UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Founded in 1947, this outstanding museum houses one of the world’s finest collections of Northwest coast native peoples’ art. Designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson in 1976, the museum is housed in a stunning building over-looking mountains and sea. The tall posts and huge windows of the Great Hall were inspired by the post-and-beam architecture of Haida houses and are a fitting home for a display of full-size totem poles, canoes, and feast dishes. Through the windows of the Great Hall, the visitor can see the magnificent outdoor sculpture complex, which includes two houses designed by contemporary Haida artist Bill Reid.
- 6393 NW Marine Drive.
- Tel: (604) 822 5087.
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4 UBC, 10 UBC.
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Jun–Sep: 10am–5pm daily (to 9pm Tue); Oct–May: 10am–5pm Tue–Sun (to 9pm Tue).
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Dec 25 & 26.
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- www.moa.ubc.ca
The Great Hall
The imposing glass and concrete structure of the Great Hall is the perfect setting for totem poles, canoes, and sculptures.
The museum’s collections are arranged on one level. The Ramp gallery leads to the Great Hall, featuring the cultures of Northwest coast First Nations peoples. The Multiversity Galleries contain artifacts from other cultures, and a range of 15th- to 19th-century European ceramics is housed in the Koerner European Ceramics Gallery.
Set overlooking the water, these two Haida houses and collection of totem poles are faithful to the artistic tradition of the Haida and other tribes of the Pacific northwest, such as the Salish, Tsimshan, and Kwakiutl. Animals and mythic creatures representing various clans are carved in cedar on these poles and houses, made between 1959 and 1963 by Vancouver’s favorite contemporary Haida artist Bill Reid and Namgis artist Doug Cranmer.
