At Willows, we pay tribute to the artistic expressions unique to the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the hotel you’ll find works of the most highly skilled Northwest Coast Native American artists. This ancient art form integrates spiritual, animal and human reverence for the natural world.
As you wander through our gardens and public spaces, you’ll find artworks that spring from the stories of Native American cultures and express the artistry and technical virtuosity of the artists.
One of these, Bill Reid, Haida, is generally credited with having restored the North Coast Native art to its present high level and is considered by many to be one of the outstanding artists of the 20th Century. His most significant monumental work, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, is featured with a large photo in the lobby. In our gardens, you’ll find two large bronze heads cast from the original work. Photos in the guest rooms reveal textural details of the work. These include the hair of Bear Mother, the tail of the Beaver, and the cape of the Conscipt. Other outstanding pieces of Reid’s work are located in the lobby.
Robert Davidson, Haida, is Reid's acknowledged successor. His bronze frog is a signature for the Barking Frog restaurant. Susan Point, Coast Salish, is the most celebrated woman artist of this tradition. Her glass sculptures in the hotel and in the "Salmon Pool" speak eloquently to the feminine side of this art.
Joseph Kinnebrew and Cheri Christiansen are two non-native Northwest artists represented at the Lodge. Kinnebrew's joyful cast iron and bronze sculptures grace the herb garden and restaurant patio. Christiansen's powerful presentation of chickens are displayed throughout the Lodge in a nod to the rural setting.
