Bill Holm

O. William Holm Jr. (March 24, 1925 – December 16, 2020) was an American art historian and author who worked and published under the name Bill Holm. His specialty was First Nations Northwest Coast art, and he was known for creating much of the vocabulary used to describe formline design. Holm's book Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form has been a foundational work in the study of this art.

Background Holm was born on March 24, 1925, in Roundup, Montana to electrician Oscar Holm and teacher Martha Holm. His family moved to Seattle, Washington, when Holm was twelve. Soon after, he became acquainted with Erna Gunther, Director of the Washington State Museum (later the Burke Museum). Holm had a childhood interest in Plains Indians, so Gunther provided him with information about the Native peoples of the region where he now lived.

During World War II, Holm enlisted in the army and served as part of a field artillery observation battalion in France. He ultimately earned the rank of master sergeant. After receiving a teaching certificate in 1953, Holm began teaching art at Lincoln High School in Seattle, Washington, and continued working there until 1968. He also married Martha (Marty) Mueller in 1953. They had met in 1949 while working at Henderson Camp on Lopez Island, Washington.

Honors

Holm's eight books have won scholarly acclaim and recognition with four Washington State Governor's Writers Awards, and two special Governor's awards. Many of his paintings are cataloged in the 2000 book, Sun Dogs and Eagle Down, The Indian Paintings of Bill Holm .