Education / Experience
1992-1995 Fine Arts Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1987-1988 Department of Art, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN
1987-2024 Professional Music Performance, Touring, and Recording
1985-1991 Luthier Apprentice, Violin Technician, String Repair Luthier at The Violin Clinic and Scherl & Roth, Elkhart, IN
1985-1987 Western Swing Violin, mentor Rocky Stone
1983-1985 Elkhart County Sypmphony Orchestra, Elkhart, IN
1973-1985 Classical Violin, private study
Upcoming Exhibitions / Continuing Projects
2024 Solo Exhibit in Oct 2024 at The Arts Federation Truitt Gallery, Lafayette, IN
2017 – Present “People Who Live Alone” Portrait Project: an inclusive view of solo
living through drawings, conversations, and gathered stories.
Collaborations
2021 Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts in partnership with Greenbelt Land Trust.
Featured visual artist for Art On The Land, a project benefiting the Chuush Fund and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
2017 Greenbelt Land Trust, Music On The Land, a live improvised performance with looped, amplified violin celebrating the Bald Hill Natural Area and Farm.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=216584522714801
2016 Huntress Quartet, Raven Chacon, and Grand Canyon Music Festival Native
American Composer Apprenticeship Project, performance and live recording
installation for SITE Santa Fe Biennial exhibit much wider than a line, Santa Fe, NM
2006-2017 Death Convetion Singers and Raven Chacon (Pulitzer Prize, McArthur Genius Fellow), a collaborative art and performance collective, New Mexico.
2001-2003 Boxhead Ensemble, live improvised soundtrack performance collective with Michael Krassner, Glenn Kotche, Mick Turner, Jim White, Will Oldham, Ken Vandermark, Fred Lonberg-Holm, and others.
1997-1999 Emergency String Quartet, improvisational Chicago quartet with real-time live recording and digital augmentation.
Commissions / Awards / Permanent Collections
2023 The Tree, woodblock print, The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette Permanent
Collection Purchase Award, Indiana Now 2023 juried exhibition, Lafayette, IN
2022 Suzie Coles Memorial Scholarship Award, The Arts Federation, Lafayette, IN
2022 The Tree, woodblock print, Speedball Arts Permanent Collection, Statesville, NC
2022 Speedball Arts Alumni Scholarship for BIG INK
2022 Gratitude, exclusive woodcut print edition commissioned by Lane Arts Council, Eugene, OR
2021 Fender's Blue and Two Horses, exclusive woodcut print for Art On The Land, in partnership with Greenbelt Land Trust and sponsored by the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts. This project benefited the Chuush Fund and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
2020 Finalist for the Oregon Cultural Trust's license plate redesign, nominated by the Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
2016 Awarded Liftetime Membership as an Exhibition Artist at SITE Santa Fe, NM
Selected Exhibitions / Collaborations / Art Performances
2023 Indiana Now 2023, The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Lafayette, IN
2023 BIG INK, The Gibson Gallery, SUNY, Potsdam, NY
2023 What A Relief!, Cannon Gallery of Art, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR
2021 What Will Nature Do, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
2021 Arts Alive!, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
2021 Mysticism in Time of Covid, Joan Truckenbrod Pop-Up Gallery, Corvallis, OR
2020 Wooden Storytellers, Spokane Arts Chase Gallery, Spokane, WA
2020 Six Women Printing, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
2019 Essential Woodcut, Corrine Woodman Gallery, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
