Vancouver Philanthropists Donate E.J. Hughes Masterpiece to Emily Carr University

Peter and Joanne Brown gift painting by acclaimed B.C. artist

Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) celebrated today the donation of E.J. Hughes’ iconic painting Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC at an event attended by various members of university community – including donor Peter Brown and his family.

“The donation of this painting is further evidence of Peter and Joanne Brown’s commitment to the arts in general and to Emily Carr University in particular,” says Dr. Ron Burnett, President and Vice-Chancellor of ECU. “E.J. Hughes was one of the greatest painters this province has ever produced, and we hope that the presence of this painting on campus will inspire future generations of artists.”

This is the Browns’ second major donation to the University. The Peter and Joanne Brown Foundation were significant contributors to ECU’s THE BIG IDEA capital campaign, which helped fund the University’s new Great Northern Way campus. They also generously gave ECU a sculpture by Canadian artist Joe Fafard titled Emily Carr and Friends.

Completed in 1948, the oil-on-canvas painting depicts two steamships that used to ply the coastal waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland. It was originally purchased by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia in 1952.