Bill Reid Foundation

BILL REID'S ART GRACES THE $20 BANKNOTE

(Click the images on the banknote for more detail on each element)

In 2004, The Bank of Canada unveiled a redesigned series of Canadian banknotes called Canadian Journey, to celebrate Canada's history and achievements.

The twenty-dollar bill was the fourth in the series. To specifically highlight Canada�s cultural diversity and artistic expression, the Bank chose four masterpieces from Bill Reid to be depicted on the back of the note:

The Spirit of Haida Gwaii � monumental work in bronze with two castings of different patinas: The Black Canoe floating in a pool at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC; and The Jade Canoe at the Vancouver International Airport. The plaster maquette is at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec.
The Raven and the First Men � carved in laminated yellow cedar, owned by and installed at the University of British Columbia�s Museum of Anthropology.
Mythic Messengers � an 8.5 m long bronze frieze owned by the Bill Reid Foundation, the work was temporarily on exhibit at the Vancouver International Airport, near The Jade Canoe, until 2008 when it was installed in the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. Another casting is at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec.
Xhuwaji / Haida Grizzly Bear � the design originated as a ceremonial drum, which is now in the Artists for Kids permanent collection in North Vancouver. Bill Reid refined the original image to create a bold and striking serigraph, the entire edition of which he has gifted to the Artists for Kids Trust which sells them to raise funds for their programs, and from which the image on the bank note is taken.

All the illustrations on the note are by Jorge Peral, artistic director of the Canadian Bank Note Company.