b. 1927, Alert Bay, British Columbia
First Nations Affiliation: Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl)

From the Southern Nimpkish band, Douglas Cranmer is an eminent carver who apprenticed with Mungo Martin (his step-grandfather) and Bill Reid. Beginning in 1957, he assisted Reid in a five-year long commission to recreate a nineteenth-century Haida village for the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology. Influenced by these two celebrated artists, Cranmer created a distinctive synthesis of the three-dimensional Southern 'Central Style' of Kwakiutl design and the elegant, two-dimensional formal play of the Haida 'Northern Style.' Also of note is Cranmer's contribution as a teacher; as a member of the foundational faculty of the Kitanmax School of Northwest Coast Art in Ksan, British Columbia with Robert Davidson, Tony Hunt, and others. Cranmer has played a crucial role in training the next generation of upcoming artists. He currently instructs in Alert Bay, where he participated in the founding of the U'mista Cultural Centre.

R E C E N T   E X H I B I T I O N S

S E L E C T E D   C O L L E C T I O N S

Campbell River Museum, British Columbia
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, British Columbia

S E L E C T E D   B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Canadian Museum of Civilization, ed. In the Shadow of the Sun: Perspectives on Contemporary Native Art. Hull, Québec: The Museum, 1993.

Hall, Edwin, Margaret Blackman, and Vincent Rickard. Northwest Coast Indian Graphics: An Introduction to Silkscreen Prints. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press, 1981.

Macnair, Peter, Alan Hoover, and Kevin Neary. The Legacy: Tradition and Innovation in Northwest Coast Indian Art. Vancouver, British Columbia: Douglas & McIntyre, 1984. Originally published: Victoria, BC: British Columbia
Provincial Museum, 1980.