Person

Koerner, Iby

1899 - 1983

Ibolya (Iby) Ida Molnar was born in Budapest, Hungary, on July 28, 1899. She studied music at the Conservatory of Budapest and had a deep personal interest in music and art history. She married Otto Koerner in 1921, and the couple began what was to become an extensive art collection. In 1924 they had a daughter, Beatrice. The family fled Europe in 1938 and arrived at their destination, Vancouver, in April of 1939.

In Vancouver, Iby continued to pursue her artistic interests, growing her own personal art collection but becoming a significant figure in the development of the arts scene in Vancouver. She served on the board of the Community Arts Council, contributed to the development of both the Vancouver International Festival and the Community Music School (now the Vancouver Academy of Music). Iby also loaned items from the Koerner’s personal collection to local exhibitions, and she donated several works to the National Gallery of Canada (where she joined the Board of Trustees in 1963).

Iby’s dedication to the arts was recognized in many ways, including the Diplome d'Honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts in 1961, Order of Canada in 1972, and the L.L.D., Honoris Causa, from Simon Fraser University in 1980. She was inducted, posthumously, by the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1986, including a star on the Star Walk. Iby died at age 84 in December of 1983.

Draft

Authority record created by Kristina McGuirk, December 2017.

“A Debt Acknowledged: Iby Koerner’s Contribution to Vancouver.” British Columbia History, 39, no. 2 (2006): 12-20. DOI: 10.14288/1.0190697.

“2 million gift from the Koerner family to the Canadian Artists in Venice Endowment Fund.” Press release from the National Gallery of Canada Foundation (May 5, 2015): http://thomasdaquino.ca/wp-content/uploads/Michael-and-Sonja-Koerner-and-Family-Second-Naming-of-Space-Recognition-at-the-National-Gallery-of-Canada-May-5-2015-News-Release.pdf.