Richard Hunt (artist)
Encyclopedia
Richard Hunt is a Canadian First Nations artist from the Kwakwaka'wakw
(formerly "Kwakiutl") nation of coastal British Columbia
.
He was born in 1951 at Alert Bay, B.C., but has lived most of his life in Victoria, B.C.
On his father's side, he is a descendant of the renowned Native ethnologist George Hunt
. He began carving at the age of thirteen and in 1973 began carving with his father Henry Hunt
at Thunderbird Park
at the British Columbia Provincial Museum in Victoria.
Richard's maternal grandfather was the artist Mungo Martin
, and his brothers Tony
and Stanley Hunt are also carvers.
He designed the medals for the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
held Aug. 17-21, 2006 at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Among his other projects, he repainted the totem pole at Rideau Hall
which his grandfather Mungo Martin had given to Governor General Lord Alexander
in 1946.
In 1991, he was inducted into the Order of British Columbia
. He is also a member of the Order of Canada
.
He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria in 2004.
Kwakwaka'wakw
The Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
(formerly "Kwakiutl") nation of coastal British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
He was born in 1951 at Alert Bay, B.C., but has lived most of his life in Victoria, B.C.
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
On his father's side, he is a descendant of the renowned Native ethnologist George Hunt
George Hunt (ethnologist)
George Hunt was a Tlingit consultant to the anthropologist Franz Boas who through his contributions is considered a linguist and ethnologist in his own right...
. He began carving at the age of thirteen and in 1973 began carving with his father Henry Hunt
Henry Hunt (artist)
Henry Hunt is a Canadian First Nations artist from the Kwakwaka'wakw people of coastal British Columbia.He was born in 1923 in the Kwakwaka'wakw community of Fort Rupert, B.C. He is a descendant of the renowned Native ethnologist George Hunt...
at Thunderbird Park
Thunderbird Park
Thunderbird Park is a park in Victoria, British Columbia next to the Royal British Columbia Museum. The park is home to many totem poles and other First Nations monuments...
at the British Columbia Provincial Museum in Victoria.
Richard's maternal grandfather was the artist Mungo Martin
Mungo Martin
Chief Mungo Martin or Nakapenkem , Datsa , was an important figure in Northwest Coast style art, specifically that of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. He was a major contributor to Kwakwaka'wakw art, especially in the realm of wood sculpture and painting...
, and his brothers Tony
Tony Hunt (artist)
Tony Hunt is a Canadian First Nations artist of Kwakwaka'wakw ancestry noted for his work carving totem poles.He was born in 1942 at the Kwakwaka'wakw community of Alert Bay, British Columbia. He received early training from his maternal grandfather Mungo Martin...
and Stanley Hunt are also carvers.
He designed the medals for the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships is a long course swimming event first held in 1985. The meet was initially staged biennially , to allow for an international championship-level meet in the non-Olympic and non-World Championships years...
held Aug. 17-21, 2006 at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Among his other projects, he repainted the totem pole at Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
which his grandfather Mungo Martin had given to Governor General Lord Alexander
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
in 1946.
In 1991, he was inducted into the Order of British Columbia
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
. He is also a member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria in 2004.
External links
- Richard Hunt Official site.
- Galleria Silecchia - Biography of Richard Hunt