Fans of iconic B.C. artist Emily Carr will want to visit Vancouver Art Gallery to see a major new exhibition of her work from Feb. 6 to Nov. 6.
That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature is advertised as the gallery’s largest exhibition dedicated to the painter in more than 20 years.
With a title borrowed from Carr’s journals, the exhibit features work primarily from VAG’s extensive Emily Carr Collection, largest in the world.
The Victoria-born Carr, who lived until the end of the Second World War, is recognized as one of Canada’s most important artists.
Carr’s distinctive modernist vision has shaped how British Columbia’s landscape is perceived, understood and represented, notes Eva Respini, interim co-CEO and curator at large.
“This landmark exhibition, the most comprehensive in two decades, invites everyone, from school groups to tourists, to encounter Carr’s vision of the Pacific Northwest in ways that spark dialogue, discovery and joy.”
A smaller, fourth-floor Carr exhibit, Navigating an Impenetrable Landscape, closed this week, paving the way for the larger That Green Ideal to debut in the first week of February.
Several other exhibits are now on view at VAG including Enemy Alien: Tamio Wakayama, a detailed exploration of the New Westminster-born photographer’s 1960s images of the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama, among other subjects. Featured is Cindy Mochizuki’s 70-minute documentary film Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama (2024).
On the grand staircase near the gallery entrance, visitors are welcomed by the site-specific Jim Lambie: Zobop (Colour-Chrome), which sees brightly coloured strips of industrial vinyl tape fill the floor and steps. Lambie is a Glasgow–based artist, DJ and musician.
A great thing about VAG is that kids under 18 always visit free of charge, and monthly “Free First Friday” events open the door to adults, from 4 to 8 p.m. (next on Feb. 6). Check vanartgallery.bc.ca/free for details.
Sunday is a great day for families to visit, with The Making Place space designed for families to do hands-on activities together, and 2 p.m. family tours of exhibitions.
At 750 Hornby St., Vancouver Art Gallery is closed Tuesday, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on most other days (8 p.m. Friday).
Looking ahead, VAG is set to move to Larwill Park, at the corner of West Georgia and Cambie Streets. No date is set for the move, but conceptual designs are due later in 2026.
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