2018 BIG INK II, Bend Art Center, Bend, OR
2018 Arts Alive!, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR, People Who Live Alone Project
2018 Studio Without Walls, Art City Eugene, Eugene, OR, Improvisational
performance
2018 Howland Community OPEN Exhibition, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
2016 The P.I. Project: A Speakeasy Performance, 516 Arts, Albuquerque, NM
2016 much wider than a line, SITE Santa Fe Biennial, Santa Fe, NM, Huntress Quartet performance and recording with Raven Chacon and the Native American Composer Apprenticeship Project
2016 Lightning Speak: Solo and Collaborative Work of Raven Chacon, Johnson Gallery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Collaborator
2015 An Evening Redness in the West, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM, Death Convention Singers: collaborative art installation and exhibition performance
2015 Gatas y Vatas 4, Gatas y Vatas Women’s Festival, Albuquerque, NM
2004 Series Two and Three, Brooklyn Fire Proof Gallery and Naked Duck Gallery,
Brooklyn, NY
2002 Tiny Art, Hothouse Gallery, Chicago, IL
1999 Bride of No No, New Bird and Gnomes, Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
1994 Women in Art, Women’s Cultural Arts Festival, Purdue University, West
Lafayette, IN
1988 10th Juried Regional Exhibit, Midwest Museum of American Art, Elkhart, IN
Selected Solo Exhibits
2020 People Who Live Alone, Studio 2 O 4, Corvallis, OR
2019 Antler Family: Year 17, Studio 2 O 4, Corvallis, OR
2011 Antler Family, Blackbird Buvette, Albuquerque, NM
2008 City Kids Country Killers, Blackbird Buvette, Albuquerque, NM
2002 Go Seers, Rainbo Club, Chicago, IL
2001 Rivertors, Rainbo Club, Chicago, IL
1999 Chalk Talk, Rainbo Club, Chicago, IL
1991 Watson-Crick Gallery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Residencies
2022 BIG INK juried print residency at Whiteaker Printmakers, Eugene, OR
2018 BIG INK juried print residency at Whiteaker Printmakers, Eugene, OR
2015 Performance Residency at Raven Chacon's Spirit Abuse/Postcommodity Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2006 Muted Tones Curator Series Volume 4, Tense Forms, Artist Residency, Chicago, IL
Films / Live Soundtracks
2005-2015 Lionhead Bunny, live improvisational soundtrack and multimedia performance duo, Chicago, IL, and Albuquerque, NM
2006 Rabidt Manifestor, Stopmotion film for Tense Forms: Muted Tones Curator
Series with collaborative, improvised soundtrack with Raven Chacon, members of Death Convention Singers, and more http://tenseforms.com/tones/v4/feb06/
2003 Windows and City Drivers, Animated painting for Bonnevill multimedia performances and tours, US
2000 Angels, Horses, and Street Lights, Animated painting, Underground Film
Festival, Chicago, IL, screened with live, improvised soundtrack performance with members of Boxhead Ensemble
1999 Road Travelers, Tour film for Bonnevill tours and performances, US, Europe, and Australia
1997 Dutch Harbor: Where The Sea Breaks It's Back, Boxhead Ensemble, live
improvised accompaniment for film tour, US
Murals
2004 Unlocking the Future: Four Windows on Time, Jimtown Intermediate School, Elkhart, IN
2004 Golden Horse Ranch Ghost of a Barn Dance, Open End Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003 Saltwater Fish in a Pixilated Ocean, Jimtown Elementary South, Elkhart, IN
2002 Heron Alcove, Private Residence, Elkhart, IN
1998 Bonsai Landscape, Kehoe Design Studios, Chicago, IL
1995 Wildlife, Animals, and a Starry Sky, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Cover Art / Journals / Art Books
2022 Willawaw Journal, Featured Artist, Edition 14, Editor Rachel Barton
https://willawawjournal.com/category/journal/spring-2022-issue-14/#
