Featured Tonight we mourn the passing of Bill Holm

Bill Holm, possibly the most important figure in Northwest Coast native art of the 20th century, passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning at the age of 95. A student of Native art since 1937, his 1965 book Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form transformed the understanding of this art and has for decades been the standard introductory work in the field.
It has been my privilege and honor to meet him; to show him mystery masks I had collected and have him instantly identify the carver; to get his advice on native pronunciation and carving techniques; to watch him dance and to touch artifacts he had made. These are but a few of the blessings he shared freely with anyone who asked. Words cannot express how much he will be missed; it has been said that he had forgotten more than most of us will ever know.
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Holm_(art_historian)

The announcement from his family:
"It is with infinite gratitude that we now must honor the passing of our dad, Bill Holm.
Dad passed away peacefully in his sleep, at home, this morning.
Ninety-five years of boundless curiosity, of limitless sharing of skills and knowledge, of earnest creating of connections across generations, across cultures, is the cherished legacy we have all received from him.
What's certain is that we can make almost anything with our hands and the right tools, and that histories, stories, techniques, arts and traditions are the treasures that, shared and passed on, make magical results possible.
March 24, 1925 - December 16, 2020
Marty, Carla, Karen Holm, Aubrey, Evrard, Julian Martens"

Bio: https://www.historylink.org/File/10397

Ho'miskanis, Tlalelitla, we will miss you.

 

a Giant in his field !!
Thanks for opening our eyes.....with your heart !
Rest in Peace..........

 

I feel like all my heroes and sources of inspiration, are leaving us. My heart is especially heavy tonight.

 

Thank you All-Fakes for this thread.

I had not heard of Bill Holm, but I now feel that when my local library re-opens, I will hopefully find his book there.

My condolences to you, Tapou and Kokokwa for your loss of this man.

I'm on my way out to shovel at the moment, so I shall read his bio a bit later.

 

I am sorry to hear this news. I had the privilege of taking one of Bill Holm's courses at the University of Washington as an undergraduate, but was too shy to take more advantage of his presence in the Burke Museum when I worked there as a student. He was already an esteemed elder then. His work in analyzing and articulating the formal language of Northwest Coast art was unique, and was so important in reviving an art that was almost gone. While I sometimes have mixed feelings about the objects that have been collected and retained in anthropology museums, his work was an example of what good can come out of such collections. I was told he had visited every museum with NW Coast objects (including in Russia) to study every example preserved.

 

I never got to take a class from him; but one example of the respect he was given: I met a man who long ago had taken a class from Bill in bracelet-making; he showed me bracelets and an engraving tool that Bill had helped him make; and he touched the blade, saying "Bill sharpened this himself. Now I'm never going to be able to sharpen it again." Like those who have shaken hands with a celebrity, and vow never to wash that hand again.
I've been at many a meeting, where as Bill and his wife Marty came in, you could hear the whispers go around the room: "Bill's here!"