Myfanwy Pavelic

Myfanwy Pavelic, DFA (née Spencer, April 27, 1916 – May 7, 2007) was a Canadian portrait artist.

Early life and career Born in Victoria, British Columbia to an upper-class family, her first interests in fine art came after meeting with Emily Carr on Vancouver Island who later gave a brief series of instruction to Pavelic. Aside from a few months of study with a Yugoslav artist, she was self-taught as a painter. She studied at Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's School in Montreal, Canada as a boarder. During the Second World War, she held a solo exhibition of portraits in Canada and donated the proceeds to the Red Cross. She later married a diplomat and had one daughter who suffered a disability.

Pavelic was one of few Canadian artists who had their work shown at the National Portrait Gallery, where her portrait of Yehudi Menuhin was displayed. She later donated the portrait of her friend to the National Portrait Gallery in London, making her the first known Canadian-born artist to be represented in their permanent collection.

Pavelic's childhood home was donated to the City of Victoria and converted into the art gallery.

Awards and honours In 1984, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

Selected exhibitions Collages: Myfanwy Pavelici, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, 1976 Variations on the Figure, Utley Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia, 1977 For Yehudi Menuhiin, Maltwood Art Gallery and Museum, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, 1983 Yehudi Menuhin, Barbican Centre, London, England, 1985 Relationships, North Park Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia, 1985 Smalls, North Park Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia, 1985 Altered Ego, Women in Focus Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1986 Trudeau, Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, 1992 Myfanwy Pavelic: Inner Explorations, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, 1994