The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is all about Emily Carr: Seeing and Being Seen for the next year.

The showcase is divided into two sections, one half of the gallery looks at how Carr documented what was around her, highlighting many of the works she is praised and admired for today. The second half focuses on how artists and historians of various backgrounds and world views react to and interpret Carr’s legacy and body of work.

“Emily Carr’s legacy is intertwined with the land and sites of this region. She is celebrated for the way in which she articulated what she saw in these landscapes through painting and for how she interpreted and portrayed Indigenous village sites, landmarks, and culture,” said Nicole Stanbridge, the AGGV acting chief curator and exhibition co-curator.

The section called Seeing displays 13 of Carr’s works from the collection of the AGGV, including Odds and Ends, Big Eagle at Skidegate and Above the Gravel Pit. This half of the exhibition will focus on bringing a more fulsome narrative to the intersection of land and cultures that Carr was documenting through her work. It not only shows what Carr recorded through her paintings at these sites, but also what other stories and lived experiences exist there. That is the stories, peoples, and cultural significance that long precede these fleeting moments captured by a settler person at a very specific point and perspective in time.

Being Seen examines works by other artists impacted by Carr’s legacy. Artists who admire her work, historians who adore her, and works that hold her accountable and critique her engagement with Indigenous peoples. Showcased in this section are artists such as Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher, Pat Martin Bates, Jack Shadbolt, Isabel Hobbs, and Joan Cardinal-Schubert offering many varied perspectives to engage with. Schubert’s work titled Birch Bark Letters to Emily Carr: Astrolobe Discovery depicts letters written to and imagined conversations between Carr and the artist of Kainaiwa ancestry.

“All of these artists see Carr through their own unique vantage point, and contribute to the ongoing discussion about what her work and legacy represent. The lens through which artists are seen by others shapes their legacy throughout their lives and after they are gone, and Emily Carr is no exception,” exhibition co-curator, Mel Granley said.

The exhibition runs in the AGGV’s Graham Gallery through July 2022. For more information visit aggv.ca.

Mark Loria Gallery is extending its Transformers: Coastal Masks display to the end of September. Spanning 50 years of contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous masks, this exceptional collection of 30 masks displays the elaborate transformation myths and stories, and ceremonial translations. Including works by Simon Dick, Norman Tait, Hjalmer Wenstob, Kevin Cranmer, Silas Coon, and Dylan Thomas. Visit markloriagallery.com for more.

Karel Doruyter is Still Standing with a solo exhibition of new work at Madrona Gallery.

Doruyter’s paintings are inspired by the B.C. coast and its isolated landscapes. Looking inward at areas of spiritual and emotional isolation, the artist encourages viewers to consider the fragile balance of the rugged and beautiful ecosystems we call home. As an avid sailor, Doruyter’s travels have taken him across the West Coast and to the Canadian Arctic.

Born in Holland, Doruyter moved to Canada and attended the University of British Columbia from 1961 to 1968. He spent many years working in marine design which allowed him to explore the West Coast and would influence his subject matter and style. This will be his fourth solo exhibition with Madrona Gallery.

Visit madronagallery.com for more.

Owner and curator Peter Van Giesen has operated Central Art Studio & Gallery since 2017. The gallery in The Bay Centre reflects his philosophy that art is an integrated part of life so being in a mall puts the art in the flow of humanity.

Van Giesen paints on site and encourages people to experience the creative journey. The gallery focuses on artists living on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands. “I feel they are under-represented and the quality of work is top-notch,” he said. Artwork is displayed salon style with around 250 available to view.

Coming into an art gallery can be a pleasant thing, Van Giesen said, and he encourages those who are just looking. Learn more about the gallery at centralartstudiogallery.com.

The Avenue Gallery features artist William Liao from Sept. 6 to 13.

Artistic inspiration began at an early age for William. Growing up in Beijing, China after the Cultural Revolution, he was surrounded by classical Chinese culture as well as new European art. These are the influences which continue to define and inspire his work today. With seven years of professional training, he graduated from Beijing Normal University, with a bachelor of arts degree and a major in fine arts. Specializing in florals, landscapes and portraits, William’s paintings combine traditional mediums with modern techniques, providing his audience with another dimension of experience.

Patty Ripley is the highlighted artist Sept. 14 to 21.

See more at theavenuegallery.com.

The West End Gallery artists have been busy in their studios, and the gallery has received a stunning collection of new paintings from many of these sought-after and internationally collected artists.

Inspired by light, colour and landscape, these brilliant new artworks showcase the variety of talent from across the country. West End is excited to present new paintings from Alain Bédard, Vé Boisvert, Cameron Bird, Rod Charlesworth, Greta Guzek, Elena Henderson, Dana Irving, Ken Kirkby, Mary Ann Laing, Peter Wyse and many more. The gallery is open daily. Visit for more westendgalleryltd.com.

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Oak Bay News