Olive Henry facts for kids

Olive Henry (born January 15, 1902 – died November 8, 1989) was an artist from Northern Ireland. She was famous for her paintings, photographs, and stained glass designs. Olive helped create the Ulster Society of Women Artists. She is also thought to be the only female stained glass artist working in Northern Ireland in the early 1900s.

Early Life and Training

Olive Henry was born in Belfast on January 15, 1902. Her father, George Adams Henry, was a tea merchant. She went to Mount Pottinger National School and Victoria College. Later, she took night classes at the Belfast School of Art to learn more about art.

Olive started an apprenticeship at Clokey Stained Glass Studios. This studio was founded by Walter Francis Clokey. She worked there for over fifty years, designing many beautiful stained glass windows. She began her job in the autumn of 1919. The studio owner had visited Victoria College looking for a good apprentice. Olive retired from the company in 1972. Some believe Olive Henry was the only female stained-glass artist to work in Northern Ireland during her time.

Artistic Journey

Besides her work with stained glass, Olive Henry also showed her paintings in many places. These included the Royal Ulster Academy, the Royal Hibernian Academy, and the Ulster Museum (which was then called Belfast Museum and Art Gallery). She was a founding member of the Ulster Society of Women Artists along with Gladys Maccabe. Olive was also the president of this society from 1979 to 1981.

In 1928, Olive Henry first showed her paintings at the Belfast Art Society. She displayed four landscape paintings made with oil. She continued to show her art regularly. Between 1931 and 1942, she exhibited more than twenty paintings at the Ulster Academy of Arts.

Photography and Sketching

Olive Henry loved photography from a young age. She even won awards for her photos. In 1934, she won a prize for a picture of a child playing in the bath. She also wrote a regular column for a magazine called Amateur Photographer throughout the 1930s.

In 1935, Olive became the leader of a local sketching group for the Youth Hostel Association. She was praised for a sketch called River Pool in a competition.

Exhibitions and Style

In 1936, the Robinson and Cleaver Art Gallery held a show called Four Ulster Artists. Olive Henry displayed her paintings there, including Green Boat. A reviewer described her painting style as "Post-Impressionism." This means her art used bright colors and visible brushstrokes, focusing on light and atmosphere.

In 1937, Olive Henry became an Associate of the Ulster Academy of Arts. In 1938, she showed three watercolours there. A journalist praised her watercolours, saying she had "a rare command of her medium." They noted her strong drawing and lovely use of color.

Olive Henry often showed her work with the Water Colour Society of Ireland. She contributed over one hundred paintings to their shows between 1943 and 1986.

In 1944, Olive Henry had a joint exhibition with Violet McAdoo at the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery. They showed mostly landscapes, but Olive also included some city scenes.

In 1945, Olive Henry joined other artists in an exhibition at the Belfast Museum. This show was from the Ulster branch of the Artists' International Association.

In 1946, the Council for the Encouragement of Music and Art (CEMA) bought one of Olive Henry's paintings. This painting was later shown in 1954 as part of the CEMA collection.

Olive Henry first exhibited at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art in 1948. She showed her art there every year for the next ten years, with a total of 20 paintings. She was also made an Honorary Academician of the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1948.

In 1949, Olive Henry's work was shown in London at the Royal Institute Galleries. She displayed a painting called Harbour, Northern Ireland.

Travel and Later Work

In 1957, Olive Henry received a travel scholarship to study stained glass in Belgium. She was also the President of the Soroptomist Club of Belfast from 1960 to 1961.

After her trip, CEMA held a solo exhibition of Olive Henry's oils and watercolours in Belfast. The show included a new painting technique she used, called "monopainting." This involved drawing paint through a gauze over glass. The exhibition was praised as "one of the most vital and interesting exhibitions that CEMA has sponsored."

The Ulster Society of Women Artists was founded in 1957 by Gladys Maccabe, with Olive Henry's help. At that time, many art societies did not accept female artists. The goal was to support and develop quality art by women in Ulster. Olive continued to exhibit with this society throughout her life.

In 1965, Olive Henry was asked to design a stained glass window for Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, County Down. This was a special commission.

In 1981, the Ulster Society of Women Artists elected Olive Henry as their President. In 1986, the Shambles Gallery in Hillsborough held a show of her studio works. Olive Henry showed her art at the Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition for the last time in 1987.

Death and Legacy

Olive Henry passed away on November 8, 1989, in Crawfordsburn, County Down.

Her paintings are now part of important collections. These include the Northern Ireland Civil Service, the Ulster Museum, the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum, and the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts Diploma Collection. Her art continues to be remembered and studied.