Irish landscape and portrait painter, Frank McKelvey was born in Belfast on June 3rd. 1895. The son of a painter and decorator, he worked as a poster designer before entering The Belfast School of Art, where he won several prizes for his figure drawing. In 1917 he won the prestigious Taylor Art competition in Dublin. From as early as 1918 his works were hung in the Royal Hibernian Academy and until 1973 he never missed a year there, sometimes showing as many as eight paintings annually. He was appointed an associate of the RHA in 1923 and in 1930 he became a full member. He was elected a member of the Belfast Art Society and also of the Ulster Society of Painters. When the Ulster Academy of Arts was formed in 1930 he was one of the first academicians.