AT ART GALLERIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 9

AT ART GALLERIES.

INSTRUCTOR IS NEEDED.

MR. R. 0. GROSS' APPEAL.

~ duty of the artist to preach his "glorious gospel of discontent," to train himself, to express himself adventurously, and to encourage everywhere the appreciation of beautv, was the subject of the address by the president, Mr. Richard O. at the Societv of Arts' spring show last evening. He urged the necessity for placing in attendance at each art jrallery someone who was well equipped artistically to assist those who visited the place to understand and appreciate the beautiful things there exhibited.

When it was considered that the pictures hung in an art gallery represented in value many thousands of pounds, and that the erection of the gallery itself, and its care and maintenance, was a further substantial charge on the community, it was poor economy to stop after the provision of the gallery and the pictures. It was not much use bringing famous art works to the country unless the people were taught to appreciate them and given assistance in gaining every ounce of beauty from them. Qualified instructors were needed at the art galleries.

In such growth in appreciation as there had been, shows of the type the Society of Arts was then presenting had played a leading part. He doubted if 5 per cent of the artists represented there would be able to make a living by their art; such appreciation as they received was rarely material. They had their reward merely in the doing of adventurous things, in their understanding of beauty, and in the fine art of living to which their adventuring led them. Even if their work was not always appreciated, they should go ahead trvinjr to capture on canvas, or through some other form of art, some scrap of beauty. He was not urging that they should go outside the bounds of convention in their adventuring— there was such a thing as foolhardines* —for art needed the basia of a good training. The opening of the spring show attracted a good attendance of people. Following the opening, those present were entertained at supper by the society.