BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
She graduated with honours from the Glasgow School of Art in 1918. She exhibited her work at the Royal Scottish Academy, at the National Gallery of Canada between 1928 and 1934, and with the Royal Canadian Academy in 1932.
In 1927 she exhibited an illumination with the Island Arts and Crafts Society. In 1928 she wrote an article titled Pattern for the third edition of The Paint Box, the art school's annual. The article was illustrated with woodcuts by Ada Currie, one of the school's students.
Melvin illustrated The Indian Speaks for Marius Barbeau in 1943, and achieved national notice. Her solo exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1943 consisted of 42 illustrations for the book.
She submitted three ink drawings to the 1949 B.C. Graphic exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, two of them were selected for the exhibition.
In 1961 a short artist summary on Melvin's personal letterhead was provided to the Vancouver Art Gallery.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE | EXHIBITION | LOCATION |
1943 May 14 - 27 | Illustrations - The Indian Speaks | VAG |
1954 April 6 - May 12 | Paintings in chalk and water-colour | VAG |
1955 June 14 - 27 | Paintings in chalk and water-colour | The Arts Centre of Greater Victoria |
1966 April 1 - 30 | Poetic Realism | Burnaby Art Gallery, 7252 Kingsway |
1974 August 12 - 24 | Flowers of the Easel | Bau-Xi Gallery, 3003 Granville St. |
DATE | EXHIBITION | ARTWORK |
1922 Sept. 16 - 23 | BCSFA 14th Annual Exhibition | To Our Guest |
Requiem | ||
Illumination on Vellum | ||
To Our Guest | ||
1932 May - July | VAG All Canadian Exhibition | The Year |
Amor Vincit Omnia | ||
St. Marks, Venice | ||
1932 Oct. 5 - 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 1st Annual | Life's Pageant (Illumination) |
Madonna (Illumination) | ||
Arbutus and Fir | ||
The Cottage in the Cove | ||
1933 May 20 - 31 | VAG Palette & Chisel Club Exhibition | Illumination |
The Beatitudes | ||
Luther's Cradle Hymn | ||
Life's Pageant | ||
Triptych Altar Piece | ||
Church Altar Piece | ||
1933 Sept. 22 - Oct. 15 | VAG B.C. Artists 2nd Annual | And Night Came |
Evening Glory, Red Roofs, B.C. | ||
1942 Nov. 3 - 15 | FCA Red Cross Benefit | (no information available) |
1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 | VAG First B.C. Graphic | Indian Legend - The Curse of Kamalmouk |
Indian Legend - The Dream of Kamalmouk | ||
The Urge of Spring (rejected) | ||
1956 Feb. 28 - March 18 | VAG BCSA 46th Annual | The Fishermen Move Out (Coral Reef, Honolulu) |
1957 March 5 - 24 | VAG BCSA 47th Annual | Rough Waters - Hornby Island |
Tropic Seas - Honolulu | ||
1958 Feb. 4 - 22 | VAG BCSA 48th Annual | Rock, Sea and Sky |
The Beach |
100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)
B.C. PAINTINGS BURNABY 58 (refer to BAG58)
B.C. ARTISTS 27th ANNUAL (refer to BCA58)
SPRING EXHIBITION - FCA - BC REGION (refer to FCA64)
SOME PAINTERS OF THE B.C. MAINLAND (refer to AGGV66)
B.C. ARTISTS' TRIBUTE TO COLIN GRAHAM (refer to AGGV74)
CONTEMPORARIES OF EMILY CARR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to SFU74)
VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF ART - THE EARLY YEARS, 1925 - 1939,
by E. Theodore Lindberg
1980 Sept. 15 - Oct 15, The Inaugural Exhibition of the Charles H. Scott Gallery; no ISBN
Exhibition catalogue, 36 pages; instructor & student work illustrated in colour and b&w
Includes colour plate of Melvin's Halleluia, gold and oil paint on vellum
VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)
BRITISH COLUMBIA WOMEN ARTISTS 1885-1985 (refer to AGGV85)
EARLY BRITISH COLUMBIAN WOMAN ARTISTS (refer to HG95)
BEYOND THE CANVAS - Artists, Stories and the Sea (refer to VMM00)
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
WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)
THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)
ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY - List of Exhibitors
Represented by The Gallery of the Golden Key (refer to GGK)
VISUAL ARTS BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VABC77)
FROM DESOLATION TO SPLENDOUR (refer to FDTS77)
Includes references to Melvin, colour plate of Red Mountain and Garibaldi Lake
(1927 gouache on paper)
BRITISH COLUMBIA ART COLLECTION 1974-80 (refer to BCAC80)
ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979
(refer to RCA81)
Lists 2 illuminations on vellum exhibited in 1932.
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)
MY RECOLLECTIONS OF GRACE MELVIN by Irene Alexander
A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
One page biography, numerous references.
VANCOUVER ARTIST: Grace Melvin
2001 July; by Michael Clark, Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design.
Visions newsletter, Volume 7 Issue 3, page 10.
One page biography with 2 illustrations of her work.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
9 references cited for Melvin.
THE FECKLESS COLLECTION (refer to FECK18)
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)
"Two examples of illumination by Grace W. Melvin
would be admired by even the uneducated public. There is no need for any
special education to perceive their beauty. They take us back to the work of
centuries ago, which would hold its own if it were exhibited now."
From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts" by
Bernard McEvoy
Vancouver Province, April 28 1928
"The black and white prints and a few water colors that were crowded out of the North
Gallery are hanging in the print room. Here are represented E.J.
Cherry, W.P. Weston,
J.W.G. Macdonald, B.A. Fry,
Grace Melvin and others."
From "B.C. Artists Reveal Talent at Show"
unknown newspaper, October 1932
"It's time to leave you again and return to sanity and city life -
But is it sanity? Sanity to part from altogether congenial
company, from the noise and racket of friendly argument,
laughter and a continuous 3-ring circus. To say good-bye to
sunsets that whirl you in ecstacy (sic) & drench you with
bewildering colour, to the movement of sunshine and shadow on
the mountains and the music of the water - Farewell - Savary 1935 -
and may we have many Happy Returns."
From "Good old Savary" by Grace Melvin
Savary Pudding, Vol. 2, 1935
"Miss Melvin gave a bairning recitation while
the audience "cuddled doon" in armchairs and enjoyed it immensely."
From "Personal"
Savary Pudding, June 9 1939
"Miss Melvin, running for Glasgow veterans beats
Beefy Marpole Freddy to tape in shipdeck 10-length handicap."
From " "GRACE" before "MEAT" "
Savary Pudding, 1939
" ... Among those contibuting paintings and drawings are: ... Grace W. Melvin ... "
From "Noted Artists Offer Paintings For Red Cross"
Vancouver Province (presumed), November 1942
"The staff consisted of F.H. Varley,
J.W.G. Macdonald, Charles Marega,
Kate Smith Hoole, and Grace Melvin."
From "A Short Art History of British Columbia" by
Charles H. Scott
Behind The Palette, June 1947
"The quality of painting in B.C. exhibitions has been greatly strengthened by
the inclusion of works by former students. This reflects the good work of a
loyal and enthusiastic staff consisting at present of
Grace W. Melvin,
Fred A. Amess,
B.C. Binning,
J.L. Shadbolt, and a number of other teachers, past
and present, in the Day, Evening and Saturday Morning Classes."
From "A Short Art History of British Columbia" by
Charles H. Scott
Behind The Palette, June 1947