NEWSLETTER Spring 2011
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Membership
A message from our CEO
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This is an exciting time for the Royal BC Museum with the launch of our newest exhibition, The Other Emily: Redefining Emily Carr. The exhibition draws on the vast Royal BC Museum Emily Carr collection and is the first-ever exploration of the artist’s life before she became famous. The Other Emily examines Carr’s formative teenage years to just before she emerges as a major force on the national art scene in 1927. I think this exhibition is daring and the results revealing, it is a fascinating new glimpse into the early life of Emily Carr. The Other Emily challenges us to re-examine the persistent stereotypes that exist about Carr – and to re-ask ourselves – who are you Emily Carr? The Other Emily runs until October 10, 2011, do visit this new take on Emily Carr. This year marks the 125th year anniversary for the Royal BC Museum and as we pause to celebrate our past, we also look forward to a bright future. We have begun the process of rezoning with the City of Victoria and anticipate a public hearing in the spring on our application. Rezoning is the first step in realizing our vision for the future, but it isn’t just about a new zone. It’s about our commitment to British Columbia. It’s about our role as part of the very foundation of this province. We want to create something special: a revitalized Royal BC Museum, for this generation and future generations. A place that evokes what’s special about British Columbia. A place that we’ll all be proud of. We’ve been a pillar of British Columbia’s cultural landscape since 1886. And, quite simply, we plan on being a vibrant, visible and relevant institution for yet another 125 years – and beyond. Support us in this dream - visit our website to learn more, let us know your thoughts and let the City of Victoria know you are behind us.
Pauline Rafferty CEO, Royal BC Museum
Who Broke Emily Carr’s Heart? Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece: Bill Reid Sculpture Finds a New Home at the Royal BC Museum Think You Know Emily Carr? Think again! Sent Packing: Aliens Among Us Begins its Journey The Digital Museum 7 CURATOR’S CORNER
Kathryn Bridge 8 WHAT’S ON
Coming events & exhibitions 9 PROFILES
Partner Profile: Shaw Communications Member Profile: Trevor, Jean, Emmlyn, Evan and Xavier Wingert Staff Profile: Melissa Frey MANAGING EDITOR
Jennifer Vanderzee Membership and Marketing Administrator jvanderzee@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca MEMBERSHIP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Angela Williams, Director of Business and Operational Services Erika Stenson, Marketing and Sales Manager David Alexander, Communications Manager Sue Stackhouse, Communications Specialist Gerry Truscott, Publisher Chris Tyrrell, Graphic Design PHOTOGRAPHY
Kim Martin, Carlo Mocellin, Andrew Niemann WHAT’S INSIGHT is an electronic newsletter released four times a year by the Royal BC Museum Membership Department: March, June, September and December. In the interest of keeping our administrative costs low – and our carbon footprint small – this print version is provided to members without computer access only. One more way to go green? Ask for our email copy instead, please contact: Jennifer Vanderzee Membership and Marketing Administrator 250-387-3287 Membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
FEATURE
Who Broke Emily Carr’s Heart?
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ust when you think the world has discovered everything there is to know about Emily Carr, along come our Royal BC Museum curators, historians and conservators to shatter a few myths and reveal a few tantalizing glimpses into the private life of a Canadian icon. In this photograph - taken at a tennis party circa 1895 - you see a young Emily Carr seated in the centre row on the left. You also see a young man in white pants and a hat gazing at Carr rather than looking at the camera. In another photo from the City of Victoria Archives, the same group has been reassembled – it is minutes apart from this photo – and the young man is leaning against Carr.
Carr once wrote, “I’ve been loved furiously and not able to pay back, and I’ve loved furiously with cold response.” The identity of her persistent suitor has been well documented but the identity of her heartbreaker has never been confirmed. Is this is him – the young man gazing at Carr during a tennis party? BC Archives I-61507
We have very little information about this photo. If you recognize anyone or have any additional information, please let us know at reception@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece: Bill Reid Sculpture Finds a New Home at the Royal BC Museum
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ill Reid’s stunning sculpture, Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece, has found a new home at the Royal BC Museum thanks to a generous funder. Michael Audain and the Audain Foundation for the Visual Arts donated $750,000 to the Royal BC Museum to purchase and preserve Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece. It is one of the largest donations in the 125-year history of the museum.
and Douglas Stevenson for their family home in Williams Lake, BC. Most recently, it has been on loan to Government House from Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson’s daughters: Elizabeth Bryson, Rhoma Armes and Jean Spence. It was installed in Government House for the visit, on October 4, 2002, of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip.
Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece is from the beginning of Bill Reid’s career as a Haida artist. Carved in red cedar in 1954, it is an early version of a design that Reid returned to frequently in his later work. This powerful carving is an important addition to the Royal BC Museum’s collection of contemporary First Nations art and is currently on display in the First Peoples Gallery.
Thanks to Michael Audain, British Columbians and visitors to the Royal BC Museum will have the opportunity to be inspired by this stunning work of art created by one of this province’s artistic giants. The acquisition of Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece is an important addition to the contemporary works on display in the museum’s world-renowned First Peoples Gallery, in addition to the extensive collection of First Nation historical objects.
Grizzly Bear Mantelpiece was originally commissioned by Anne
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FEATURE
Think You Know Emily Carr? Think again!
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Sombreness Sunlit BC Archives pdp00633
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s one of BC’s chief storytellers, the Royal BC Museum thought it was time to tell a different story about one of our most beloved Canadian icons. On March 2, the Royal BC Museum opened our newest exhibit, The Other Emily: Redefining Emily Carr. With stunning masterpieces from Carr, archival images, 3D artifacts, and paintings of a young Emily created by contemporary artist Manon Elder, the Royal BC Museum will introduce you to the Emily you’ve never met.
Gruff? Bitter? Eccentric? Not The Other Emily. Featuring a younger Carr, The Other Emily explores the life of a creative, vibrant west coast woman who was ahead of her time. Through her passionate paintings, sketches and writings of the forests, oceans and First Nations of this province, Carr crafted much of our British Columbia identity. “She used her own way of seeing to interpret our landscape and society from a unique and individual perspective. It still connects with us today, and resonates as a truly
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Canadian interpretation,” says archivist and historian Kathryn Bridge, who curates the exhibition. This new-twist-on-an-established-theme exhibition features Manon Elder’s paintings alongside historical photographs, Carr’s own artworks and period clothing, as well as other museum artifacts and objects. The partnership with a contemporary artist is a first for the Royal BC Museum and the results are stunning. Elder has captured the young, vibrant Emily and put colour and life into archival images.
Small, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009. Manon Elder, oil on canvas.
The Royal BC Museum’s collection of Emily Carr’s life and work are extensive and multi-faceted. The museum holds Carr’s literary papers, her correspondences, hundreds of paintings and thousands of sketches. No other institution has such diversified or rich Carr materials. And because we’re a museum, an archives, and a library, we can draw on a wide range of items to present Emily Carr in a way you never knew. Using material that’s never been exhibited before, The Other Emily moves beyond discussion of the art style and the artist’s career to explore her whole person. The exhibition challenges the stereotyped images in the public mind of the artist herself—and of her life in general. You’ll not see the typical images of Carr later in life. Instead, the Royal BC Museum brings you the other Emily.
We can’t wait to share her story with you. Emily and Richard Carr BC Archives I-60892
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NEW!
Look for What’s INSIGHT Kids in your next newsletter.
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FEATURE
Sent Packing: Aliens Among Us Begins its Journey House Sparrow
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website of its kind from a Canadian museum - a site that not only educates, but allows visitors to track alien species using Google Maps. Visitors can upload the location of an alien sighting, images if they have them, and field notes. The website also offers the opportunity to ask questions of our amazing curators or collection managers.
In May, our popular exhibition, Aliens Among Us, will hit the road, travelling to nine BC museums over a two-year period. American bullfrogs, Scotch broom, smallmouth bass and purple loosestrife are just a few of the featured species. Sponsored by BC Hydro and supported by recent fundraising, Aliens Among Us explains how the species arrived in the province, what individuals can do to protect their communities, and how the aliens fit in – or don’t fit in – with their environments. The exhibit’s first stop will be Craig Heritage Park and Museum in Parksville from May 14 until August 8. A full tour schedule will be posted on our website in April.
