Elza Mayhew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elza Mayhew
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Elza Edith Lovitt
January 19, 1916 |
| Died | January 11, 2004 (aged 87) Victoria, British Columbia
|
| Education | BA from the University of British Columbia in 1937 and a MFA from the University of Oregon in 1963 |
| Known for | sculptor |
| Spouse(s) | Charles Alan Mayhew (d. 1943) |
Elza Edith Mayhew (born January 19, 1916 – died January 11, 2004) was a Canadian artist. She was famous for making sculptures, mostly out of bronze, which is a type of metal. She was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Contents
About Elza Mayhew
Elza Edith Lovitt was born in Victoria, British Columbia. Her parents were Alice Bordman and George Lovitt.
Education and Early Life
She went to the University of British Columbia. There she earned a degree called a Bachelor of Arts in 1937. Later, she studied at the University of Oregon. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1963. From 1955 to 1958, she learned from Jan Zach. He was a sculptor from the Czech Republic who lived in Oregon.
In 1938, she married Charles Alan Mayhew. He was the son of Robert Mayhew. Elza and Charles had two children together. Sadly, Charles died in June 1943. His plane crashed during a hurricane while he was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Later in her life, Mayhew had health problems. These were caused by chemicals from the materials she used for her sculptures. She passed away in Victoria at 87 years old. Her old art studio in Victoria is now a special heritage building.
Her Sculptures and Art
Mayhew created her sculptures from the mid-1950s to the 1980s. She is best known for her large, abstract bronze sculptures. Most of these were made at a special metal workshop in Eugene, Oregon.
Important Art Projects
She made sculptures for big international events. These included Expo 67 and Expo 86, which were world's fairs. She also created art for a trade fair in Tokyo. Many public places also asked her to make art. These included the Bank of Canada, the University of Victoria, the Canadian National Capital Commission, and the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Colin Graham, from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, described her sculptures. He said they were "modern in concept." This means they looked new and fresh. But they also had links to old art forms. He compared them to totem poles, ancient Mayan stone carvings, and Egyptian stone sculptures.
Awards and Recognition
In 1962, Elza Mayhew received the Otto Beit Medal. This was from the Royal Society of British Sculptors. In 1964, she and Harold Town represented Canada at the Venice Biennale. This is a very important art exhibition.
She also served on the board of directors for the International Sculpture Center in Kansas. She was on the board from 1968 to 1979. She was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
In 1985, a film was made about her. It was called Time-Markers: The Sculpture of Elza Mayhew.
Where to See Her Work
Her art can be found in many collections. These include the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. You can also see her work at the National Gallery of Canada. Other places include Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. Her sculpture called Column of the Sea is at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown.
