1956   Born in Canada
1974-1979   University of Art & Design Zurich, Switzerland, earned Swiss Dipl. Photography
1980-1981   Academy of Art Nurnberg, Germany
1981-1982   University of Art Budapest, Hungary
2001-2002   BC Open University, Canada, earned B.F.A
2002-2003   University of Victoria, Canada, earned B.C. Teaching Certificate
1995   Published  RECAPITULATION - A Journey written and illustrated by Canadian/Italian painter, Sveva Caetani

EDUCATION
1975-1979   Attended the Vorkurs at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zurich (now the University of Art & Design Zurich) followed by a three-year concentration in photography earning a Swiss Fahigkeitszeugnis (Diploma for Photography). Worked on several photography exhibitions including  Swiss Military Ball, 1978

1978  Selected photographer to document the Zurich Chamber Orchestra for a solo exhibition. Traveled for one month with the orchestra. Took photographs of solists including Yehudi Menuhin, Paul Tortelier, Peter-Lucas Graf and Louis Duquenoy. The exhibition of 100 images were published into an edition  Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
Attended retreats at the Ramachrishna Vedanta Meditation Center in Gretz, France.

1979  Assigned photographer to document Robert Ryman for a week before and during the opening of I.N.K.(International Neue Kunst Gallery) Zurich.

1979-1980   Apprenticed with German painter, Oskar Koller in Nurnberg, Germany. Worked on several bodies of work including Christmas Market Germany

1981-1982   Studied painting at the Akademie fur Bildenden Kunste Nurnberg (College for Fine Art Nurnberg.) with Professor Ernst Weil. Outside of school, became private student of Klaus Schmidt, former student of Austrian painter, Oskar Kokoschka. Attended a 10-day Buddhist meditation retreat in Austria.

1982   Attended first year of the five-year master’s art program, Kepzomuvezeti Foiskola (Hungarian Academy for Fine Art) in Budapest under the instruction of Professor Kokas Ignacs.

1983   Returned to Vernon and established an art and photography studio. Exhibited paintings and photography in numerous cities in British Columbia and became member of the Virdian Gallery in New York.

1984   Received the British Columbia Cultural Grant for preparation, travel and exhibition of a photography project entitled, Portraits of Artists.

1986   Private instruction from illuminist painter, Leszek Forczek. Attended a 10-day Vipassana meditation course taught by Mr. SN Goenka, followed by several 10-day courses for the following years.

1994  Exhibited several photography and painting exhibitions including Female Nude in Motion 1999.

1997  Created and taught a meditation course for children in Vernon and Vancouver schools called Advanced Attention Development. AAD was featured in a documentary film for CBC's Spilled Milk. Wrote an article, "Teaching Children Meditation", which was published in the Vancouver magazine Common Ground.

1998  Attended a workshop seminar for screenwriting by Micheal Hague, Vancouver. Began writing a dramatic, feature-length screeplay, entitled: "The Evening Bird" based on Sveva Caetani's life and art.

1999   Juried invitation to attend a Praxis Screenwriting Workshop, Vancouver

1998   Workshop seminar by Robert McKee, author of STORY on scriptwriting, Calgary

2001   Earned a B.F.A., Open University of British Columbia.

2002   Completed the Post-Secondary School Internship Program, University of Victoria. Received a British Columbia Teaching Certificate (BCCT).

2002-2006   Taught art in high schools and developed ArtQuest after-school art programs for children. Conducted several workshops for teachers focussing on developing art curriculum in schools.

