BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Elizabeth Audrey Amess (Betty)

(nee Elliott, m Frederick Amess)

August 12 1916 - February 13 1983

Vancouver School of Art (Diploma 1939)
West Vancouver Sketch Club
B.C. Society of Fine Arts

Betty Elliott was born in Victoria in 1916. She was an early graduate from the Vancouver School of Art. In 1931-32 she received a W.G. Murrin Scholarship of $50.00 open to first year students. In 1936-37 she received a merit certificate. In 1938 she won the Mrs. B.T. Rogers Scholarship of $50.00 open to third year students. She received her diploma in 1939, winning the School Scholarship of $50.00 open to 1939 graduates.

As Betty Elliott she exhibited work in the B.C. Artists annual exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery, living at Caulfeild, West Vancouver.

In 1940 she received a Post-Graduate Endorsement in Drawing and Painting, with Honors in Painting.

In 1941 Elliott married Fred Amess, who was then the Director of the Vancouver Schoool of Art. After that she exhibited her work as Elizabeth (Betty) Amess.

She was a member of the West Vancouver Sketch Club from 1957 to 1971.

Elizabeth Amess exhibited in the 1945 British Columbia At Work exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

In 1946 she had a small solo exhibition of her paintings, including oils, watercolours, and a pen drawing.

She entered four pen and ink drawings to the 1949 B.C. Graphic exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, but none of them were selected for the exhibition as they "did not come in".

Amess died at Lion's Gate Hospital in North Vancouver in 1983.


Print by Betty and Fred Amess

Also, per card file at Vancouver Art Gallery Library:
     B.C. Society of Fine Arts 1958
     VAG annual B.C. Artist exhibitions: 1950-56

Exhibitions

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1946 Aug. 30 - Sept. 18 Exhibition of Paintings Vancouver Art Gallery

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1936 Sept. 18 - Oct. 11 VAG   B.C. Artists 5th Annual Nasturtiums
1936 Oct. 15 - 20 VAG   B.C. Artists Chilliwack Exhibition Nasturtiums
1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8 VAG   B.C. Artists 8th Annual Captain Kettle
Sketch
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual Siesta
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual Nicomen Island Farm
1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 VAG   B.C. Artists 11th Annual Snoo Dekking
Composition
Tintype
1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer Snoo Dekking
1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 VAG   B.C. Artists 13th Annual Stable Scene
1945 May 18 - June 10 BCSFA   35th Annual Hayrick
Pencil Drawing
1945 July 3 - Aug. 26 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Summer Hayrick
1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 VAG   B.C. Artists 14th Annual Shoeing
White Mare
1945 ? - ? FCA   B.C. Artists Selections from 14th Ann. Shoeing
1945 Nov. 13 - Dec. 2 Labour Arts Guild   B.C. At Work Line Testing
1946 July 2 - 28 VAG   Jubilee Exhibition Shoeing
1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 15th Annual Fly Box and Indian Whale
1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 VAG   B.C. Artists 16th Annual Boy on the Beach
Vaseaux Lake
1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 VAG   First B.C. Graphic Knitters (did not come in)
Little Bull (did not come in)
The Field (did not come in)
Dog (did not come in)
1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 VAG   B.C. Artists 19th Annual Tree

References

BRITISH COLUMBIA WOMEN ARTISTS 1885-1985 (refer to AGGV85)

MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS -
SPRING EXHIBITIONS 1880 - 1970 (refer to MM88)

A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
      Brief info on the artist.

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
     Not listed.

WEST VANCOUVER SKETCH CLUB - LIST OF MEMBER 1947-1977 (refer to WVSC)

VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF ART - LIST OF GRADUATES & STUDENTS (refer to VSA)

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE marriage, death (refer to BCVS)

Clippings

"Among some of the most striking oil paintings are Elizabeth Amess' "Line Test," ... "
      From "B.C. Industry Lives in Gallery Display"
      Newspaper unknown, (November 1945)

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