Bill Reid gallery promotes education and culture

The Bill Reid gallery in Vancouver B.C has so far fulfilled its initial purpose since its opening this May. The focus of the new institution is to facilitate and present exhibitions of modern Northwest Coast First Nations art in a significant context.
"The Bill Reid Foundation has an extensive collection of Reid's work. The gallery was established to pay tribute to Bill Reid, one of Canada's greatest artists, by exhibiting his work, telling the story of his journey to becoming an artist and describing the Haida culture that inspired him," said Herb Auerbach, the acting CEO of the Bill Reid Trust. The gallery will also celebrate and exhibit the work of Bill Reid's disciples and other Northwest Coast artists. Its role is to be a centre of education and cultural tourism and inspire all who come to visit it, whether they be students, young Aboriginal artists, local residents or tourists," he said.
The gallery is managed on behalf of the Bill Reid Foundation by the Bill Reid Trust. The Bill Reid Foundation was established as a registered charity in 1999, its mission being to preserve the art and continue the legacies of Bill Reid.
The mandate of the gallery is to promote knowledge, understanding and appreciation of contemporary Aboriginal arts of the Northwest Coast of America. The gallery promotes this appreciation through exhibiting the permanent Bill Reid Foundation Collection, which consists of artworks by Bill Reid, supplemented by works of contemporary B.C. Aboriginal artists including Jim Hart, Robert Davidson, Don Yeomans, Art Thompson, Joe David, and Richard Sumner.
While the mainstay of the gallery is Bill Reid's work, Auerbach said that it is also to display other northwest artists. In addition, he expressed that the work so far has been much appreciated.
"One only has to go to our guest book and read the complimentary comments of the thousands of visitors who have come to the gallery since it opened in May of this year. In addition, two new exhibitions are being planned, one to open in June 2009 with the work of 23 emerging Northwest Coast Aboriginal artists and another in January 2010 - A first time ever exhibition of contemporary women weavers of the Northwest Coast. The Gallery's exquisite design and contents, and its easily accessible downtown location has made it a favourable meeting place for the public, artists, and cultural groups," stated Auerbach.
The gallery also has invested interest in the youth in the area with plans for future education programs in art.
"Young people form a good part of the guest relations staff and will act as guides for visiting school children. Education programs are being finalized with school visits starting in Spring 2009," said Auerbach.
Jim Hart an artist and former colleague of Bill Reid as well as a board member of the gallery was commissioned to carve a celebration of Bill Reid pole, which is a centerpiece of the gallery. Hart said although all is well now, the creation of the gallery was a challenge. The original idea was for a museum. Those were Reid's wishes when he and his wife started buying pieces of his art.
Though the government liked the idea, officials were of the opinion that museums are not created for one person only. That was not the end of the founding members troubles.
"The founding board members are the ones that pulled the Bill Reid gallery and the foundation together and made it happen. It wasn't as easy as we thought it was going to be even just to survive. They worked really hard to make it happen until finally we found a place to call our own," Hart said.
Hart tells Windspeaker that there is a lot of potential for the future of the gallery.
"The future is going to be pretty amazing because things are just starting to come to fruition the ideas are coming together," said Hart. "I can see a lot of potential here swinging into a really positive thing and we shall make it work."