Phil Gray (artist) facts for kids
Phil Gray (born March 15, 1983) is a talented Canadian artist. He is famous for his amazing wood carvings, which include masks, poles, sculptures, and drums. Phil Gray comes from the Tsimshian and Mikisew Cree Indigenous communities. His artwork uses old traditional methods and often shows images from important legends. In 2014, the Government of British Columbia gave him a special award called the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award in Aboriginal Art.
Phil Gray's Early Life and Learning
Phil Gray was born in Vancouver in 1983. He started learning how to carve in 1999. His first teacher was Salish artist, Gerry Sheena.
Phil also had a great chance to learn advanced design from the famous Haida artist, Robert Davidson (artist). Phil mainly carves using different types of wood like cedar, alder, and boxwood. He creates many kinds of art, including masks, flat panels, tall poles, sculptures, and drums. Phil belongs to the Killerwhale (Gispwudwada) Clan. Most of his art is made in his traditional Tsimshian style.
Phil Gray's Artistic Creations
Phil Gray's artwork includes carving totem poles, painting special bentwood boxes, and making cedar masks. In September 2003, three of his art pieces were given to the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington.
In 2005, his work was shown in an exhibit called Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2. This show was at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. In 2007, he finished a big project of sculptures for Sonora Resort on Sonora Island, British Columbia. Also in 2007, he completed a program about Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts. He studied at the Native Education College in Vancouver with Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida artist, Dan Wallace.
One of his painted drums, named Eclipse, was finished in 2007. You can see it on display at the Canadian Museum of History.
Where Phil Gray's Art Has Been Shown
Phil Gray's art was part of two big art shows in 2009. The first show was called Challenging Traditions. It was at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Ontario. This show focused on new and experimental art from the Northwest Coast.
The second show was Continuum: Vision and Creativity on the Northwest Coast. It was held at Vancouver's Bill Reid Gallery. This exhibit featured 23 well-known Indigenous artists from British Columbia, Washington State, and Alaska. In September 2009, Phil finished carving a pair of large red cedar doors. These doors showed a Grandmother Moon design and were later displayed at Lattimer Gallery. In February 2010, Phil Gray designed the helmet for Jon Montgomery, who won a gold medal in skeleton racing. Jon Montgomery held the helmet during the Olympic awards ceremony.
