AUCKLAND ARTISTS' SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2406, 6 December 1877, Page 3

AUCKLAND ARTISTS' SOCIETY.

The Artists' Exhibition, so creditable to our local artists, closed last evening. On the motion of Mr Albyn Martin, seconded by Mr Luckie, Mr J. C. Firth,patron of the Society, occupied the chair. Mr John Symons, Honorary. Secretary, read the report, from which we extract the following : -The sale of catalogues, and money taken at the door amounted to £53 0s 6d. This represents SlO visitors, to which may bs added about 180 honorary members and 35 children, making a total, .of 1,025 visitors. Comparing the present with the former exhibition of 1875, Mr Symons shewed that the receipts of the Exhibition held in 1575 amounted to £55 lid from entrance fees and sale of catalogues. The total number of visitors on that occasion was 975. The attendance shewed au increase of 50 over the former one. In 1875, only one picture was sold for £4, and re-sold after the exhibition for £10. This year the sum of £270 9s had been realised from the sale of works, principally on the Art Union principle, but including several private purchases. In the Art Union itself 243 shares were purchased at 10s each, representing a total of £124. The expenses had amounted to £12 18s 7d,and the Society having made a small contribution towards this expense, the sum of £112 had been rendered available for distribution in 21 prizes. Respecting art generally, Mr Symons expressed his opinion that it had made progress, and that the standard of merit was 3 much higher than heretofore. The award of the judges appeared in the last issue of the Star. The Chairman in delivering the prizes, congratulated the artists on the success of the exhibition, and said he had been much pleased, in common with others, with most of the pictures, and although naturally varying in merit, he might say they all gave promise of future excellence. After speaking of the vicissitudes and struggles of artists, Mr .birth said labour and study are the secrets or success even where genius guides the hand. Hogarth, Tintoretto, Turner, were patterns of patient reflection and study. Let the younf artist seek the truth in nature, and take it for the highest compliment; it was acknowledged the truth of nature was manifested in his work. Mr D. M. Luckie in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr t lrth su"<*ested the necessity for the establishment of a School of Art, a school which the Auckland artists have struggled to establish for seven years, and towards which they have a slowly increasing fund. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation, and the exhibition closed at ten o'clock. __