4 Decades of Inspiration

Roy Henry Vickers
August 4th – 18th 2018
Spirits of the West Coast Art Gallery, 2926 Back Road, Courtenay, BC

Spirits of the West Coast Native Art Gallery will host an exhibition and sale of artwork by renowned First Nations Artist Roy Henry Vickers of the Tsimshian Nation, opening August 4th at 11:00 AM and running until August 18th. Everyone is invited! We will be featuring over 20 highly collectable limited edition prints from the last four decades, as well as a very rare original pencil drawing from 1988.

Known for his innovative paintings, limited edition prints, and book illustrations of Tsimshian stories, Roy Henry Vickers is also an accomplished carver who has received many awards and honors for both his artistic achievements and community involvement. 

In 1994, Maclean’s listed him as the first artist in its Annual Honour Roll of Extraordinary Canadian Achievers, and in 1998, he was appointed to the Order of British Columbia. Roy received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003. In 2006, he was appointed to the Order of Canada for his work as an artist and for his work as a “bridge between cultures for First Nations people.”

Image courtesy of Roy Henry Vickers Gallery

Roy Henry Vickers was born in June 1946 in the village of Greenville, in northern British Columbia. Since then, Roy has lived and worked on the northwest coast of British Columbia, in Victoria, Tofino, Comox Valley, Hazelton and Kitkatla. His father was a fisherman in three Northwest Coast First Nations–Tsimshian, Haida and Heiltsuk. Roy's mother was an English schoolteacher whose parents had immigrated to Canada from England. This heritage strongly influenced his art.

Roy studied traditional First Nations art and design at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art in Hazelton. He created his own unique style, blending formal northern Northwest Coast formline design with western European themes and images. The result, which characterizes much of his work, are powerful images that resonate with both cultures.

Roy's love and respect of the natural beauty of the west coast of Canada is clearly evident in his art. His works feature gorgeous bold sunsets, subdued misty rivers, and peaceful winter scenes, reflecting the true nature of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Roy Henry Vickers' art is found in galleries and collections around the world including the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology (Vancouver), the National Museum of Man (Ottawa, Ontario), the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (Kleinburg, Ontario) and the National Museum of Japan (Osaka.)

Visit our Gallery between August 4th–August 18th 2018 and be inspired by 4 decades of Roy Henry Vickers artwork.