CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11243, 8 April 1902, Page 2

CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

ANNUAL EXHIBITION. . Tlie twenty-second annual exhibition of the Canterbury Society of Arts was opened at the Art Galleryiast nigfa* . Nearly 260 pictures, have been, hung,'.' including a number kyhich had been lent specially fdr the occaiion. The presentation portraits of Mr and 1 Mrs W. Recce by Mr H. Riviere were on. view, and were much admired. They are both 'beautiful paintings. Mr J. L. Balfour'? , portrait of the late Mr William Chrystall, lent by the Memorial Committee, is also on view, and occupies a prominent position on the west wall of the dancing gallery. Mr G. P. Goldie has also on exhibition some fine paintings on Maori • subjects.

The Exhibition Hall had been prettily furnished and arranged, and, a string band played selections during the evening. Mr R. H. Thomas, the newly-elected President of the Society, opened the Exhibition. In the course of a short speech, the President mentioned that ■when the Society was I started there was a very great difficulty in I providing an exhibition of pictures in Chrietchnroh. In the first place, few pictures were painted, and then a considerable- amount •of energy -was called for in order to carry out a miblio-exhibition. In these earlier' efforts, nowever, the Society had. been greatly assisted by Captain Garsia and others. During a course of about 20 years the Society had been enabled to erect the buildings in which they were meetingl A good many hundred'pounds had been borrowed on debentures, but he was pleased to say these had all been paid off with interest. (Applause.) At the present time the Society was in the happy position of owning the land, the Art Gallery, and the little collection of pictures, absolutely free of say debt whatever. (Applause.) He hoped that in the future they would be able to send to England, after the Royal Academy was opened, and to obtain from there works of art which would be of an educational value, and which would prove attractive to the public of ChristSuurch. New Zealand was a new country, which, from its natural characteristics, ought to produce aa good a School of Art as there had ever been in the world. He should like to think that New Zealand in the future would have something to say in the school of art. Hβ believed it was possible to form a school of art in Christchurch, and that in a few years they should have a gallery that would be worthy the attention of those who travelled round, and which would be a school of instruction foe the children to come. (Applause.) The Exhibition will continue open for three weeks from 10 a.m. each day.