BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Elizabeth Rowen (Rowena) McNair
(m Arthur Morell)

December 16 1915 - October 31 2011

Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (Diploma 1935)
Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association


Rowen (Rowena) McNair was born in Burnaby. She was an early graduate from the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, receiving her diploma in 1935.

She attended the 1935 art school summer camp on Savary Island, and contributed a short poem titled Goodbye to one issue of The Savary Pudding.

The Spring 1936 edition of The Smock Pocket, the Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association newsletter, noted that "Mrs. E.R. Morrell, prior to Sept. 10th, 1935 was Rowen McNair, '35. She is now at 3519 Claude Ave."

In 2004 she was living in Salmon Arm, where she died in 2011.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK

References

Attendee at the 1935 Vancouver School of Art Summer Camp
  (refer to SUMMER SKETCHING CAMP - SAVARY ISLAND)

THE SAVARY PUDDING folio by Frederick A. Amess, private collection.
   Original drawings, paintings and text by Amess, C.H. Scott, Grace Melvin,
       H. Mortimer Lamb, Plato von Ustinov, and other students and visitors.
   June 1935 (various dates), June 1939 (various dates)
   52 loose 12"x18" sheets of brown sketch paper

Obituary, Globe and Mail, November 5 2011

Clippings

"Farewell to the Green Sea that sparkles in the sun
And the dark fir;
The white wing, curving that we love
The soft stir,
The low shush of all the leaves above
The quiet whirr
of branches blowing in the sun at Savary
-
The great sky of deep celestial blue
And the pale star, the long wave washing in the night
The Shine afar -
The Silver of the moon - delight at Savary."
      From "Farewell" by Rowena McNair
      Savary Pudding, Vol. 2, 1935


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