The interactive iPhone application was made possible by the John and Joan Walton Innovation Fund. It allows users to upload photos and text to a virtual exhibition. GPS mapping helps pinpoint the location of posts, and the data is recorded along with photos and comments.
Woodlouse Spider
he Royal BC Museum is always on the hunt for ways to put our collections and knowledge to good use. As a leader in the natural history of British Columbia, and with the broadest collection of the province’s documented alien species – we realized that we could contribute significantly to the public conversation about British Columbia’s alien invasion.
So when you’re out and about in BC’s backyard this year, look for the Aliens Among Us exhibition, spend some time surfing the virtual exhibition, and don’t forget to download the iPhone application. You’ll be helping us make history as one of the first public research projects of this kind!
As part of this travelling exhibition, we’ve developed an exclusive website and an iPhone application. All three components will work together to connect scientists and researchers with people on the ground. Gorse
The Aliens Among Us website is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and is part of the Virtual Museum of Canada project. This is the first interactive www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
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WINTER 2010
FEATURE
The Digital Museum
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ack in 1995 – a short 16 years ago - we were among the first museums in Canada to enter the online world with an official website. Our fledgling website enabled us to share more of our collective history and reach every corner of the province and the world. Now, our website is one of the most popular in the province and has about five million views each year. Last year, we tested the waters again with social media, launching a Facebook page to better communicate with online visitors, a YouTube presence to display our videos, and a blog to allow our experts to offer their insights into the deeper reaches of the museum collection. This year, we’re building on that. We have launched the Royal BC Museum Twitter feed and will be creating a social media channel specifically for our newest exhibition, The Other Emily. Millie 2.0: The Other Emily blog (Emily Carr was called Millie by those who knew her) will offer additional nuggets of information, audio clips from friends of Carr, photos from the BC Archives and stories - lots of rich and wonderful stories - about Emily Carr. Our new tools are all about conversation and like all good conversations, we can’t do all the talking! We want you to be part of the dialogue…ask questions, engage our curators, and share your experiences. There is no better way to stay up-to-date with the museum, connect with like-minded people, and learn a thing or two along the way. Join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or check out our blogs. Join the conversation this spring! Facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum Twitter The Royal BC Museum Blog – http://blog.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/ Millie 2.0 The Other Emily Blog YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/ RoyalBCMuseum Flickr
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We’re happy to announce a new membership relationship with the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Friends of the Empress is an exclusive program designed to reward valued, loyal guests with privileged offers and benefits. Enrollment is complimentary to residents of BC and features special offers at The Fairmont Empress and its preferred partners. Visit www.friendsoftheempress.ca.
www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
CURATOR’S CORNER
Kathryn Bridge, Curator of The Other Emily
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e’ve heard of her. We’ve seen her work. And a few of us have even read her writings. She’s Emily Carr, Canadian thinker, artist and writer—and lover of all things on the BC coast. But did you know there’s a different Carr? More precisely, would you like to meet the creative young woman who painted and wrote her way into becoming one of this nation’s most staggeringly talented creative icons? This spring, visit our newest exhibition, The Other Emily: Redefining Emily Carr. We’ll introduce you to the Emily you’ve never met.
In shaping The Other Emily, Bridge used historic photos as jumping-off points for incorporating elements of the existing Royal BC Museum collection into Elder’s series of portraits. Bridge examined archival photos for clues about clothing styles, ornamentation and setting; and then the Royal BC Museum team sifted through the collections to pair the photographs with artifacts to create a three-dimensional feel to the images. The result? An exhibition that offers a refreshing new twist on an established theme, featuring Elder’s paintings alongside original photographs, artifacts, and Carr’s own charismatic creations.
While the Royal BC Museum holds the largest Emily Carr collection in the world, there are always new things to discover from examining those collections.
