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Event Series:
Emily Carr Presentations
Emily Carr Presentation Series | Emily Carr, Klee Wyck & Haida Gwaii
February 11 I 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
This 90-minute multimedia presentation traces Carr’s artistic and literary journey—from her return from Paris in 1912 and ambitious expeditions north, to the rejection she faced in Vancouver and her long creative silence while running a boarding house. Following her 1927 breakthrough with the Group of Seven, she revisited Haida Gwaii with renewed purpose.
Though best known as a painter, Emily Carr first gained national attention through her writing. Klee Wyck (“Laughing One”), her 1941 debut collection of short stories, reflects her time among the Indigenous communities of the Northwest Coast, especially in Haida Gwaii. The book, which won the Governor General’s Award, captures Carr’s deep respect for Indigenous cultures and her fascination with the totem poles, villages, and remote landscapes she encountered. After a heart attack in 1937, Carr turned to memoir writing. Klee Wyck emerged from this period of reflection and remains a vital window into her life, art, and spirit.
