Fonds 0595 - Evy McBryan fonds

Evelyn Beatrice Hook was born in Somerset, England on April 25, 1911. She was the second child of Clifford Stanley Hook and Jessica Beatrice Williams. The Hook family emigrated to Canada in 1913. They stayed awhile with Jessica’s brother in Regina before moving to Edmonton, where Clifford, a jeweller and watchmaker, was employed by G. F. Watcher. The Hook family moved to Grande Prairie when Clifford purchased the R. H. Watcher business in March 1918. Except for a brief time in Ontario ca. 1919-1920, when her father attended the College of Optometry, Evy spent the remainder of her life in Grande Prairie. Her oldest sister, Irene, had died as a toddler in England, but three boys were added to the family in Canada: Ted in 1913, Robert in 1918, and Jack in 1926.

In 1934, Jessica moved to Vancouver with the three boys, for medical reasons. By that time, Evelyn was already married to Henry (Harry) Newton and studying art with Euphemia (Betty) McNaught, a well-known Peace Country artist. Evy attended the Vancouver School of Art in 1936, but subsequently took short courses at the University of Alberta, where she was influenced by instructors Doug Barry, H.G. Glyde, and J.B. Taylor.

Evy and Harry had one son, Stanley “Val” Newton, born February 14, 1938. A short time later, World War II was underway, and in 1942, construction of the Alaska Highway began. At that time, McNaught and McBryan were commissioned by Prime Minister Mackenzie King "to document, in paintings, the construction of the Alaska Highway."

In the latter 1940s, Harry and Evy ran the Alberta 5¢ to $1.00 Store on Richmond Avenue. Harry died on June 22, 1946 following a long illness, but Evy continued to run the store in partnership with her family, who had a series of jewelry and gift shops in Grande Prairie, Dawson Creek, and Ft. St. John. On March 6, 1948, Evelyn married William Clemens McBryan of Clairmont. A few years later, Evy's son Val died on April 12, 1953 at age 15. Evy and Bill had one daughter, Marilee.

Evelyn McBryan was a tireless worker for Visual Arts in the Peace Country. She organized the Grande Prairie Art Club out of her own home, and became the director of the Arts and and Crafts Guild in 1958. She also served as the Coordinator for Arts and Crafts for the City of Grande Prairie (1964-1974), on the provincial Board of Culture and the Visual Arts Board (ca. 1960), and on the Alberta Arts Foundation Board (ca. 1973), where she established a school exhibition program and organized the Peace Region Arts Council. She also assisted in establishing the Prairie Art Gallery. For all of these efforts, in 1976 she was awarded the Alberta Achievement Award.

After retiring from all the boards and committee work, Evy continued with her own artwork. Her last one-woman show was at the Prairie Art Gallery in October 1982; and her last exhibit was held in Beaverlodge, where she had studied with Euphemia McNaught, in the spring of 1983. Evelyn McBryan died in Grande Prairie at age 74 on October 19, 1985. Her second husband William McBryan died in February 1987 at the age of 68.