Ivy Fife

Ivy Grace Fife (1903–1976), born Ivy Grace Hofmeister,[1] was a New Zealand painter based in Christchurch and Canterbury. Known for her portraits, her work also includes landscapes and is reflective of life in Canterbury and the South Island of New Zealand.

Ivy Grace Fife
Born1905
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died1976
NationalityNew Zealand
EducationCanterbury College School of Fine Art
Known forpainting, portrait
Notable work'Peter', 'Big Crate', 'Backyards', 'Sign of the Times T.A.B.'
SpouseAlan Forrester

Working in gouache, oils, watercolours, ink and wash, and pencil, she was influenced by W.A. Sutton and a contemporary of Olivia Spencer Bower and Russell Clark.[2]

Education

Fife's early education included Elmwood School and Christchurch Girls' High School.[2] In 1920, Fife enrolled in the Canterbury College School of Fine Art and after graduation continued her association with the school, including as Lecturer in Design, until her retirement in 1959. While at the school she worked with Cecil Kelly, Archibald Nicholl, F. A. Shurrock, Richard Wallwork and Leonard Booth.[3]

Exhibitions

Fife's work has been included in several art society exhibitions at Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Nelson, as well as the Gallery of the New Zealand Academy in Wellington. In 1958, five of her paintings were included in an exhibition by the Auckland City Art Gallery entitled Eight New Zealand Painters,[4] exhibiting alongside W. A. Sutton, Milan Mrkusich, Rita Angus, Clifford Murray, Michael Nicholson, Sydney Thompson, and Dennis Knight Turner. The exhibition toured cities and towns throughout the country and provided public exposure to the New Zealand painters involved.[3] Fife has been part of several exhibitions at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu including: One Hundred New Zealand Painters (1965); A Harbour View (1989); About Town (1995); 40 out of 40: Canterbury Painters 1958–1998 (1997–98).[5] Although she never had a solo show while alive, in 1997 the McDougall Art Gallery (now Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu) hosted an exhibition of her work entitled Ivy Fife Retrospective 1938–1976.[6]

Positions held

Ivy Fife was a member and Council Member of the Canterbury Society of Arts from 1949 to 1966, and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery.[3]

References
  1. Lyttelton Times, 29 September 1903, page 1.
  2. "Ivy Fife Retrospective Exhibition 1938–1976" (PDF). 1976. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  3. "Ivy Fife Retrospective". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  4. "Eight New Zealand painters". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  5. "Search | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu". Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  6. "Art New Zealand". www.art-newzealand.com. Retrieved 10 September 2017.

Further reading

Artist files for Ivy Fife are held at:

Also see:

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