Biography

Verne began a career in art with a permanent British Columbia secondary teaching certificate at Fraser Lake School. Returning to Edmonton, Verne furthered his design education with studies at Grant McEwan University Design Arts and the University of Alberta. Verne Busby joined Bella Totino in Totino Busby Design in the early 80's.

This independent graphic design and fine art studio continues to the present. Verne has taught part time at the University of Alberta Faculty of Art and Design, Visual Communications and also moderates life drawing sessions biweekly at the Edmonton Wecan Society, Harcourt House Annex.

Bella first painted a large scale mural for the city of St. Albert in 1999. That influenced Verne to collaborate with Bella to develop ideas for three large scale mosaics on the exterior of a civic building for the same city. A large scale steel sculpture for the city of Edmonton Arts Council followed this in 2015.

The city of Calgary then engaged Verne and Bella to create six large scale ceramic mosaics that greet traffic entering Ogden from the Glenmore Trail. Recently Verne created a steel sculpture for the City of Edmonton’s historic Yorath House on the bank of the North Saskatchewan River.