Curator Talk: Dr. Richard Hill
Sat Mar 7–Sat Feb 14, 2026 | 2–3:30 PM
[left to right] Richard Hill; Emily Carr, Untitled, 1931–32 (detail), oil on canvas, Collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Emily Carr Trust, VAG 42.3.167, Photos: Vancouver Art Gallery
Join Dr. Richard Hill, Smith Jarislowsky Senior Curator of Canadian Art, to explore Emily Carr’s profound engagement with the landscapes of British Columbia.
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature, in this lecture, Hill will examine how Carr translated her direct experiences of nature into paintings that seek to express a divine essence. Through close analysis of Carr’s work and writings, he will discuss the tensions between the particular and the universal in her landscapes, her engagement with European Romantic and modernist traditions, and the ways her artistic vision shaped subsequent representations of British Columbia’s forests. Hill will also address Carr’s depiction of Indigenous subjects.
This talk is free for Experiences and Artist Circle Members and ticketed at the reduced price of $5 for Ideas Members and $10 for Access Pass Holders. For non-members, the talk will be $10 in addition to the cost of Gallery admission.
Registration is required. Space is limited. Seating is first come, first served. Priority will be given to those who register. Doors will open at 1:30 PM.
If cost is a barrier to you or if you have any access requests for this event, please reach out to learn@vanartgallery.bc.ca or call 604 662 4700.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Richard Hill is the Smith Jarislowsky Senior Curator of Canadian Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery and curator of the exhibition That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature. He has worked as a curator, critic and historian of Indigenous and Canadian art for three decades. He was Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies at Emily Carr University of Art and Design from 2015 until December 2021. Prior to this, he was Associate Professor at York University, teaching courses in art history, curatorial practice and graduate research methods. Hill also worked at the Art Gallery of Ontario, where, with Dr. Anna Hudson, he oversaw the museum’s first substantial efforts to collect historic Indigenous North American art and display it in the permanent collection galleries. Hill’s essays on art have appeared internationally in numerous books, exhibition catalogues and periodicals.