Klee Wyck: The Laughing One

By Doreen Marion Gee

Emily Carr's artistic career got off to a shaky start. Born in 1871 in Victoria, she spent the years between 1890 and 1910 immersed in the study of art from San Francisco to Europe. But it was First Peoples' culture and our west coast landscapes that inspired her artistic genius. Coming back to B.C. in 1911, Emily started painting her majestic and legendary depictions of First Nation totem poles and the raw beauty of a virgin land. Carr was a revolutionary artist. She did not adhere to the conservatism of that time. With her passion for post-impressionism and Fauvism, Emily's artwork was alien to the artworld in Victoria and Vancouver. For many years, her poignant and haunting brush strokes were not given the recognition that they deserve. Her career picked up in the 1920s when Carr met the Group of Seven, who invited her to be part of one of their exhibits, thus starting a long and rewarding association with the seven renowned artists. Now on October 13, 2010, Victoria proudly  honours Emily Carr and her achievements in a bronze statue placed very near to those places where she ran and played as a child. It is a fitting homage to "Klee Wyck", The Laughing One.  The bronze treasure was sculpted by Edmonton artist Barbara Paterson, whose statues of the Famous Five suffragettes grace Parliament Hill. Paterson started her Emily Carr creation as a personal tribute to the artist she admired. She made a small maquette of the statue that has been a big attraction at Carr House on Government Street. The next stage was to honour Emily Carr in a full blown life size sculpture.

Just like Emily Carr's artistic career, it was a challenging journey to bring this statue to final glory. The "Emily Carr Statue Fund" was created in May 2004 by the Victoria Parks and Recreation Foundation but it was a challenge to get a steady stream of donations. The Foundation's first request for federal funding was turned down. In 2008, the Empress Hotel launched a fundraising campaign. After two years of campaigning, $400,000 has been raised to make Paterson's vision a reality. The two largest donations came this summer: $100,000 from Shaw Communications and $50,000 from Sidney residents Frank and Elizabeth Garnett. As a child, Frank Garnett was fascinated by the vision of Emily Carr and her round grey trailer, the Elephant, in Goldstream Park. Today, Carr signifies everything that is "Victoria" to this retired oil executive. After a final federal infusion of $40,000, Emily has finally come home.