2007   Traveled to New York to meet Joseph Mariano, Natvar Bhavsar and Joe Barnes. Attended a lecture given by Donald Kuspit.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
1978     Zurich     Witikon Community Centre (solo)
1980     Nurnberg     Kom Youth Centre (solo)
1980     Nurnberg Gallerie der Stadt  (group)
1981     Budapest     State University  (group)
1983     Vancouver     BC Festival of the Arts   (juried/group)
1985     Vernon     Topham Brown Public Art Gallery   (solo)
1985     Grand Forks      Grand Forks Public Art Gallery  (solo)
1985     Kelowna      Kelowna Public Art Gallery  (solo)
1987     Vernon      Topham Brown Public Art Gallery   (solo)
1988     Vancouver     Alma Street Café  (group)
1988     Vancouver     Naam Restaurant  (solo)
1989     Vancouver     Firehall Arts Theatre  (solo)
1989     Vancouver     Robson Square Media Centre  (group)
1989     Vancouver     Community Arts Centre/BC Women Artists  (solo)
1989     Vancouver     Alma Street Café  (group)
1991     Kelowna     Kelowna City Hall   (solo)
1991     Vancouver     BC Festival of the Arts & (juried/group)
1991     Penticton     Front Street Gallery  (group)
1992     New York      Viridian Art Gallery  (represented)
1992     Kelowna     Dow Reid Art Gallery  (represented)
1994     Vancouver     Talking Stick Art Gallery  (solo)
1994     Vancouver     Simon Patrich Art Gallery  (represented)
1996     Vernon      Headbones Art Gallery  (solo)
2000     Vernon     Headbones Art Gallery  (group)
2000     Vancouver      Howe Street Art Gallery  (represented)
2004     Kelowna Art Ark  (represented)
2004     Vernon     Gallery Odin  (represented)
2005     Vernon     Vernon Art Gallery  (group)
2006     Toronto     The Drawers - Headbones Art Gallery  (group)
2007     Toronto     The Drawers - Headbones Art Gallery  (represented)
2007     Berkely    Gallery Sam  (represented)
2008     Montreal     Galerie Samuel Lallouz  (group)
2008     New York     Lana Santorelli Gallery  (group)
2008     Silver Star    Odin Gallery  (represented)
2008     Grand Forks    Grand Forks Art Gallery  (solo)
2009     New York     Lana Santorelli Gallery (group)
2009     Toronto     Varley Art Gallery (group)
2009     Toronto     Lausberg Contemporary (group)
2009     Vernon     Gallery Vertigo (solo)
2009     Atlanta     Bill Lowe Gallery (group)
2010     Atlanta     Bill Lowe Gallery "Bloom: The New Abstraction"
2011     San Diego, CA    Alexander Salazar Art Gallery (solo)

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
2007     Samuel Lallouz Private Collection, Gallerie Samuel Lallouz, Montreal
2006     Mraz Collection, Toronto
2004     Private collection of Robert Keller, USA
2006     Corporate collection, Benefit Plan Administrators Inc. Mississauga

AWARDS & GRANTS
2006     Red Ink Works Script Competion. Won 11th place for the screenplay, "The Evening Bird".
1996     VanCity Book of Excellence Award for Recapitulation
1984     B.C Cultural Grant

PUBLICATION & ARTICLES
2007     Photographs & interview Okanagan Life
1995     Published Recapitulation - A Journey, by Sveva Caetani
1992     Featured Artist, Okanagan Life, written by Carlotte Berglund
1989     Illustrated and published an art journal for children Little Bear Book
1989     Drawings, Gallerie, Vancouver based magazine
1985     Illustrations for 4 books entitled, Reflections, written by Brock Tulley
1980     Photographs, Professional Camera, May-June issue, Germany
1979     100 Photographs published into a book, Zurich Chamber Orchestra's 25 Year Anniversary

WRITING FOR PRINT & FILM
2002     Co-wrote film documentary, The Enigma of Sveva Caetani
1998     Wrote "The Evening Bird" feature film script based on the life and art of Sveva Caetani.
1997     Wrote an article, Teaching Children Concentration published in Common Ground
1995     Edited, wrote, and published the art book, Sveva Caetani - Recapitulation

LECTURES & TEACHING
2007     British Columbia Art's Council funded lecture series, Strategies for Teaching Art
2006     Lecture & presentation on the art of Sveva Caetani, B.C. teachers, Salmon Arm
2006     Lecture & art workshop for B.C. teachers, Kelowna
2005     Invited to lecture & present the Art of Sveva Caetani in Rome, Italy.
2005     Lecture & art workshop for B.C. teachers, Vernon & Kelowna on Developing Classroom Curriculum
1998     Filmed by CBC Spilled Milk with an interview on Advanced Attention Development program
1997     Lectures & workshops for a meditation program called Advanced Attention Development
1996     Lecture & presentation on Sveva Caetani, Dante Alighieri Institute, Toronto
1995     Lecture & presentation on Sveva Caetani, Italian Cultural Institute, Vancouver

Heidi Thompson is married to luthier, Ted Thompson of Thompson Guitars and have one daughter, Carmen.
They live in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.