Marilyn Jones | Emily Carr Chronicler

Two women, born within two years of one another at opposite ends of the British Empire, spent their lives wrestling paint into meaning. Frances Mary Hodgkins, born in New Zealand in 1869, and Emily Carr, born in Victoria in 1871, shared restless, independent spirits and an uncompromising commitment to art. Both forged careers in environments that offered little encouragement to women who refused to remain ornamental. And yet, their visions diverged sharply—one drawn toward the…

Art lovers of every generation eventually fall under the spell of Emily Carr. “Every generation discovers her anew,” said Kerry Mason—an art historian, curator, and educator who devoted 45 years to studying, teaching, and interpreting Carr’s life and work. Mason, who passed away in Victoria in 2023, was among the most influential figures in shaping public understanding of Emily Carr in British Columbia and beyond. Her legacy continues to resonate. Read…

Sophie Pemberton (1869-1959) and Emily Carr (1871-1945) are often mentioned together as early professional women artists from Victoria, yet their relationship is best understood not as a close friendship, but as a series of parallel trajectories shaped by the same place, the same small artistic community, and profoundly different temperaments and circumstances. Read more: Two Artists, Two Worlds: Emily Carr and Frances Hodgkins Their lives overlapped repeatedly—sometimes directly, sometimes obliquely—and…