NATIONAL ART GALLERY-

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1389, 15 March 1912, Page 4

NATIONAL ART GALLERY-

"CANTERBURY NOT JEALOUS OB! WELLINGON." (Bt Telezrasta.—Press Association.! Christchurch, March 14. Mr. Wm. Recce, president of tho Can* terbury Art Society, formally opened th« thirty-second annual exhibition this evening. In the course of his remarks )i9 said that those present would expect him to asy a few words on a question that had exercised tho minds of those iu New Zealand interested in art matters—the question of a national art gallery.. Tho position taken up in Canterbury was not that which tho Wellington peoplo thought. There had been somo interviews and some expressions of opinion by private, individuals, but tho Canterbury Art Society had in no way reflected on the artistic tastes of tho peoplo of Wellington. Canterbury was not jealous of Wellington or of any other art. centre in the Dominion, and the feeling was that art should bo founded throughout the Dominion. They might feel that Canterbury was a little ahead of Wellington in its collection of paintings,' but . personally ho, would not ask for a national gallery in Christchurch becnuse ho thought that; so lonf as the Government continued its subsidies to tho art societies of the Dominion it would do far more to cultivate tho nrtistic taste of tho community than by a national collection in Wellington. (Applause.) Tho _ Government might decide to have a national collection in Wellington, but that ought not to be a reason for tho withdrawal of Government sup. port to the art societies in other centres. It would be a very great mistake if tho establishment of a national collection in Wellington involved tho removal of Government assistance to art societies in other centres.