2020 Night Skiing, Book cover, Skiing and the Poetry of Snow by John Frohnmayer (Luminare Press 2020)
2014 The Gathering Tree, CD cover art, Let Us Get Together by Fox & Branch
(Doodleywag Records)
2012 Jerusalem Cricket, Album art, DCS by Death Convention Singers (SickSickSick Distro)
2008 Firebird, CD and LP Album art, Firebird by The Grave of Nobody’s Darling (Seven Card)
2001 Angel No. 8, Album art, Pelican by Bonnevill, (Bella Union, England)
1999 Dog Catcher/Cow Skull, CD cover art, Tigermoth by Bonnevill (Travels in
Contants)
1999 Blood Red Moon, Album art, Marlan Rosa by Mick Turner (Drag City)
1998 Bronco, CD cover art, Outrider by Disaster Action Team (King Mouser)
1996 Rolodex Ride, Vinyl 45 cover art, Stop Me Search Me by the Velmas (Sweetpea Records)
1996 Safe as Houses, CD cover art, Landscrapes by the Velmas, (Beluga Records)
1995 Bel Air, Vinyl 45 cover art, Bel Air by the Velmas (ThrowRug Records)
1993 Where We Come From, Where We Belong, Art book featuring poetry by Amy Jo Swing
1990-1995 Poster Artist for Guru Java performance space, West Lafayette, IN
Selected Press / Published Articles
2023 "Why I Draw People Who Live Alone", The Living Well Alone Project
https://livingwellalone.com/2023/03/21/people-who-live-alone/
2023 "The Road to Madness: The Dangers of Touring and How Musicians Cope", by James Reich, Spin Magazine
https://www.spin.com/2023/01/how-musicians-cope-on-tour/
2021 “Art on the Land: Jessica Billey and the Fender's Blue Butterfly”
https://oregonlandtrusts.org/art-on-the-land-jessica/
2020 “Corvallis Arts Walk Spotlight”, Corvallis Gazette Times
https://gazettetimes.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/corvallis-arts-walk-spotlight-billeys-work-explores-parameters-of-alone/article_0140e8de-65f2-5224-87bf-f67dd63fdbf9.html
2019 Ravenous Blooms featured in “Big Ink”, the Hand Magazine
https://www.bigink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/BIG-INK-Interview-The-Hand-Magazine.pdf
2017 "Best String Player: Best of Burque", Alibi, Albuquerque, NM
https://alibi.com/feature/best-of-burque-music-2017-aces/
2016 "Native composer Raven Chacon helps Indian students create musical pieces for string performance", Albuquerque Journal
https://sitesantafe.org/event/site-center-string-quartet-performance-raven-chacon/
2015 “Death Convention Singers, Collaborative Performance Collective centered in Albuquerque, NM”, Hyperallergic
https://hyperallergic.com/231914/native-american-artists-envision-a-sublime-apocalypse/
Selected Concerts / Festivals / Music Performances
2023 Dead Ash Festival, West Lafayette, IN
2023 Fiddlers Gathering, Black Rock Serenaders, Battleground, IN
2023 "Improv Fiddle" and "Tai Chi for Musicians" Workshop Instructor, Fiddlers Gathering, Battleground, IN
2023 The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette Friday Night Live, Featured solo performer, Lafayette, IN
2022 Dead Ash Festival, Black Rock Serenaders, West Lafayette, IN
2022 Art on the Wabash, Featured solo musician, West Lafayette, IN
2019 Noise Fest, Featured solo artist, Corvallis, OR
2018 Noise Fest, Featured solo artist, Corvallis, OR
2017 Music On The Land, Greenbelt Land Trust, Corvallis, OR
2016 SITE Santa Fe Biennial, Huntress Quartet, Santa Fe, NM
2007 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Mekons, San Francisco, CA
2006 Bumbershoot, Mekons, Seattle, WA
2003 SXSW, Nicolai Dunger, Austin, TX
2002 BBC Peel Session, Bill Callahan/Smog, London
2002 Milly's Orchid Show, Mekons, Chicago, IL
2000 SXSW, Fergus Daly and Disaster Action Team, Austin, TX
1998 SXSW, Moonshine Willy, Austin, TX
1991 Fiddler's Gathering, Battleground, IN
Selected Music Groups / Tours
The Grave of Nobody's Darling, US
The Velmas, US
Death Convention Singers / Raven Chacon, US
