Gallery Artist
ARTIST: Dakota Ray Hebert
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Dene from English River FN
LOCATION: Saskatoon, originally from Meadow Lake
INFLUENCES: Norval Morriseau, 50s atomic art, 60s psychedelia
BIO: Dakota Ray is an actor/comedian/writer/painter on the rise.
She has recently found success in her venture as a Painter. Folks have become fans of her alien characters Monty and Mortimer, Bigfoot, and her atomic-art-meets-Morriseau Kitty-Kat clock. She regularly depicts her characters in situations and locations ranging from silly to sweet. Dakota just finished her first ever mural, and is now pursuing mural work in addition to her commissions.
On the small screen, Dakota co-stars in the CTV comedy SHELVED (available to stream on Crave) about a handful of smart and quirky characters who work at and inhabit a small, local library. She also co-hosts the informative and entertaining APTN series CRAZY LIKE A LYNX, alongside Indigenous comedian Don Kelly. In addition, you can see Dakota on this season’s RUN THE BURBS on CBC, as well as ROAST BATTLE CANADA, also on Crave.
Dakota is an accomplished stand-up comedian. She has performed across Canada, the US and Mexico. She has performed at the first Arctic Comedy Festival in Iqaluit and the first Drew McLean Comedy Festival in Kamloops, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and sold out her 2022 headlining run at JUST FOR LAUGHS TORONTO. Dakota can be seen on JFL/CBC’s television show COMEDY NIGHT WITH RICK MERCER. Her first comedy album, “I’ll Give You An Indian Act” is out and available for purchase, and can be streamed on all platforms. She is currently working on her second album TRAILER TREASURE. Dakota also just wrapped her performance at JUST FOR LAUGHS MONTREAL as part of New Faces: Canada, and will be hosting Joke Signals at JUST FOR LAUGHS TORONTO. In addition, you’ll be able to hear her as part of CBC’s THE DEBATERS in a few short months!
Always in demand, Dakota has several television shows in development, writing, co-writing and consulting on. The contracts she can talk about are CTV’s SHELVED and CBC’s ZARQA.
On the big screen, Dakota starred in the fantastic feature film, RUN WOMAN RUN, produced by Big Soul Productions, and written and directed by Zoe Hopkins. Her outstanding performance won her the Best Actress Award at the 2021 American Indian Film Festival. It opened wide in theatres March 2022 and is currently streaming on Crave and CBC Gem.
Be sure to follow this Dene busybody on Facebook and Insta. She’s up to her beaded earrings in work, and loves to share what she’s up to!
