Major Renovation Complete: Bill Reid Gallery Re-Opens Its Doors

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Proposed new gallery space on mezzanine level. Image courtesy Cr. Merrick Architecture.

The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art celebrates its 10th anniversary on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17, with free admission, performances and a recently completed $1.8-million renovation.

The building now features a new mezzanine gallery and a new educational and social gathering place. A covered pavilion will be revealed at a later date.

The galley says the renewal will enrich the visitor experience and expand the program space, while reflecting the gallery’s dedication to contemporary Indigenous artists and the preservation of the legacy of its renowned namesake, Haida artist Bill Reid.

One highlight is the stunning new design of Raven’s Trove, where Reid’s exquisite jewelry is on permanent display. The gallery officially re-opens to the public on June 8. A formal 10th anniversary gala will be held on June 14.

“We have transformed the Bill Reid Gallery by creating new programming space to achieve the capacity required to better represent the diverse Indigenous cultures of the Northwest Coast, and showcase Reid’s extraordinary work in the round,” said Alexandra Montgomery, the gallery's director. “Our new light-filled, open space is both human in scale and majestic — it is a beautiful platform that allows us to honour Reid by bringing Indigenous and other peoples together through art.”

The renovations by Merrick Architecture — the building’s original architects — included special attention to Raven’s Trove. Custom vitrines by award-winning Sholto Design Studio were cut from eight 40-foot cedar logs, fitted with locally made curved glass cases that enable a 360-degree view, and hand-finished by carvers led by Haida artist Corey Bulpitt, a board member of the Bill Reid Foundation.

“As the people of the Pacific Northwest have used sacred red cedar for centuries, we were inspired to use trees sourced from Vancouver Island,” said Bulpitt. “I adze-textured the fluted surfaces of the cedar in order to create the look of our traditional longhouse posts and beams that sparked Sholto’s design concept. Cedar is used for our poles, carvings, and housing; it is central to our culture. We found it very appropriate to use in a gallery dedicated to Reid, as he continues to inspire numerous generations of artists.”

The two-day weekend anniversary celebration unfolds across the new 650-square-foot gathering space, where Allison Burns-Joseph (Squamish) will hold an open studio as artist-in-residence on June 16 from 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Samuel McKay (Nisga’a) will be there on June 17.

A children’s corner will have colouring sheets designed by Shoshannah Greene (Haida), and Northwest Coast authors will perform readings for storytelling sessions at 10 a.m. on both days. 

The 640-square-foot Bryan and Audrey Williams Gallery in the mezzanine spotlights community artists and thematic displays. The inaugural exhibition, Home Away From Home, is a collaboration between guest curator Samantha Nock (Cree Métis), Nicole Bird (Haida), and members of the Carnegie Centre Cultural Sharing program. It features an ongoing series of workshops that bring together low-income Indigenous people from the Downtown Eastside. Featured artists will provide a tour on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Planning for the gallery’s makeover began in 2014, and was made possible by the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the City of Vancouver’s Cultural Infrastructure Program, and the British Columbia Arts Council. The project is also supported by the Province of British Columbia through the Canada 150: Celebrating BC Communities and their Contributions to Canada grant program and the support of many generous private donors.

“Institutions like the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art play an essential role in celebrating and preserving Indigenous arts and heritage,” said Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Canadian Heritage. “The transformation of the gallery will help further the public’s awareness and appreciation of the rich tapestry of Northwest Coast Indigenous cultures and stories. My thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to make this expansion a reality. Congratulations on this highly anticipated reopening and on 10 years of excellence.”

“The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art has played a vital role in broadening public understanding and appreciation of the art, culture and history of BC’s coastal First Nations,” says Simon Fraser University President Andrew Petter. “SFU is proud to be a partner in the gallery, and is deeply appreciative of the work done by Alexandra Montgomery and her team, with the Bill Reid Foundation’s support, to complete this wonderful renovation in time for the gallery’s 10th anniversary celebration.”

Source: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art