Gordon Smith is one of Canada’s most revered and honoured artists – and one of Emily Carr’s most beloved alumni. In 1995, he and his late wife, Marion established the Gordon and Marion Smith Scholarship to provide opportunities to emerging artists.

Born in England, Gordon Smith has lived and worked in Vancouver since the early 1940s. Best known internationally as a painter and printmaker, his work has shown at the Smithsonian Institute, the Guggenheim Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the MOMA in New York, and the National Gallery of Canada.

Amongst Gordon’s many honours and citations are the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia, the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement, and he has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Emily Carr, UBC and SFU. In 2002, the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists was established to support the North Vancouver School District’s acclaimed Artists for Kids program, and, more recently, the operation of the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art.

At age 94, Gordon works in his studio every day and continues to push his practice in new directions. His most recent exhibition, Studio Attractions, took place at the Equinox Gallery last year, where he has exhibited since 1996.

When the Gordon + Marion Smith Visual Arts Studio plaque was unveiled at Emily Carr in 2005 to honour their lifelong support of the arts and art education, Gordon shared, “Emily Carr is very important to Vancouver and Canada, and we are strong supporters of its mandate to promote innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in society.”