Jim Hart (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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Hart in 2017
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| Born | 1952 |
| Nationality | Canadian Haida |
| Occupation | Hereditary Chief of Haida Carver |
| Known for | Working in bronze and wood |
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Notable work
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Reconciliation Pole – UBC, 2017 Frog Constellation – SFU, 1995 |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Canada (2023) Order of British Columbia (2003) |
James Hart (whose Haida name is 7IDANsuu, pronounced ee-dan-soo) was born in the early 1950s. He is a famous Canadian and Haida artist. He is also a chief of the Haida Nation.
Contents
Biography
Jim Hart was born in Masset, a town on Haida Gwaii in British Columbia. His mother, Joan Hart, was the granddaughter of a very important Haida artist named Charles Edenshaw.
Because his father was European, Jim Hart did not have to go to the Canadian Indian residential school system. These were schools where many Indigenous children were sadly forced to go, often separating them from their families and culture. Instead, Jim grew up with his grandparents and worked as a fisherman.
Becoming an Artist
Jim found his love for Haida art when he was in high school. He started carving seriously in 1979.
In 1978, he began learning from another famous artist, Robert Davidson. He helped Davidson build some totem poles. From 1980 to 1984, Jim worked as an assistant to Bill Reid in Vancouver. Bill Reid was a well-known Haida artist who had a serious illness that made it hard for him to carve much on his own.
Jim helped Bill Reid add the final details to The Raven and the First Man. This is a very important sculpture at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. He also helped with Reid's famous work, Spirit of Haida Gwaii / The Jade Canoe.
Life as a Chief
Jim Hart lives in both Vancouver and Haida Gwaii. In Haida Gwaii, he is known by his hereditary chief name, ˀIdansuu. He received this name in 1999. It was a special name that had also been held by his great-great-grandfather, Charles Edenshaw.
As a chief, Jim is part of the Hereditary Chiefs Council of the Haida Nation. This council helps lead the Haida people.
Works
Jim Hart was the first artist from the Northwest Coast to use bronze in his art. He started working with bronze in 1982. He has also created beautiful pieces using silver and gold.
In 1988, he helped build a traditional Haida house at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Famous Sculptures
One of Jim Hart's most important wood sculptures is called Frog Constellation. He created it in 1995. He considers it a very important work, like a big project someone does to get a high degree at university. This sculpture shows two people riding on the back of a giant frog. It was placed at Simon Fraser University in 2012.
Another large wood carving he designed is The Dance Screen. He started designing it in 2009. It was shown as a temporary exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2012. A version of this work, called The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), is now on permanent display at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler. It was officially opened in 2018.
Jim Hart also created a totem pole called the Respect to Bill Reid Pole. This pole is part of the outdoor Haida village at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.
A bronze sculpture by Jim Hart, called The Three Watchmen, is part of the collection at the National Gallery of Canada. You can see it outside the gallery in Ottawa.
Awards and Honours
Jim Hart has received many special awards for his amazing art and leadership.
In 2003, he was given the Order of British Columbia. This is a high award for people who have done great things for British Columbia. In June 2023, he was appointed to the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honours a Canadian citizen can receive.
He also received a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.
Jim Hart has been given honorary doctorates from two universities. He received one from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He also got an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University in 2017.
Images for kids
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Beaver "Manda", 1995, Canadian Museum of History
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7idansuu carving the Reconciliation Pole at UBC
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The Three Watchmen, Ottawa
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