City Councillors See School Of Art Work

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 13

City Councillors See School Of Art Work

Little abstract art was seen among the paintings on display at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Canterbury yesterday when the art gallery committee of the city council, with the Mayor (Mr G. Manning) and some other councillors visited the school. The visit arose from a discussion on amateur art groups being given space at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. At ‘he council meeting, Cr. W. E. Olds, chairman of the art gallery committee, made some comments on the school’s teaching of abstract art. He retracted them a day or two later after a visit to the School of Art. The visit made such an impression on him that he arranged for his whole committee to go to Ham.

The visit yesterday was more than vindication of the teaching at the school. Dr L. L. Pownall, Vice-Chancel-lor of the University, said that there was no record of the university ever having had a visit from any committee of the council.

He hoped the >’isit would be the forerunner of inspections of other phases of the university, and welcomed the council's interest in efforts to knit the university and the community more closely together.

The party was shown round the classes by Professor J. Simpson. director of the school, and by the senior lecturers The councillors s:.”’ students’ work in embroidery, the spinning of wool and natural dveing. nrtntma and ’ithoaraphic work before going to the >ife art classes

and the sculpturing classes. “And what’s wrong with having that shown at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery?” asked Cr. A. S. Hollander when the party visited the room in which the students’ own art croup work was on show. No-one volunteered an answer, and Cr. Hollander then said to those around him that he would again raise with the council the exhibition of amateur art in the gallery. Before the councillors left they were given an assurance by Professor Simpson that the School of Art could assist in many tasks, not necessarily connected with tne art gallery. and would welcome the chance to do so.