McGuire, Pat

Pat McGuire was a descendant of the great Charles Gladstone. Pat was born in 1943 in Skidegate in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

He began drawing and painting at a young age and learned a great deal about Haida art and culture through his uncle Joe Tulip. He was attracted to argillite in his youth and is perhaps best known for his work in this medium, although he was a gifted painter and jeweller.

Pat’s carving style was distinctive, with clean and sweeping lines. He was also one of the few modern North West Coast artists to produce watercolour paintings on a regular basis.

He moved to Vancouver in his twenties and established an unofficial school of argillite carving, and he worked with many artists including Pat Dixon, Denny Dixon, Ron Russ, and Doug Wilson.

Pat passed away in 1970.