Frank McKelvey (3 June 1895 – 30 June 1974) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

painter from

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Early life and education

Francis Baird McKelvey, also known as Frank McKelvey, was born 3 June 1895. He was born in

at 31 Woodvale Road. He was baptised at Saint Matthew's Parish Church. His

parent A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A ''biological parent'' is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male t ...

s William and Mary McKelvey had six children, three sons and three daughters. McKelevy was the second oldest. William, his father, was a decorator and painter. McKelvey attended Mayo Street National School in Belfast. When he was 16 he became a

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

apprentice to the firm, David Allen & Sons. They produced

postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as wood ...

s, posters and notices. McKelvey enrolled in the Belfast College of Art part time by attending evening classes until he left his employment in 1911 to study full-time. Alfred Rawlings Baker, McKelvey's art master, had great influence on him during his time at art college. McKelvey received numerous awards for his artworks including the

Sir Charles Brett Sir Charles Edward Bainbridge Brett, KBE, CBE (30 October 1928 - 19 December 2005), was a Northern Irish solicitor, journalist, author and founding member, and first chairman, of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS). He was known to ...

Prize, the Fitzpatrick Prize, and the Taylor Art Competition''.''

Career

He returned to David Allen & Sons in 1917 for a short period of time before he began to focus on painting and opened his own studio in 1920. The studio was located in Rea's Building, Royal Avenue, Belfast. By 1918 his work was exhibited at the

Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the RIA, the academy retained the word "Royal" after most of Ireland became in ...

and in 1921 he was elected a member of the Belfast Art Society. McKelvey was appointed an associate of the RHA in 1923, being granted full membership in 1930. During his career McKelvey was considered on a par with Paul Henry and

James Humbert Craig James Humbert Craig (12 July 1877 in Belfast – 12 June 1944) was an Irish painter.Craig was born in Belfast to Alexander Craig, a tea merchant, and a Swiss mother, Marie Metzenen, from a family with a painting tradition. He was raised in ...

, two of the most successful Irish landscape painters of the time. He was elected as one of the first academicians of the Ulster Academy of Arts when it was founded in 1930. McKelvey died on 30 June 1974.
McKelvey at The Oriel. Retrieved Jan. 13, 2008.

References

External links

*
McKelvey at Artnet
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKelvey, Frank 1895 births 1974 deaths Irish Impressionist painters Male painters from Northern Ireland 20th-century painters from Northern Ireland Artists from Belfast Alumni of Belfast School of Art Alumni of Ulster University Members of the Royal Ulster Academy 20th-century male artists from Northern Ireland