This year the jury recognized Charles C. Hill, Johanne Lamoureux, and Ian M. Thom as well as the National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada, Vancouver Art Gallery, and Douglas & McIntyre for Emily Carr: new perspectives on a Canadian icon / Emily Carr: nouvelles perspectives sur une légende canadienne. The jury commented as follows:

To Canadian art librarians the subject of this substantial publication is no stranger since more has been written about Emily Carr than any other Canadian artist. It may seem superfluous to add another publication to an already extensive bibliography, but as the title suggests, Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon brings together fresh and diverse views of this complex woman and the many themes which shaped her life and art. The essays, by nine distinguished historians and critics, survey the exhibition and reception of Carrés work chronologically and examine the artist's influences in depth. Previous scholarship on Carr is recognized, and there is an extensive bibliography including works inspired by Carr as well as primary and secondary sources. The inclusion of a glossary of First Nations place names with a map is very helpful in identifying the location of the aboriginal villages, many which have disappeared which she painted. The images in the book are outstanding and include exhibition installations, as well as work by contemporaries of Carr. The publication is hampered by the lack of an index, but the texts and images are well laid out making the publication easy to navigate through. This will surely not be the final word on Carr, but for a 21st century audience this publication is a rich, comprehensive examination of this important artist and her role in the history of Canadian art.

The Melva J. Dwyer Award is administered by the ARLIS/NA Canada Chapter, in honour of Melva J. Dwyer, former head librarian of the University of British Columbia Fine Arts Library.é The award recognizes her dedication and lifetime contribution to art librarianship, and is given each year to the creator of an outstanding reference or research tool relating to Canadian art or architecture.

The award was officially presented on April 29th, 2007 at the convocation ceremony during the ARLIS/NA (Art Libraries Society of North America) annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

For more information contact:

Marilyn Nasserden
Chair, ARLIS/NA Canada Chapter
Phone: (403) 220-3795
Fax: (403) 282-6024
E-mail: Marilyn.Nasserden@ucalgary.ca