Presentation: Emily Carr & the Best of Her Friends

In this 90-minute multimedia presentation, we’ll shine light on the key figures who shaped Emily Carr’s life and art. Though she often preferred the company of her beloved pets and the solitude of painting, many influential friends and supporters played pivotal roles in her personal and artistic development. By the end of the session, you’ll be familiar with the twenty most significant men and women in Carr's life and the essential contributions they made to her extraordinary journey.

We’ll delve into the impact of Dr. Charles Newcombe, her earliest benefactor, whose collection laid the foundation for the Royal BC Museum and Archives. His son, Willie Newcombe, became Emily’s trusted assistant, helping with the maintenance and shipping of her paintings in exchange for artwork. Upon his death, Willie donated his family's collection to the museum, further solidifying their connection. The Newcombes introduced Emily to a broader worldview through their shared interest in anthropology and Indigenous cultures.

In the art realm, we’ll examine how her relationships with six influential painters—four women and three men—shaped the evolution of her unique artistic style, and how her work, in turn, influenced theirs.

Additionally, you’ll learn about the friends who contributed to her literary success, including those who helped edit, publish and promote seven collections of her short stories. The first, Klee Wyck (1941), won the Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction and remains in print today, as do her othet six collections of short stories.

We’ll introduce you to six key figures in her writing life: broadcasters, professors, librarians, editors, and publishers. Without them, she would have remained unknown. She was better known for her writing than she was for her paintings until the 1960s. It was her collections of short stories that drew attention to and then appreciation of her paintings.

By the end of this presentation, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of the twenty individuals who impacted Emily Carr’s remarkable journey in life and art, many of whom have streets and buildings in Victoria, and scholarships at universites in British Columbia named in their honour.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Emily Carr House, 207 Government Street, Victoria, Canada