ART RECIPROCITY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 139, 8 March 1941, Page 10

ART RECIPROCITY

New Zealand And United

States

INTERCHANGE OF PICTURES At the opening of the exhibition of New Zealand art at the National Gallery last night, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, announced that arrangements had been made for an interchange of art (oil and watercolours) with the United States. “I have pleasure in mentioning the presence with us tonight,’’ said the Minister, “of Professor Theodore Sizer, Professor of the History of Art at Yale University, and Director of the Yale Gallery of Fine Arts. Professor Sizer’s visit to New Zealand is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and he and Mrs. Sizer have been given by the Government facilities to travel the Dominion. While in Australia Professor Sizer assisted in the selection of Australian paintings to go on a tour of the United States of America, the Commonwealth Government sponsoring the scheme which the Carnegie Corporation sponsors in the United States.

“This morning Professor Sizer had a long and interesting conference with, the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, other representatives of the Government, and myself. As a result of that conference I am happy to announce that New Zealand will send an exhibition of its art to be shown in selected galleries and museums throughout the United States of America under the •sponsorship of the Carnegie Corporation. “I wish- to take this opportunity of expressing once again our indebtedness to the Carnegie Corporation for the wonderful cultural help it has given to New Zealand. I feel I am expressing the wish of all present here tonight that at some future time we may see in New Zealand, through the activities of the Carnegie Corporation, an exhibition of American art. “It will be my duty as Minister of Internal Affairs, to make arrangements for the sending of the New Zealand exhibition of art to the United States, and here again I desire to express my personal thanks to Professor Sizer for the help and advice given on the pictures to be selected and on a number of technical matters connected with the collection and its shipment.” Professor Sizer said he was delighted to hear that a collection of New Zealand art was to be sent to the United States. One reason was that our enemy sought to impose a new way of life by force coupled with terror. He would not have them go about the business of life in the peaceable way they wished to; and to send an exhibition of art to the United States in the middle of the war was a grand gesture, something he would not understand, and, if he did, would not like. Another reason was that it would provide the opportunity of knowing one another better than they did at the present time. He hoped that the exhibition of New Zealand art would be opened in Washington by next fall by the Dominion’s new Minister. He much regretted that he was leaving this beautiful country after so brief a stay, yet. in view of the Minister’s announcement it was not without a sense of extreme satisfaction and pleasure.