Buildings & Structures Archives | Made for This Place: The Leighton Legacy

Marion Nicoll, Bighorn Camp, 1933

Marion Nicoll, Bighorn Camp, 1933, oil on canvas Marion Nicoll, née MacKay, was one of A.C.’s most promising students in the early 1930s. At A.C.’s prompting, she became […]

A Centre for the Community

♪ Stephanie Doll: The sense I get from people is that the Leighton Centre means so much to the community and it means so much to the people […]

The House the Ace & Barbara Built

(Birds Chirping) ♪ A.C. Leighton: I like the mountains and the peaks and the glaciers. That’s where I want to be and that’s what I want to paint. […]

Barbara Builds a Home for Art

Robert Ollerenshaw: When I first met Barbara, she said, “You know, Robert, you’re never gonna be enthused or happy with your career unless you do something creative.” And […]

Barbara and a Student, circa 1970s

Architectural Drawing, circa 1955

A.C. Leighton designed and built several houses during his life with Barbara—some accounts claim there were up to 10. This is a drawing for their final home at […]

One of the Leightons’ Homes, Possibly in Crescent Beach, no date

This house may be the home that A.C. built when he and Barbara lived in Crescent Beach, British Columbia. As with all of the homes that he built, […]

The Leightons’ Home “Red Willow”, 2016

In 1930 A.C. built the house that would be the first home he and Barbara shared; they called it Red Willow. It still stands today in Woodbine in […]

Guests at an Exhibition Opening Reception, 2019

The Leighton Art Centre still showcases artwork in the house gallery. With several exhibits throughout the year, hundreds of guests come to see artwork by professional and emerging […]

Barbara in the Green Room, circa 1980s

If Barbara invited you for tea in her living atrium, you were expected to attend, but those who did never regretted it. She was very welcoming and hospitable. […]

Weavers, circa 1980

A group of weavers sit on the deck of the weaving studio sorting wool.

Barbara Teaching a Young Girl to Weave, circa 1970s

Barbara never had children of her own but she loved them. When the centre opened children became a central part of her life. She taught them how to […]