William (Bill) Ronald Reid

Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, 1976

Born in Victoria, Reid has always been proud of his heritage and strongly attached to his maternal grandfather, a Haida silversmith and carver. While in Toronto working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, he studied the Northwest Coast art displayed in the Royal Ontario Museum, and completed a two-year course in jewellery-making at the Ryerson Institute of Technology. Following a brief carving apprenticeship with Chief Mungo Martin in Victoria, he accepted an invitation to restore this University's large collection of totem poles. When he found these too decayed for restoration, he created seven new poles and two Haida-style long houses, with the help of 'Namgis carver Doug Cranmer. These now stand behind the Museum of Anthropology. Bill Reid has displayed great versatility throughout his career, from being a CBC radio announcer to contributing to the catalogue for the exhibition Arts of the Raven (1967), at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The three consultants for the exhibition and the catalogue were Wilson Duff, Bill Holm and Bill Reid. This was the first major show to recognize that the art of the Northwest Coast is a significant part of contemporary Canadian culture. It featured a selection of the finest pieces of Native art of the Northwest Coast from major collections in North America. Reid's wood-carvings and jewellery, in gold and silver, have became known across the continent and in Europe. His works have ranged from small gold miniatures to large sculptures, including the Black Canoe at the Canadian Chancery in Washington, D.C., the Jade Canoe at the Vancouver International Airport, The Raven and the First Men, on display at the Museum of Anthropology, and countless other works now in both public and private collections across North America.

Photo by Bill McLennan