“Even though we thought we knew everything about Emily Carr, our research has unearthed new details, and given us a different twist on her.” ‑— Exhibition Curator, Kathryn Bridge Haida Totems, Cha-atl QCI BC Archives pdp00612
How did we find that twist? We teamed up with contemporary artist, Manon Elder, whose passion for Emily Carr led her to create a portrait series that’s a total departure from the eccentric persona we’ve come to associate with Carr. Several years ago, Elder was leafing through some lesser-publicized images in our archives. She realized that the customary depiction of Carr ignored the enigmatic woman’s earlier years. Whereas wider society had traditionally been handed an older, gruff, idiosyncratic Carr, Elder discovered a vibrant and creative young Emily.
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WHAT’S ON There’s always something happening. Check our home page and What’s On calendar at www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca for more.
LIVE@LUNCH - Noon to 1pm Bring your lunch and enjoy a free, monthly presentation on a wide variety of topics throughout the year. Newcombe Conference Hall, Royal BC Museum. Kjerstin Mackie, Textile Conservator, Royal BC Museum Wednesday, April 6
On the Historic Pilgrim Trail to Santiago de Compostela
An 800 km walk across northern Spain. Dr. Rob Butler, Director of The Nature Trust Wednesday, May 4
Optimism for the Future
Dr. Butler explains that although our world is facing some large environmental issues, there is reason for optimism. Claudia Copley, Entomology Collections Manager, Royal BC Museum. Wednesday, June 8
Ecuador: A Global Hotspot for Biological Diversity
Learn about the “mega-diverse” country of Ecuador.
FRIENDS OF THE ARCHIVES
Coming events & exhibitions
Sunday, May 15th 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Bruce McIntrye Watson: “Lives Lived West of the Divide, 1793-1858” DISCOVER
Join Discover at the Royal BC Museum: Behind the Scenes exhibition on the second floor where presenters will discuss a range of topics. Presentations are included with regular same-day admission or membership. For schedule of presentation topics, visit the What’s On calendar. Presentations take place daily from 1:15 to 1:45 pm.
A series of special 3 - hour family workshops are offered by RBCM curators and visiting experts. TIME: 1:00 to 4:00 pm WHERE: Student Lunchroom ADMISSION: $10 + HST per person (10% discount for Members) Tickets can be purchased at the Royal BC Museum box office or online.
I-Spy Saturdays: Tree-mendous
Celebrate International Year of Forests! Explore the museum gardens for clues in a fun matching game, make a cast of a leaf just like the ones in the galleries, and plant a tree in Thunderbird Park. WHEN: Saturday, April 9
Team up with Royal BC Museum and Natural History Society experts at Willows Beach. Discover the intertidal zone at its most exposed, and participate in seine net searches. WHEN: Saturday, June 4
Sunday, March 20th 2:00 to 3:30 pm
See the book ad on the back cover of this newsletter. Sunday, April 17th 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Dr. Patricia Roy: “Richard McBride: A Young British Columbian in A Young Province”
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WHAT’S NEW The Royal BC Museum
The Other Emily: Redefining Emily Carr
Until October 10, 2011 Don’t miss the The Other Emily gift shop next to the exhibition on the 2nd Floor.
CONTINUING
Behind the Scenes Part One: Natural History Until October 10, 2011
COMING SOON
Planet in Focus Film Festival April 15 to 17
Visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca for more details.
Join us for April Fools April 1 to 3
Visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca for more details.
IMAX FEATURES
I-Spy Family Saturday: Low Tide Lookout
These events are free for members of Friends of the Archives, $5.00 for nonmembers, payable at the door. All events take place in the Newcombe Conference Hall, Royal BC Museum.
Dan Savard: “Images From the Likeness House”
TIME: 1:00 to 4:00 pm WHERE: Student Lunchroom ADMISSION: $25. Must register in advance. Tickets can be purchased at the Royal BC Museum box office or online.
I-SPY SATURDAYS – FAMILY WORKSHOPS
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MUSEUM
ECO-SHOPS – ADULT WORKSHOPS
Join topic specialists and community experts in a panel discussion and then practical workshop on how to make sustainable choices for your own personal projects.
