Bill Reid

About

Canadian artist who combined European and native styles in his jewelry, paintings, and sculptures. The Canadian $20 banknote used his work for their 2004 until 2012 Canadian Journey series.

Before Fame

He studied design in college and began crafting his own artwork jewelry in the early 1950s.

Trivia

His bronze sculptural work, "The Spirit of Haida Gwaii," was erected at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Family Life

He was born in Victoria, British Columbia to an American father of German-Scottish descent and to a Haida (native Canadian) mother. He was descended, on his mother's side, from members of a Pacific Coast First Nations Tribe, and he learned about the jewelry of his people from his grandfather.

Associated With

He and Agnes Martin were both prominent Canadian artists.