Bly Kaye is a Canadian artist whose work reflects a lifelong engagement with the handmade and the expressive potential of humble materials. Born in Montreal into a family with a strong artistic lineage, she grew up in an environment where creativity was part of daily life. In her early teens she moved to the Okanagan Valley, where the dramatic shifts of the seasons, the warmth of the landscape, and the closeness to nature left a lasting impression on her visual vocabulary.

Bly studied at Neuchatel Junior College in Switzerland before completing coursework in design and printmaking at the Vancouver School of Art (now Emily Carr University). She later earned a degree in Education from the University of British Columbia, grounding her practice in both creative and pedagogical traditions. Over the years, she has explored painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving, textiles, paper-mâché, and mixed materials — a wide-ranging foundation that eventually led her to collage, the medium she has pursued with focus for more than a decade.

Today, Bly’s collages weave together colour, texture, pattern, and memory. She often works in response to the landscapes around her: the wet, atmospheric winters of the Gulf Islands, the luminescent palette of spring, the vividness of summer, and the earthy richness of fall. Travel, particularly throughout Canada and Mexico, has also informed her imagery. As she describes it, her work is “invariably tied to locale,” capturing both the physical atmosphere and emotional tone of a place.

Bly has lived on Salt Spring Island for over thirty-five years with her husband, artist Garry Kaye. Her son, Graham Kaye, is also a graduate of Emily Carr, continuing the family’s creative lineage. Community-minded and passionate about teaching, Bly has led workshops and classes for youth and adults in a wide range of materials and contexts. She continues to teach alongside her studio practice, finding joy in guiding others toward their own creative discoveries.

Her artwork has appeared in numerous exhibitions across Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island, including Gallery 8, ArtSpring, Artcraft, Kootenay Gallery, Mary Winspear Centre, and various community venues. Bly’s illustrations have also appeared in published works, including Memento: A Coastal Recipe Treasure and Days to Remember, showcasing her ability to blend visual art with storytelling.

Bly Kaye’s collages are held in private collections throughout British Columbia and across Canada. For her, working as a full-time artist is both a privilege and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream — a continuation of the creative energy she has carried since childhood.

“Throughout my practice I’ve moved through many mediums — painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving, and paper-based materials. About ten years ago I began exploring collage, and it continues to offer new ways to work with colour, texture, and memory. My art is tied to locale, shaped by the seasons and landscapes of home and my travels through Canada and Mexico.”

EDUCATION

University of British Columbia — Education / Teaching
Vancouver School of Art (Emily Carr Institute) — Design & Printmaking
Neuchatel Junior College, Switzerland — Arts & Humanities

EXHIBITIONS

2023/24 — Parallel Art Show PAS Finalist, Salt Spring Island, BC

Solo Exhibitions

2003 — Solo Exhibition, Barb’s Buns Bakery, Salt Spring Island
1999–2001 — Solo Exhibitions, Island Savings Credit Union, Salt Spring Island
1999–2001 — Solo Exhibitions, Barb’s Buns Bakery, Salt Spring Island
1999–2001 — Bly & Graham Kaye Exhibition, Moby’s Pub, Salt Spring Island

Two-Person Exhibitions

2007 — Beyond Black & White: CRE8IVITY, ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island
2006 — Bly Kaye & Garry Kaye, Kootenay Gallery, British Columbia
2002 — Bly & Garry Kaye Exhibition, Moby’s Pub, Salt Spring Island
(Some groupings list Bly & Garry Kaye at Moby’s in multiple years — this CV retains first appearance, but I can separate by year if preferred.)

EXHIBITIONS — GROUP (Chronological)

2010

Symbolically 8, Gallery 8, Grace Point Square, Salt Spring Island

2009

Sidney Fine Arts Show, Sidney, BC
J. Mitchell Gallery, Grace Point Square, Salt Spring Island

2007

Beyond Black & White: CRE8IVITY, ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island

2006

CRE-8-IVITY: 8 Artists, 8 Visions, Artcraft, Mahon Hall, Salt Spring Island
e:Motion2, Community Art Show, ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island

2005

CRE8IVITY, McPherson Theatre, Victoria, BC
DIVERSITY, Stage Gallery Group Exhibition, Artcraft, Salt Spring Island
Glass Onion / Barb’s Buns Bakery, Group Show, Salt Spring Island

2004

CRE8IVITY, Mary Winspear Theatre, Sidney, BC
Parallel-to-Bateman, ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island
Continuum Show, ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island
Moby’s Pub, Bly & Garry Kaye Exhibition, Salt Spring Island
Art Now, Beaver Point Hall, Salt Spring Island

2003

Art Now, Beaver Point Hall, Salt Spring Island
Artists in the Garden, Salt Spring Island

2002

Moby’s Pub, Bly & Garry Kaye Exhibition, Salt Spring Island
Art Now, Beaver Point Hall, Salt Spring Island

1999–2001

Alliance of Salt Spring Artists, Group Exhibitions, Salt Spring Island

PUBLICATIONS & ILLUSTRATION WORK

2012

Memento: A Coastal Recipe Treasure

Illustrations by Bly Kaye, Magic Cottage Creations (3rd printing) ISBN 978-0-9865116-0-8

2010

Days to Remember: An Anniversary Book of Dates

Drawings by Bly Kaye Magic Cottage Creations ISBN 978-0-9865116-1-5

COLLECTIONS

Private collections throughout British Columbia and across Canada.