Who Am I?

Let your dreams
be your wings

I am Jacquie Potvin Boucher, an eccentric free-spirit, passionate about helping people return home to their inner knowing.

I am an Autistic Indigenous artist with Cree & Red River Metis roots along with a bit of Irish. Proud Member of Metis Nation of Canada. I arrived in Nova Scotia 25+ years ago to achieve my Bachelor of Design at NSCAD University and studied Psychology at Dalhousie University and Athabasca University. I went onto achieve my Masters in Counselling Psychology with Yorkville University. I have always believed Art and Psychology go hand in hand – both as a way of expressing ourselves and to understand our thoughts and others’ creative perspectives.

I am a published author of several mental health self-help guides and scholarly articles in mental health literacy among adolescents and First Nations children (publications listed below). My life centers around the Indigenous Holistic healing ways including that of art and nature.

I am also a Licensed Clinical Therapist with my own private practice empowering individuals through an Indigenous perspective, which looks at neurodivergent individuals as those we can learn from. Through this lens it's about acceptance, respect and reconnecting to nature.

I am a self-taught painter with a passion for painting clouds with visions from my ancestors and guiding spirits. Through a meditative painting process I connect with the universe where time and space meet and shadows are nonexistent. During this creative exploration I gain insight into the world around me, and the lives that walked before us, guiding me as to where I am from and where I may be going.

I have been a professional artist since 2009 with my paintings currently hanging in public and private galleries across Canada and the United States.

Current Gallery Affiliations

Teichert Gallery, Halifax
Eastern Shore Gallery, Head of Jedorre, Nova Scotia
Northern Sun Gallery, Mahone Bay
Made in the Maritimes, Halifax

Art Shows

Teichert Gallery, Annual Group Show, Halifax, October 2023
“Tali Ktantutes Mimajuaqan// How Do I Live Here?”, Indigenous Group Show, Chase Gallery, Halifax, June 2022
Omnipresent, Solo Exhibit, Chester Art Centre, January 2022
“Tali Ktantutes Mimajuaqan// How Do I Live Here?”, IceHouse Gallery, Tatamagouche, March 6-30, 2021
Preshrunk, Argyle Fine Art Gallery, January – February 2021
Preshrunk, Argyle Fine Art Gallery, January – February 2020
Ten Squared Exhibit, Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver, December 2019
Truro Hall Permanent Collection, 2019
Truro Art Acquisition Show, McCarthy Art Gallery, November 2019
Feature Artist, Tantallon Library, November 2019
Feature Artist, NovelTea Cafe, Truro, March 2019
Hammonds Plains Community Centre, Commissioned Lead Art Project/Show, February 2018 - Present 2019
PreShrunk, Argyle Fine Art Gallery, January – February 2019
White Point Beach Resort, Mi'Kmaq Mawiomi, October 2018
Teichert Gallery, Annual Group Show, Halifax, October 2018
Northern Sun Gallery, Mahone Bay, NS, July 2018 to present.
Sipukel Gallery, Liverpool, NS, May 2018 to present.
Truro Art Acquisition Show, McCarthy Art Gallery, April 2018
ArtBomb Daily, April 2018 & June 2018
Mystery Art Show for Adsum House, Argyle Fine Art Gallery, March 2018
Hygee, Argyle Fine Art Gallery, February 2018
Made in the Maritimes Fine Art Gallery, Artist Supplier February 2018 to present
PreShrunk, Argyle Fine Art Gallery, January – February 2018
Underpinnings, 130 years of NSCAD, Anna Leonowens Gallery, November 2017
Avondale Art Fair, June 2017
Halifax Timeraiser, June 2017
Parrsborro Lighthouse Project, NS, Summer 2016
Winding River Art Gallery, Stewiack, NS, May 2015 – December 2015
Do you see what I see, Winding River Art Gallery, Stewiack, NS, August 2015

Commissioned & Collections

60+ Private Commissioned paintings across Canada
Wishing Stones Art Gallery, Tancook, NS
Private, Nunavut
Tancook Island School, NS

Authorship/Publications

Scholarly Journal Articles:

Potvin-Boucher, J.T., Malone, J.L., (July 2014). Facilitating Mental Health Literacy: Targeting Canadian First Nations Youth. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Potvin-Boucher, J.T., Kutcher, S., Szumilas, M., Sheikh, T. (November 2010). Transitions: A mental health literacy program for post-secondary students. Journal of College and Student Development.

Books and guides:

Transitions – Student Reality Check, 2007
Transitions Second Edition, 2013
My Parent Has a (insert specific type) Mental Illness, 2011.
Teen Transitions, currently in revisions.
My brother sister/has a mental illness – a guide for young people age 11-16, 2009.
My brother/sister has a mental illness – a guide for young people age 17-24, 2009.
Are you coping with suicidal thoughts? 2009.
Mental Health First Aid, 2008.
Psychosis & Substance Use, 2008.

Anchor 1

Let your dreams be your wings

Who am I?

Let your dreams
be your wings