These pictures are of the famous Bill Reid sculpture called the Spirit of the Haida Gwai, a representation of part of the creation myth of the Haida people. It is on our Canadian 20 dollar bill of course.

It stands in the Vancouver International Airport, near the international arrivals lobby.

The original is on the lawn of the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC. It was a long process, begun in 1985 by Arthur Ericksonn, the architect for the Embassy in Washington, asking Bill Reid to think about a statue for the lawn. It was finally cast and installed in 1991.

I have to always stop and take a picture or two of this magnificent piece of art. It is truly monumental in size – over 20 feet long – and extremely complex.

Reid wrote a poem, dedicated to his wife about the statue. It is a long poem and available for reading on the Bill Reid website.

Don’t miss it! Even if you drive to Vancouver, get out to the Airport and see this wonderful work of art! And the price – my favorite – FREE!

The sculpture here at the airport was installed in 1994. It is made of bronze, but it was given this green patina to resemble West Coast Jade.

There is a third one at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.