Government House 2

Government House has a wonderful collection of art including some from First Nations artists. Above is a magnificent early Bill Reid work. We were informed that the unusual work below is NOT a totem pole but is a "House Pole" meant for interior decoration.

Year 7 Begins

As we start a new year on Victoria Daily Photo I thought I would post a photo that reminisces the first photo I published on this blog back in 2008 - a photo of my shadow on the trunk of one of the Gary Oak trees that are so characterstic of this city. Above is a photo of myself taken just prior to my recent departure for Maui. I am reflected in the eye of one of the figures that make up Bill Reid's incredible sculpture, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe. It's an extraordinary work, magnificent and unique, and if you're ever in Vancouver International Airport, don't miss the chance to see it. That would be like passing through Rome and not bothering to look at the Sistine Chapel. Below is a photo of the whole sculpture. I chose a photo that happens to have a child in it to indicate the monumental scale of this work.

The Spirit of Haida Gwai - Bill Reid

Modern international airports, as gateways to their respective countries, are generally decorated with works of art representative of their history and culture. But no airport that I've ever seen can match this magnificent work by Haida artist Bill Reid. It graces the Vancouver International Airport. Another casting is in the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. When both these buildings are long gone and we are all dust in the wind people will still marvel at this superb creation. It is called "The Spirit of Haida Gwai" and you can read about it on the Bill Reid Foundation website by clicking HERE.

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For those of you who may be wondering what this has to do with Victoria, this blog now features on Saturdays photos I've taken in other parts of the world - "Somewhere Saturdays."