Grace Wilson Melvin

Grace Wilson Melvin (1892/1896 - 1977) was a Scottish-Canadian artist, teacher, and academic professional who was born in Glasgow. According to most sources, Melvin's date of birth was May 28, 1892; however, some sources state the year as 1896. The Scotland's People website confirms 1892 is the date. Melvin has been noted as one of two women who were responsible for bringing modern calligraphy designs to Canada (the other being Esme Davis). She won the Lauder Prize in 1927.

Education Melvin began studying art at the Glasgow School of Art in 1907. Melvin studied under the guidance of Robert Anning Bell, Maurice Grieffenhager, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Caley Robinson, Courses that she taught, between 1920 and 1927, included: Lettering and Illumination (under Design and Decorative Art) (1920/1921) She retired from the Vancouver Art School in 1952 and became a full-time painter, while also publishing and illustrating numerous books. Her main passion was lettering and illumination, but she also created many landscape, garden and urban coastal scenes. and "Le Rêve de Kamalmouk" from 1948. Her book titled Basic Lettering for Art Students from 1930 is reportedly still used in instruction today. She had many books commissioned for the Department of Education of British Columbia, including the Student Manual and Workbook from 1949 and the Teacher's Manual: Containing in Full 'the Student Manual and Workbook' with a Suggested Approach.

Final years Grace Wilson Melvin died in Vancouver, B.C., on March 8, 1977.