Marilyn Jones | Emily Carr Chronicler

Nan Cheney: Emily Carr’s Trusted Friend, Confidante, and Champion

Published: 25 July, 2026
Written by Marilyn Jones

Nan Lawson Cheney (1897–1985) was one of Emily Carr’s closest friends, trusted correspondents, and earliest champions. Although she is less well known than Lawren Harris, Ira Dilworth, or Mark Tobey, Cheney played a significant role in promoting Carr’s work, organizing her annual solo exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery from 1937 – 1941, and preserving her legacy through their friendship, extensive correspondence, and later publications. Read more: Nan…

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Emily Carr, Her Influences, and Her Paintings of Environmental Loss

Published: 17 July, 2026
Written by Marilyn Jones

Emily Carr is often described as an early environmentalist. She did not campaign for conservation in the modern political sense, nor was she involved in environmental organizations. Through her writings, paintings, and personal observations, she expressed a deep concern about humanity’s impact on forests, Indigenous villages, and the natural world. Her work anticipated many ideas that later became central to the environmental movement. Read more: Nan Cheney: Emily…

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How Marius Barbeau Helped Launch Emily Carr’s Career

Published: 15 July, 2026
Written by Marilyn Jones

The relationship between Marius Barbeau and Emily Carr was one of the most consequential in Canadian art history. Although they were never close personal friends, Barbeau became one of her earliest and most influential champions at a pivotal moment in her life. After decades of artistic struggle, financial hardship, and professional isolation, Carr was 56 years old when she finally caught the break that transformed her career and long eluded her.

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