Gilles vaillancourt biography of albert
About the Builder
Henri Vaillancourt has been self employed builder of birchbark canoes for over 32 years. In that time he has built more than 120 canoes ranging in size from small 9' hunting canoes to the large 24' cargo canoes like those used during the fur trade era. His work has been sought by discriminating collectors throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and Japan. His customers include Michael Eisner - Disney, Edgar Bronfman - Seagram's, Bill Ruger - Ruger Fire Arms, Tasha Tudor - Writer/Artist, Ohchi Canoes Museum - Shimane-Ken Japan and Epcot Center - Disney World.
Vaillancourt's canoes have been chosen in competition for exhibits such as Craft Multiples presented at the Renwick Gallery of the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution. Exhibited there form 1975 to 1976 and then circulated throughout the USA until 1979. His canoes were displayed at the Hand Wrought Object Exhibit at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University and, also, the Gilles I Vaillancourt, 73 - Tupper Lake, NY - Reputation ...!