Rosalin Te Omra, an honours student, graduated a year early in 1967 from Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver. After she entered the creative writing department at the University of British Columbia, a trip to Europe exploring art museums inspired Rosalin to pursue her BA in Art History, specializing in Canadian art. She graduated from UBC in 1972.

Her career in private galleries began in 1974 with the Diane Stimpson Gallery, followed by Contemporary Royale and Galerie Royale. All of these galleries were located within the 1912 heritage, Royal Bank of Canada building, at 2247 Granville Street in Vancouver, the building that Kenneth G. Heffel acquired in the summer of 1978 to begin the Heffel’s three-generation tradition in the Canadian art market.

Rosalin joined Kenneth G. Heffel Fine Art in 1978 as their first employee, and went on to develop a depth of expertise with Canadian artists such as Sybil Andrews, Emily Carr, Alex Colville, Gathie Falk, E.J. Hughes, Helen McNichol, Walter J. Phillips, Gordon Smith, Jack Shadbolt and the artists from The Group of Seven, to name only a few of many. Rosalin was also involved with the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver and was its President from 1992 to 1994. From 1993 to 1999, she was the curator for Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre Gallery.

The dynamic growth of Heffel brought to Rosalin a focus on research and writing to showcase the fine works brought to auction and private sale at Heffel. Rosalin was Director of Fine Canadian Art Research, researching, editing and writing essays for the Heffel printed and online catalogues. She also worked closely and in collaboration with many respected and accomplished guest writers for Heffel, who are academics and experts in their fields. Her career at Heffel spanned 45 years.

To honour Rosalin’s life and longstanding career in the Canadian art world, the Heffel family and team have established the Rosalin Te Omra Fund. Your gift will pay tribute to Rosalin’s life by supporting students following in her footsteps studying art history at UBC.