Emily Carr, born in 1871 in Victoria, British Columbia, was a pioneering Canadian artist and writer whose deep connection to her hometown shaped much of her life and work. Raised in a strict English household on Government Street, she grew up exploring the nearby forests and seashores—early influences that would later define her art.
After studying in San Francisco, England, and France, Carr returned to Victoria where she struggled for recognition, living for many years at the “House of All Sorts,” a boarding house she ran to support herself. Though she often felt stifled by the conservative culture of Victoria, it remained her lifelong base and the emotional core of her identity. From this coastal city, she launched painting trips into Indigenous villages and remote landscapes, returning with canvases that challenged artistic norms. In her final years, Victoria embraced her legacy, and it is here she died in 1945, now celebrated as a Canadian icon.
The Forest Through the Eyes of Emily Carr
Emily Carr Chronicles Guided Walk
Saturday, June 27 | 10 to Noon
Explore Emily Carr’s world on a two-hour guided walk through historic James Bay, Victoria. Visit 12 fascinating locations and uncover the stories behind her life, art, and enduring legacy.
Emily Carr Chronicles Guided Walk
Saturday, July 4
Explore Emily Carr’s world on a two-hour guided walk through historic James Bay, Victoria. Visit 12 fascinating locations and uncover the stories behind her life, art, and enduring legacy.
Emily Carr Chronicles Guided Walk
Sunday, July 5
Explore Emily Carr’s world on a two-hour guided walk through historic James Bay, Victoria. Visit 12 fascinating locations and uncover the stories behind her life, art, and enduring legacy.
Emily Carr Chronicles Guided Walk
Wednesday, July 8
Explore Emily Carr’s world on a two-hour guided walk through historic James Bay, Victoria. Visit 12 fascinating locations and uncover the stories behind her life, art, and enduring legacy.
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Wed, Jun 03, 2026
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Emily Carr, aged 39, returned for her second trip to Europe in 1910 and spent 16 months working and living in France. By that time, Carr had been painting seriously for about 20 years. She had studied in San Francisco and in England, and she had started travelling to and painting Indigenous communities on Vancouver Island.
Read more: Emily Carr: Fresh Seeing and the Birth of a Modern VisionOn her return to the West Coast in 1911, Carr brought home with her a renewed style of painting. H...
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