Tuesday, August 14, 2007


In 2004 I was hired by the Vancouver Arts Awards to photograph all of that year's recipients. One of them was Martha Lou Henley. My friend Doug Tuck from the Vancouver Opera spoke highly of Louie as everybody who knows her calls her. There would be a few reasons to speak highly of Louie as she is quietly friendly and has a fantastic and warm smile. But perhaps the biggest reason for the Vancouver Opera to appreciate her is that Louie has managed to give away two million dollars to them. She is a rare breed in our parts. She is a philanthropist. Her Vancouver Arts Awards bio does not tell the side of Lou that I have learned to appreciate.

Last Friday I was invited to a celebration on the life of architect Ian Davidson at the Elliot Louis Gallery at Arthur Erickson's Waterfall Building. The photograph of Erickson in this link happens to be the one I took that same year as Henley as he, too was a recipient of the Vancouver Arts Awards.

At this celebration all the key players of Vancouver's art scene were there. I was introduced to them by my companion and friend (also a philanthropist) architect Abraham Rogatnick. I felt like a duck out of water. But then I saw her smile and Louie came up to me and I felt right at home.

Since my photograph of Ian Davidson was used for that evening's events. Davidson had died July 22. I told Louie, "Please live long. Live at least -- years. I don't want to come to one of these and see my photograph of you up." "Well, let's see," she said, "In -- years I will be 93. It is unlikely that I will be around."

I hope she is. I would miss that smile.