Marilyn Jones | Emily Carr Chronicler

Ira Dilworth and Emily Carr: The Friendship That Gave Voice to a Writer

Published: 14 October, 2026
Written by Marilyn Jones

An educator, broadcaster, editor and devoted friend, Ira Dilworth helped Emily Carr discover a second career as a writer. Their relationship, which developed during the final five years of her life, was one of the most important personal and professional friendships of her later years. But Dilworth’s contribution to the arts and Emily Carr’s legacy did not end with her death. As her literary executor, he became the person responsible for bringing…

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Beyond the Forest: Emily Carr, Japanese Woodblock Prints and the Art of Seeing

Published: 7 October, 2026
Written by Marilyn Jones

Emily Carr’s art was deeply rooted in the landscapes, forests, and Indigenous cultures of British Columbia, yet her artistic language was shaped by ideas that reached far beyond Canada. Among these influences was the art of Japanese woodblock printing. Japanese woodblock prints offered Carr a new way of thinking about nature, composition, colour, and the relationship between humans and the landscape. Although Carr did not simply imitate Japanese prints, she absorbed aspects…

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From Victoria to Ottawa: Emily Carr’s Journey to the National Gallery

Published: 3 October, 2026
Written by Marilyn Jones

The story of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) up to its initial purchase of three Emily Carr watercolours in 1928 is especially interesting because Carr’s acquisition came at a moment when the Gallery was changing from a relatively small, government-administered collection into an institution with a national vision—and when Canadian artists were beginning to be taken seriously as part of Canada’s cultural identity. Read more: Ira Dilworth…

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