Primrose Adams facts for kids

Primrose Adams (born in 1926, passed away in January 2020) was a talented First Nations artist from Canada. She was a proud member of the Raven Clan, part of the amazing Haida nation. Primrose was famous for weaving beautiful hats and baskets using traditional Haida methods. She was especially known for her spruce root baskets, which she made by gathering and dyeing her own spruce roots, just like her ancestors did. Her work kept ancient Haida traditions alive.

A Family of Artists

Primrose Adams came from a very artistic family. Her grandparents, Charles Edenshaw and Isabella Edenshaw, were famous Haida artists. Her parents, Florence Davidson and Robert Davidson, were also skilled artists.

Primrose learned the art of basket-weaving from her mother-in-law, Selina Peratrovich, starting in 1977. Selina was also a Haida artist. Primrose's daughter, Isabel Rorick (born in 1955), is also a well-known weaver. This means the family tradition of weaving has been passed down for five generations!

Her Artistic Journey and Awards

A small spruce root basket made by Primrose Adams. Notice her special dark inner ring design!

Primrose Adams' beautiful artwork can be found in many public collections. These include the Field Museum in Chicago and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver. Her pieces are also displayed in galleries like the Douglas Reynolds Gallery and the Lattimer Gallery in Vancouver.

In 1981, Primrose wove a special hat for her nephew, Robert Davidson, who is a very famous Haida artist. Robert honored Primrose in his artwork too! In his piece called The Seven Ravens, he showed ravens that represented his seven aunts, including Primrose. He also featured her in his 2009 exhibition, Fifty Years of Haida Weaving: The Robert Davidson Collection.

Primrose's work was also featured in a book by Sharon J. Busby in 2003. The book, Spruce-Root Baskets of the Haida and Tlingit, was about traditional Haida and Tlingit crafts. Her art was part of the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibition in New York City in 2005. In 2006, her work was shown at the Vancouver Art Gallery's Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art exhibition.

In 2011, Primrose Adams received a very important award: the British Columbia Creative Lifetime Achievement Award for First Nations' Art. This award recognized her amazing contributions to art throughout her life. Her work was later featured in the Xi xanya dzam exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. This exhibition showcased pieces by artists who had won the same award.