Bill Reid (1920-1998)
Bill Reid was an acclaimed master goldsmith, carver, sculptor, writer, broadcaster, mentor and community activist. Reid was born in Victoria, BC to a Haida mother and an American father with Scottish German roots, and only began exploring his Haida roots at the age of 23. This journey of discovery lasted a lifetime and shaped Reid's artistic career. When Bill Reid returned to the West Coast, he began to seriously pursue Native imagery in both jewellery and sculpture. Soon after his arrival, he was engaged in a four-year task to recreate a section of a Haida Village for the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. This task was the turning point for Bill Reid’s incredible artistic career that saw him produce remarkably intricate jewellery, large sculptures, drawings, and silkscreen prints. Bill created numerous masterpieces, including The Skidegate Pole in 1978, the yellow cedar sculpture Raven and the First Men for the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC, in 1980, the bronze sculpture Lord of the Under Sea for the Vancouver Aquarium in 1984 and the bronze sculpture Spirit of Haida Gwaii for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, in 1990. In addition, this sculpture was featured on Canada's twenty dollar bill. In 1994, he received the prestigious Order of Canada from the Canadian Government.
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