Live Auction Bears for Prince Rupert / Terrace / Kitimat

Artist: James Grant
Patron: Alcan
Provenance: A beautiful work by first nations artists James Grant, using traditional native designs in the ancestral colors of red and black.
Sold for: $5000

Artist: Joe Mandur, Jr.
Patron: Bear Creek Contracting Ltd.
Provenance: Traditionally, logging has been the life-blood of the Terrace area. From supplying cord wood necessary for powering the riverboats to producing lumber for building homes, logging has touched the lives of everyone in Northwestern B.C. "All Spruced Up" pays tribute to the many eras and changing faces of logging.
Sold for: $4000

Artist: Eileen Hutson
Patron: District of Kitimat
Provenance: "Glacier Bear" is designed to unfold on two levels. At first glance it's a literal portrayal of the geography that produced this variety of bear. Tall smooth stone peaks give way to glacial ice in shades of blue and turquoise with banks of silty rock; hidden within are the animals, birds, fish and plants of the Kitamaat Valley.
Sold for: $3500

Artist: James Grant
Patron: Alcan
Provenance: Done in the customary style of the Haisla Nation, this figure embodies the essence of the legend of the Raven and Kermode Bear.
Sold for: $4500

Artist: Joe Mandur Jr.
Patron: Bandstra Transportation Systems
Provenance: Here we see a Bear in the midst of having its black fur coat change into white. During this transformation, all that the Bear could think about is fish. Going fishing is one of the Bear's favorite things. Fish provides food for people, animals and the forest that provides a home for us all.
Sold for: $7500

Artist: Joe Mandur Jr.
Patron: City of Terrace
Provenance: Many moons ago, Bear had done a good deed for Raven the Trickster. Raven had promised to honor Bear for offering help in a time of need. So that all of Creation could know of Bear's kindness, Raven changed Bear's black coat into a white fur coat. Now children of all ages can see Bear's white fur coat by looking into a view finder in the belly of this Bear and seeing live footage of the Kermode Spirit Bear playing in the forests and streams.
Sold for: $3500

Artist: Lynne Christiansonbr
Patron: Terrace & District Medical Association
Provenance: This image depicts one of the favorite and necessary past-times of bears found in Northwestern British Columbia…fishing. It almost seems as if he is trying to convince you to skip work today so that you can join him on his boat for a "reel" good time.
Sold for: $6000

Artist: Tamara Skubovius
Patron: CIBC
Provenance: "Susatia" is a modern representation of the First Nations creation legend involving the Raven. It is almost as if the Kermode Bear is transforming into the Raven, as the deep black and charcoal grey feathers effortlessly envelop the pure, snow-white fur.
Sold for: $3000

Artist: Warren Adams
Patron: Scotiabank/Downtown Merchants Association
Provenance: The design depicts bear cub faces on the paws, arms, behind the head and on the stomach. These are the mother bear's Spirit Cubs. Can you count how many? Also around the neck of "Spirit Bear Mother" is a bear claw necklace that also has an eagle feather attached. The necklace represents how we should respect the animal's claws and feathers. On the back of "Spirit Bear Mother" is a design of a "Sigidimnak" or matriarch (chieftess). She receives highest respect in First Nations society. The colors used are a soft light blue which represents the spirit world, the black represents the form of life in this world and the white is the spirit of the bear.
Sold for: $5000

Artist: Dyan Myhr
Patron: V1500 Holdings Inc
Provenance: "Luna's Pod" portrays black and white orcas surrounded by shades of blue and purple. White and gold tinted bubbles complete this lovely Bear.
Sold for: $3500

Artist: Freida Diesing School of Art
Patron: Northwest Community College
Provenance: The design was based on the site and name of the Northwest Community College. The most noticeable work on the campus is the totem pole. Trees were added to represent the buildings on campus which are called Cedar, Spruce, Jack Pine and Birch. The totem pole was painted by two different artists, the front by Roxanne Ridler and the back by Lynne Nordstrom, creating two different styles from head to toe with assistance provided by Ali McDougall.
Sold for: $3500

Artist: Clint Adams
Patron: Scotiabank
Provenance: The bold lines that were used to create the beautiful First Nations design on this figure accentuate the traits of strength and determination found in the Kermode Spirit Bear.
Sold for: $4000

Artist: Nicole Best Rudderham
Patron: The Crest Hotel
Provenance: The artist wanted to convey the "spirit" of the North Coast legends that tell of this special Bear by adding the "spirit raven" and "spirit wolf" as well as an additional 15 North Coast plants and animals. It was important for her to showcase her painting techniques using the natural environment that surrounds us.
Sold for: $6500

Artist: Ian Morven
Patron: BC Ferries Services Inc.
Provenance: This stunning Bear depicts First Nations motifs that incorporate the past, present and future. It feels like he is beckoning you to come closer so that he can tell you a valuable story through which he can pass on the wisdom of the ancestors.
Sold for: $3500