Traditional Coast Salish Lands including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Today, the Vancouver Art Gallery and Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) announced a fiveyear partnership that will significantly expand public access to one of British Columbia’s most unique research collections. Approximately 5,000 historic artist files will be loaned by the Gallery to the University’s Library + Archives.
Spanning nearly a century, from the Gallery’s founding in 1931 to the present day, these files document the rich history of art and artists in British Columbia, while offering insight into artists and practices not extensively documented elsewhere. The files offer an intimate record preserving rare photographs, personal and artistic correspondence, artist statements, exhibition catalogues, newspaper and journal clippings, and other ephemera. Many of the artists represented in the collection share deep historical ties with ECU as faculty, alumni or artistic collaborators.
The loan enhances ECU’s artist files—which primarily include university materials such as prospectuses, student publications, newsletters, memos and exhibition files—with the Gallery’s extensive records. Uniting them at the ECU Library + Archives opens a major, holistic primary-source record of B.C. art history to a new generation of artists, researchers, students, educators and the public, and strengthens the long-term stewardship of these important resources.
“Archival materials offer an extraordinary window into the ideas, relationships and creative practices that shape our cultural history,” says Eva Respini, Co-CEO & Chief Curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery. “We are thrilled to partner with Emily Carr University of Art + Design to expand access to these rare and remarkable materials. Our institutions have long been connected through the many artists who have taught, studied and worked at the university, and this partnership reflects our shared commitment to supporting artists, preserving their legacies and ensuring that B.C.’s rich artistic history continues to inform research and inspire future generations.”
In October 2025, ECU began celebrating its 100th anniversary with a wide-ranging suite of events, features and partnerships, including projects to reactivate the archives and deepen ties with the broader community. The Vancouver Art Gallery’s partnership builds on this effort and expands both institution’s legacies as keystone public art institutions within Vancouver, throughout British Columbia and beyond.
“With ECU celebrating its centennial and the Vancouver Art Gallery celebrating its own milestone of 95 years, this partnership builds on nearly a century of shared dedication to the advancement of public access to art and design,” says Dr. Trish Kelly, President + Vice-Chancellor at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. “These materials represent an invaluable research tool for our faculty and students, and their presence on campus creates new pathways for community members and the public to discover our province’s cultural histories and envision exciting new futures.”
Uniting the archival assets of both institutions creates an unparalleled visual arts research hub in Western Canada. ECU’s Archivist, Kristy Waller, will oversee the ongoing care, cataloguing and public reference requests for the artist files. Access to the materials is available by appointment through the ECU Library + Archives. Please contact archives@ecuad.ca to book a visit.
In partnership with:
ABOUT EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN
Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) is where creativity meets practice. As Canada’s leading art and design university, ECU offers hands-on, practice-based learning that equips students to experiment, take risks and drive innovation.
Since 1925, ECU has championed bold ideas and emerging talent through a close-knit, interdisciplinary environment that connects students with award-winning faculty, cutting-edge facilities, studio spaces and real-world opportunities. Based in Vancouver, ECU serves more than 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students, with thousands more engaged through continuing studies.
As ECU celebrates a century of creative leadership, its community continues to ask what art and design can make possible. 100 years in the making, ECU is shaping what comes next.
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER ART GALLERY
Founded in 1931 on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, the Vancouver Art Gallery is recognized as one of North America’s most innovative visual arts institutions. The Gallery’s celebrated exhibitions, extensive public programs and emphasis on advancing scholarship all focus on historical and contemporary art from British Columbia and around the world. Special attention is given to the accomplishments of Indigenous artists, as well as to those of the Asia Pacific region—through the Centre for Global Asias (formerly the Institute of Asian Art) founded in 2014. The Gallery’s exhibitions also explore the impact of images in the larger sphere of visual culture, design and architecture.
The Gallery’s new Art of Wellbeing lab furthers its commitment to community by promoting the role of art in fostering health and wellbeing. Developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, researchers and Indigenous Elders, the lab creates opportunities for individuals to engage with art in ways that support mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Committed to inclusivity and accessibility, the Gallery welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to share perspectives, build community and shape our collective future through art. The Vancouver Art Gallery is a charitable not-for-profit organization supported by its members, individual donors, corporate funders, foundations, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia through the B.C. Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