Nicolai Dunger, US, Europe, Canada
Bill Callahan / Smog, US, Europe, Canada
Boxhead Ensemble, US
Lightbox Orchestra, US
Simon Joyner, US
Paramount Styles / Scott McCloud, US
Mekons, US
Sally Timms, US
Bonnevill, US, Australia
Mick Turner, US, Europe, Australia
Fergus Daly, US
Tren Brothers & Sister, US, Europe, Australia
Golden Horse Ranch Dance Band, US
Lofty Pillars, US
Bric-a-Brac, US
Moonshine Willy, US
Disaster Action Team, US
Music Discography
Thee Conductor, Spirit of a Ghost (Spaceflight Records, 2021)
Death Convention Singers, A Thread, A Braid (Sick sick sick, 2020)
Crazy Doberman, Free LSD (Radical Documents, 2017)
Black Tie, A Bird That Returns (Black Tie, 2015)
Phantom Lake, Corey's Cove/Cleopatra (Phantom Lake, 2015)
Fergus Daly and Disaster Action Team, Jackie and Ryan (Entertainment One, 2014)
Death Convention Singers, Death Convention Singers (Sick sick sick, 2012)
Phantom Lake, Pineforest Demos (Phantom Lake, 2011)
Blue Rose Ramblers, Scrapwood (Seven Card, 2010)
Rollerboudler, Girl Fight Vol. 1 (Tetractys, 2010)
Dirty/Birdies, the Birdie Box (Sick sick sick, 2009)
Lowlights, Further/Free (Darla Records, 2009)
The Grave of Nobody's Darling, Firebird (Seven Card, 2008)
Death Convetion Singers, Corrido (Sick sick sick, 2008)
COBRA//GROUP, Brujas (Sick sick sick, 2008)
Trilobite, Trilobite (Catamount, 2008)
Lionhead Bunny, Frontier (Seven Card, 2008)
Mick Turner/Tren Brothers, Blue Trees (Drag City, 2007)
Holy 8BIT Night, 8bit Xmas! (VORC, 2007)
COBRA//GROUP, Covers EP (Sick sick sick, 2007)
Death Convention Singers/Dirty Birdies, split 7” (Sick sick sick, 2007)
Dirty Birdies, Nalined Lament (Sick sick sick, 2007)
Lionhead Bunny, the Purple Death (Sick sick sick, 2007)
Tren Bros, Blue Trees (Drag City, 2007)
Lionhead Bunny, the Wolf Looks Down (Seven Card, 2006)
COBRA//GROUP, //Locas (Sick sick sick/Postdawn Nurseries, 2006)
The Blind Robbins, Panorama Valley (Rolling Blackout, 2006)
Slow Planet, Leave the Rest for Science (Tight Ship, 2005)
Mekons, Punk Rock (Quarterstick, 2004)
Boxhead Ensemble, Quartets (Atavistic, 2003)
Veery, Casa Demos (Seven Card, 2003)
Mayday, I Know Your Troubles Been Long (Bar/None, 2003)
Watchers, To the Rooftops (Gern Blandsten Records, 2003)
Nicolai Dunger, Tranquil Isolation (Virgin Sweden, 2002)
TANAKH, Villa Claustrophobia (Alien 8 Records, 2002)
Central Falls, Latitude (Truckstop, 2002)
Bonnevill, Currents & Directions (Meridien, 2002)
Lofty Pillars, Amsterdam (Truckstop, 2002)
Smog, Rain On Lens (Drag City, 2001)
Drag City Supersession, Tramps, Traitors & Little Devils (Drag City, 2001)
Tren Brothers & Sister, Swing (Chapter, 2001)
Bonnevill, Pelican (Bella Union, 2001)
Boxhead Ensemble, Two Brothers (Atavistic, 2001)
Simon Joyner, Hotel Lives (Truckstop, 2001)
Bevel, Where Leaves Block the Sun (JagJaguwar, 2001)
Pintop Seven, Lest We Forget (Self-Help Records, 2001)
The Thin Man, A Cloud In Trousers (Imperial Fuzz, 2000)
Simon Joyner, The Lousy Dance (Truckstop, 1999)
Bonnevill, Tigermoth (Travels In Constants Series, 1999)
Disaster Action Team, Outrider (King Mouser, 1999)
Michael Krassner, Michael Krassner (Truckstop/Atavistic, 1999)
Sally Timms, Cowboy Sally (Bloodshot, 1999)
Mick Turner, Marlan Rosa (Drag City, 1999)
Pinetop Seven, Bringing Home the Last Great Strike (Truckstop, 1999)
The Handsome Family, Through the Trees (Carrot Top, 1998)
Connie Dungs, Driving On Neptune (Mutant Pop, 1998)
Sally Timms, Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments (Bloodshot, 1997)
The Velmas, Las Velmas (Sweetpea, 1996)
The Velmas, Landscrapes (Beluga, 1995)
The Velmas, Lovehandles Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Throw Rug, 1995)
The Velmas, Bel Aire (Throw Rug, 1995)
Roger Right, Jessica Billey, and Mike Flowers (Sound Environment, 1990)