Our first student, Ada Robertson (1908-2010)
The Emily Carr community lost its first and oldest ambassador when Ada (Currie) Robertson passed away peacefully on February 24th at the age of 102. Mrs. Robertson graduated from the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (now Emily Carr) in 1929, and was the last of the original surviving students. As one of the first students, she played an important part in the school’s history and helped pave the way for current female students attending Emily Carr.
In 2000, Mrs. Robertson was one of the 75 original alumni selected to receive an Emily Award in celebration of the then-Institute’s 75th anniversary. According to her daughter Judith Robertson, Ada said that receiving an ‘Emily’ was one of the greatest moments of her life. Ada’s other daughter, Ellen Lockard shared that Ada remained “still very much interested in what was happening at the school,” and that Visions newsletter “kept her connected to the world of art and creativity.”
From the words of her children and acquaintances at Emily Carr, it is evident that Ada Robertson led a life well-lived. (Click here to learn more about Mrs. Robertson.)