A Sustainable Pantry
WHEN: Saturday, April 9
Now Playing TRON: LEGACY: The IMAX Experience Arabia Legends of Flight Journey into Amazing Caves Coming Soon Born to be Wild Opens April 8
Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France Returns May 6
For opening and closing times please visit imaxvictoria.com or phone 250-953-4629.
Profiles OUR STAFF MEMBER
OUR PARTNER Shaw
Melissa Frey Melissa is one of the new faces at the museum, having joined the natural history team in August, 2010 as Curator of Invertebrates. Melissa had quite the route getting here. She grew up in Ohio, completed her Masters degree at SUNY Stony Brook in New York, lived in Barbados, worked for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and carried out her PhD at the University of California Davis – all before finally landing in Victoria. It’s a good fit according to Melissa, “Victoria is the perfect size, it’s a great community and I feel very fortunate to be here.” When she isn’t studying molluscs or teaching children about invertebrates, she likes hiking, tide pooling, taking photos, or paddling on the water. She’s even joined an outrigger canoe team “to become part of the community and to meet people with different interests.”
OUR MUSEUM MEMBER Trevor, Jean, Emmlyn, Evan and Xavier Wingert After spending 14 years in Singapore, Trevor and Jean returned to Victoria with their family. Trevor had fond memories of visiting RBCM as a child and wanted to pass on the experience to his kids, so they bought a family membership. Their favourite part of the Royal BC Museum is Old Town with the cobbled streets, sounds and smells of Victoria past. The Wingerts love to watch the Charlie Chaplin movie in the Majestic theatre and listen to the trains go by. The museum is also a favourite for their out-of-town guests. Do you want to share your RBCM story? In every What’s Insight newsletter we highlight a member and it could be you! Tell us why you love the Royal BC Museum and you could be featured in an upcoming newsletter. Email us at membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca and tell us why the museum and membership is special to you. The deadline for the next issue is May 15.
Need to get in touch?
General Inquiries 8 info@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Shaw and its family of companies believe in helping communities to flourish and grow by investing in important projects, such as The Other Emily exhibition. As our presenting sponsor, Shaw provides direct financial support. This enables us to create and deliver a topquality exhibition and helps make some of our hosted Emily events so memorable. Shaw is also working with us to tell the story of Emily’s early years through their own TV programming. The hosts of Urban Rush, Vancouver’s award-winning entertainment talk show, will soon add The Other Emily to their long list of famous guests from film, television, sports, food, fashion, music and pop culture. This allows us to reach a different audience, in a different way, much like Emily herself. Corporate sponsorship of feature exhibitions is critical to our continuing success. Shaw’s financial support, and its belief in our contribution to the BC community, allows us to create powerful and authentic new experiences while keeping admission affordable. Shaw Communications is a diversified communications company whose core business is providing broadband cable television, high-speed internet, digital phone, telecommunications services and satellite direct-to-home services. Over 3.4 million customers are connected to Shaw through a network made up of 625,000 kilometres of fibre. That’s almost enough to reach the moon and back!
Membership Department ) 250-356-7226 or 1-888-447-7977 (Toll Free)
Membership Inquires membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
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New publications from the Royal BC Museum Images from the Likeness House David Savard
BC Book Prize Finalist In Images from the Likeness House, Dan Savard explores the relationship between First Peoples in British Columbia, Alaska and Washington and the photographers who made images of them from the late 1850s to the 1920s.
Feeding the Family
100 Years of Food and Drink in Victoria Nancy Oke and Robert Griffin Feeding the Family tells the stories of Victoria’s early food and drink suppliers, manufacturers and retailers – the many colourful characters, the businesses that prospered or failed, the inventors, innovators and crooks.
Sister and I
From Victoria to London Emily Carr Forward by Kathryn Bridge Sister and I presents Emily Carr’s whimsical account of her trip across Canada, written and illustrated in her own hand, directly from Carr’s original notebook. This one-of-a-kind book is introduced by Kathryn Bridge, who places it in context with Carr’s life and works.
These and other Royal BC Museum books can be purchased from the Royal Museum shop or online at www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Printed on paper containing 10% post-consumer recycled fibre.
Membership Department 675 Belleville Street Victoria, BC V8W 9W2