From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

An intrepid explorer, artistic innovator and thought pioneer, Emily Carr created works of art that reflect the dramatic impact of her encounters with the indigenous cultures and the formidable landscapes of British Columbia in the first half of the 20th century. Breathing new life into Carr's legendary fascination with the Pacific Northwest through the display of archival materials, paintings and artifacts, From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia is curated by Canadian art critic Sarah Milroy and Ian Dejardin, Sackler Director of the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Tracing a dramatic journey from darkness to light, and from winter to summer, the exhibition features nearly 100 paintings, watercolours and drawings by Carr, including rarely seen sketches, works drawn from private collections as well as the recently discovered illustrated journal Sister and I in Alaska, in which Carr documented her pivotal 1907 trip up and down the Northwest Coast. Visitors will travel with Carr as she explores this landscape and its indigenous communities, searching for a sense of place and self in both her brooding forest scenes and the euphoric skyscapes of her late career.

In dialogue with Carr's paintings, the exhibition features more than 40 historic indigenous artifacts from the Pacific Northwest Coast, including masks, baskets and ceremonial objects by Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Salish, Tsimshian and Tinglit makers.

This exhibition is included with general admission.

Download or update the AGO app for iOS or Android to access audio tracks featuring artists, curators, anthropologists and historians discussing some of the artifacts in this exhibition.

Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and Dulwich Picture Gallery with the generous collaboration of the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Royal BC Museum, BC Archives and the Museum of Anthropology, UBC.