Jay Havens is a multi-media 2Spirit artist, educator, and collaborator of Kanien’keha:ka(Haudenosaunee) and Scottish Canadian ancestry. Havens was born on lands known as the Haldimand Tract and raised on Unceded Sto:lo and Musqueam lands close to Vancouver, Canada. They are a scenographer with experience in site-specific performance and installation, murals, projection and mixed media artworks for galleries, museums, and public spaces.Havens’ practice embraces re-learning the ways of Onkwehon:we (original peoples)and their research has focused on Indigenous Methods of Knowledge-building applied to creative and logistical processes of scenography. Jay has a BFA from the University of British Columbia,Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing and MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Over their 19-year career project highlights include projection mapping a Haudenosaunee longhouse on Stratford City Hall, a floating artwork in the Toronto harbour called The Peacemaker’s Canoe and a mural on the windows of the Vancouver Opera house. Several of Jay's sculptural weavings can be found in the collections at the New York State Museum and he is currently designing public artworks for sites throughout Southern Ontario. Jay can also be found collaborating to design sets and costumes for professional stage companies such as Caravan Farm, Centaur or Axis Theatre and joined the University of Waterloo, Department of Communication Arts in January 2023 as Assistant Professor teaching scenography and design thinking courses. Havens is a member of The Associated Designers of Canada (IATSE 659) and CARFAC. He is a proud citizen of the Mohawk, Bear Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River.
Personal Webpage : www.jayhavens.me
Prague Quadrennial of Scenography 2023 – Canada / A Carrying Vessel