b'PrefaceA few months ago Dean wandered into my office, and from out of his camo jacket he brought out a pair of six inch bronze bears, the original prototypes. As we continued to chat, (I of course knew his work but we had not previously met), those bears worked their mag-icmy eyes returning to them again and again, and it was love at first sight. These two little people/bears had an expression, a dialogue, a lan-guage which we will all instantly recognize and then as it turned out they were love bears and how exactly could they be anything else? Take a moment to read Deans own words and Roberts insightful essay on the Drever magic and why an artist known for not pulling his punches could turn to something so thoughtful, insightful, and ultimately vulnerable. Before Dean left that afternoon we had decided to edition the work in silver and copper (the traditional materials of North West culture) in not one but three sizes, each having a presence of its own and which I believe in time will become as iconic as the Orca is to Bill Reid. The association to Reid is tempting as both artists have Haida heri-tages, both deeply and respectfully indebted to their cultures and yet both totally contemporary to their times. Deans artistic state-ments to date have addressed the violence of all societiesIndige-nous and Western, Canadian and Americanand yet now he is inviting us to address the solution of strength and love: Does it get any better?Working with Dean throughout this fully collaborative project has been a pleasure. I am thrilled to bring it to you in all its incarnations. I wish to acknowledge Pollich Tallix for their professionalism and craftsmanship, Robert Enright, photographers, printers, box makers, and especially my loyal staff Simon Bentley and Michelle McGeean for their invaluable and critical contributions. Miriam ShiellToronto / 20196'