Following the sale of Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC by E.J. Hughes at Heffel Fine Art Auction House for $4.75 million (Hammer Price), Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) is proud to announce the establishment of a student endowment in honour of E.J. Hughes. Made possible through the generous support of the Peter and Joanne Brown Foundation, the fund will give more students the freedom to reach their full potential. The announcement represents a defining legacy of ECU’s centennial year, reflecting the university’s mission to invest in the next century of art and design education.
“We need cultural transformation now more than ever, and ECU’s students and alumni are at the forefront of that work,” said Dr. Trish Kelly, ECU’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “ECU has always been a place where creatives come to develop the skills, perspective and confidence to shape culture and industry. This endowment strengthens our ability to support that, giving the next generation the means to say yes to opportunities, engage fully with their communities and step into the world ready to make an impact. During our centennial year, we have an obligation and an opportunity to invest in the next hundred years. This endowment is one expression of that commitment.”
Financial barriers should never determine who gets to pursue higher education. This endowment removes pressure and creates possibility, giving art and design students the freedom to pursue real-world experiences, develop solutions through experimentation, and focus on the transformative contributions only they can make. The fund will establish annual awards, supporting ECU students across multiple generations.
The connection between E.J. Hughes and ECU spans decades. Hughes studied at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Art, ECU’s predecessor institution, graduating in 1933 under teachers from the Group of Seven. He became the inaugural recipient of the Emily Carr Scholarship. Nearly 80 years after Hughes received his scholarship, the sale of Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC closes that circle with this new endowment.
ECU worked with Heffel Fine Art Auction House, Canada’s leading auction house for fine art, to conduct a public auction of the work. As a publicly funded institution, the open auction process was the most transparent and accountable approach to the disposition of a university asset. The proceeds will permanently endow student awards in Hughes’ name, ensuring his connection to ECU endures and positively impacts generations of change-makers to come.
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Kayla Stuckart
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