William Ronald Reid

Reid, William Ronald
William Ronald Reid, "Bill", sculptor (b at Victoria 12 Jan 1920; d at Vancouver 13 Mar 1998). An internationally recognized HAIDA artist, Bill Reid is frequently credited with the revival and innovative resurgence of Northwest Coast Indian arts in the contemporary world. Son of a Haida mother and a Scots-American father, Reid was a teenager before he knew of his native heritage. Later in life, while a CBC broadcaster, he studied jewellery and engraving at Ryerson Institute, Toronto (1948), and began investigating the arts of the Haida in 1951. Furthering these studies, he went to the Central School of Art and Design in London, England (1968).

Returning to Vancouver, he became involved with the creation of a monumental sculpture for the University of British Columbia, called Haida Village. Reid eventually became a recognized leading authority on Haida art and life. Accomplished in many media, Reid carved in silver, gold, wood and argillite and cast in bronze. He issued several editions of serigraphs and illustrated and collaborated on many books, including The Raven Steals the Light (1984). Among his major works were the 4.5-ton cedar sculpture Raven and the First Humans in UBC's Museum of Anthropology (1980); a bronze killer whale sculpture, The Chief of the Undersea World, for the Vancouver Aquarium (1984); a canoe commissioned for Expo 86 (1986); and Spirit of Haida Gwaii, commissioned for the Canadian embassy in Washington, DC (1991).

Bill Reid was awarded an honorary doctorate from UBC in 1976, the Molson Prize in 1977 and the Lifetime Achievement Award, National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, sponsored by the Canadian Native Arts Foundation in 1994. Reid was an eloquent and outspoken proponent of native rights in Canada and was especially active in the battle to preserve the national and cultural history of South Moresby in Haida Gwaii.

Author CAROL SHEEHAN

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge
The website for the Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge, which features Canada's largest essay writing competition for Aboriginal youth (ages 14-29) and a companion program for those who prefer to work through painting, drawing and photography. See their guidelines, teacher resources, profiles of winners, and more. From the Historica-Dominion Institute.

Bill Reid
A profile of acclaimed Haida sculptor Bill Reid. From the Royal British Columbia Museum. A pdf file.

The 'Respect to Bill Reid' Pole
This site captures the spiritual beauty of the "The Respect to Bill Reid Pole", which was created as a tribute to the great Haida artist, Bill Reid. Follow along a timeline to see the fascinating process involved in carving a totem pole. From the Virtual Museum of Canada.

Bill Reid Gallery
The website for the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver.

First nations ceremony welcomes city's new Bill Reid gallery
This article highlights the opening of the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver. From the Vancouver Sun website.

Bill Reid: The Making of an Indian
A synopsis of "Bill Reid: The Making of an Indian," a biography of celebrated artist Bill Reid. From the website for Random House of Canada.

The Raven's Call
An online multimedia exhibit that showcases the life and works of legendary Haida artist Bill Reid. From the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and the Virtual Museum of Canada.