artist, Bill Reid
Commissions include:
• A bust of R.J. Filberg, commissioned by the Filberg
Festival, Comox, BC to honor his philanthropic
contribution to the visual and performing arts community
of Vancouver Island.
• In 2007, the faces of well-known Gwitchin Elders Annie
and Joe Henry were commissioned and mounted in
bronze on the Dempster Highway in the northern Yukon.
• In July`08 Harreson was commissioned to do 15 masks
in honor of Artists , Administrators and Volunteers with a
history of involvement in the Great Northern Arts Festival
as part of the festivals 20 year anniversary.
• In Jan. 2010 Harreson was commissioned to do a bronze
bust of Writer Jack London By Rolf and Margaret Hougen
which was unveiled on Main Street ,Whitehorse in
November 2010.
International Project and Local Projects:
• a collaboration with five Yukon Artists, five Siberian
Master Artists and five Nenets First Nation Artists in the
creation of a 12 foot high multi-media sculpture. The
sculpture “Shaman” is on display in Yamal, Salekhard,
Siberia.
• Marketing board member for the Longest Day
Streetfest.(05,06)
• The creation of” Art From The Heart Society” and the
development with others of the Artist Relief Fund.
• Development of The “Culture Cruiser “ project to show
case the cultural facilities of Whitehorse
• Weekly CBC Radio Spot with Al Cushing called
ARTSCHAT `10 and `11
19-100 Lewes Blvd.
Whitehorse
Yukon, Canada
Y1A 3W1
Phone Number: 1-867-456-4865
Email Address: harresontanner@artlover.com
Visit Harreson Tanner at www.yaaw.com