HELPING ART.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 34, 17 March 1914, Page 9 (Supplement)

HELPING ART.

THE CITY COUNCIL'S GIFT. The Canterbury Society of Arts approached the City Council last evening for a 'renewal of the annual grant of £SO. Cr Hiurfcei said that h*e was not in favour of mdißeriminate spending, and he was not satisfied with the way last year's £SO had been spent. He moved that the sum of £SO be voted for the purpose .of purchasing pictures of landscape painted by artists trained in the Dominion. ' . Cr M'Combs seconded. ' The Mayor objected that the restriction fpr landscapes was too close. There were other pictures which might be considered. Cr Hunter said that he was not hard , and fast on that aspect of the affair. ■ They could not make too much, of their New Zealand scenery, or do too much in fostering the painting <of it. He struck out the limitation as to "landicapes."

Cr« M 'Cullough asked if it were correct that-the council had been ignored in the purchase of the last picture? . The Mayor replied that he attended a meeting of the judges and explained the wishes of the council. He suggested that the money should be spent on one picture rather than on a number of small anddnferior pictures. Two pictures were chosen—one ' f Unemployed,' ' and the other of a woman's face./ "I don't pretend to be an artist,'' said the Mayor, "or to know much about art." The next thing he heard was that the pictures selected had been turned down, and .'' Up For Repairs'' taken instead. A peculiar thing was that the men working on a boat in the foreground of the picture were smaller than those further away. That was opposed to the natural • order of things. The question was also raised whether the artist was a New.Zealander or not. In the catalogue he was described as of "London." The whole thing caused a good deal of feefing.

The Mayor added that in his opinion the selection should be made before the gallery was thrown open to the public, so. that the public could express their

on the selection, and know what had been done. The judges could not then be accused of. being influenced by, public criticism. There might be some restriction as to the length of residence of the artist in New Zealand. The j council should make its wishes very clear, in order to avoid similar difficulties in the future.

Cr Burgoyne said that to make things perfectly clear they should "turn the thing down." They were not justified in spending money in such a way, while the public was clamouring for more useful works to be carried out.

Cr Hayward thought that the vote should be limited to artists trained in the Dominion.

Cr M'Cullough said that local artists needed and deserved encouragement. Cr Hunter favoured the idea of leaving the purchase of pictures t'o New Zealand artists. The motion was carried.

After a long and somewhat amusing debate as to the gentlemen the council should send to assist in the selection of the pictures, the Mayor and Cr Hunter being eventually selected.