FREE ART GALLERY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 47, 24 February 1906, Page 2

FREE ART GALLERY.

PUBLIC MEETING, iA HOPEFUL OUTLOOK. A' public mooting, which wns ottondod by a representative gathering of citistons of both soxos, was hold in tho Chamber of Commcrco yostorday afternoon to tako stops towards establishing ft Freo Art QaUory in Wollington. ThoMayov (tho Hon. T. W. Hislop), who presided, thought they could congrutulnto thomeclvos on tho attendance, coiisidoriug tho disagrccablo nnturo of the woutlier and tho number of peoplo that had gono to sec tho erlckot match. Ho thought it was a standing reproach to the city that i«f was not further advanced in the acquisition nnd encouragomont of works of art. However, that perhaps might not in tho long run bo a disadvantage. Thoy found that WolHngfon in many other respotitd had been later in starting ( things than tho sister cities of tho colony, but when once sho commenced slid had been able to i tako tho load nnd to keep it. So ho hoped that in regard to the Art Gallery they should havo the samo repetition of success as with regard to other matters. As thoso present were aware, tho object of tho meeting ims to find funds for the Eurposo of acquiring the C6OO offered y the Government on consideration that an equal amount was contributed from outside sources, Tho aohomo had been thought out by thoso in charge of the present Avt Gallery, and ho would conclude by oalltag on Dr. Foil to itate what was proposed. (Applause.) Dr. Fell (President of tho Academy of Pino Arts) hopod they Were there for something moro than to ask for £600. Thoy wanted to got enough money to really start this gallery as one worthy of the oity, and ho Heed not say that a sum of <81000 would be hardly enough t but he hopod that when it was acquired it would be thd Winning of a very much larger sum. It hod been Baid that Wellington was a city entirely < given up to tho pursuit of moneyi To his mind that was hardly fair. It would bo mow truo to say that it was ft city which had cut its wisdom teeth rathov late. Its inhabitants had gono on , for vory many years thinking it would nover be really a comfortnblo city tft live in, and tlinfc thoy woro horo becauso thoy had to bo, and would get away as soon as thoy coKld. When onco the people realised, that it could be made comfortable to live in, they set to work nnd erected tho Public Library; Town Sail. Viotoria Colloge j very shortly they would have a fine Museum, and it Was proposed to pub tho coping stono on tho work by providing a Free 'Art Gallery. Ho thought all wore agreed that a Free Art Gallery wns required. Some wore of opinion that it should como from tho Government. For his own part, he considered that 'the Government had done as much as could bo expected in provid* ing a grant of £500. Ho had no doubt thnt wnon Wellington had tho National Art Gallery of New Zealand, a permanent Government supsidy would be found j but for the present ho thought tho Govornment was doing as much as they could ask of it. Others considered, that tho work should bo earn id out by tho oity. Ho wns Opposed to one penny being added to tho citizons' already high rates. Tho City Oounoll might contributo, but ho would not aspect a vory large sum. It was a work to which tho rich should contribute— they who had tho chances of studying art in thoir homes and of sooing tho great Art Gallorios "of tho world, a privilege which wab denied thoir less fortunate brethren. (Applause.) If they took awny tho works of Phidias and Praxiteles and the many other whoso deathless works remain, tlioy took awny half tho glory that was in Grotoe, and robbod Athens of half her title to immortality. Wollington could never cam her tifclo of Empire City without having sometlifng more to show, nnd without realising that there was something bdsides acquiring riches, Tho proposals of tho Academy woro that until somo moro suitable site was aY&ilablo, it offered its gallery to be used as <i Free Art Gallery, nnd tho pictures it contained as tlio hualeus of a collection until tho "proposed fund should bo supplemented. Tho Academy did not dos\ro to havo tho fund in itn own hottds, but nsked tho meeting to form a committee to control it. Ho desired to, moyo .v-" (J) That this mooting is of opinion that a permanent Freo Art Gallery' for Wellington is urgently needed j (2) that this meeting pledges itself to raito sufficient funds to eiuvblo full advantage to bo token of tho Governmont offer of a £500 subsidy ; (3) that a •committee bo formed consisting of throe mewbors of the Council of tlto Aaademy and three gentlemen, not on the Council, to be elected by this meeting to cany out tho nbovo resolutions ami mako arrangements for. tho purchase of pictures, nnd to do any of tho business in connection with t|io project which may from timo to time arise j (4) thnt this Council hold office for ono yonr from this dato," (Applause.) Tho Hon. T. K. ,Macdonald, M.L.C., had very mu'oh pleosuro fo seconding tho resolutioYi. Tho proposal to establish a Freo Art Gallery wns ono which ho felt would appeal to tho wholo of tho public of Wollington. Evon those who had stood apart from .'any mpvemenfc of this Kind in tho past,', had'been gradually educated in recent y«tfr», and now rocognisod' tho necessity of Hi.'-- Tho questions, however, appeared to ho sotnowhat of a two-fold character, Woro they to havo ft l?rco Art Oftlldi-y in connection with the Muni* oipnlit/f or in connection with the Government? He understood that In tlio (tchomo of fßßnlldinff tha .Museum pro« vision ■ had Moh rifajjo for a great Art Hall. Ono pb% in 'cyfanooMon with tho question of tliflu-rolfttion of tho Government M thij TUflintcipolity to tho Art) Gallery was this,, that it would roqulro a vory largo amount' of funds to onnblo nn ordinary Ar"t'' Society to stand tho upkeep of a Fi^oo Gallery, and it must necossarily come to either tlio Government or tlm Municipality for provision In that respect. Thoro was -room in ' connection with tho Musoum for the'b/uilding and equipment of nn Arb tJallory/ In connection with tho Town I Hall'4hW6 was a largo nrcn, lying between itho Town Hall pronor and tho Eduntion Board's buildings, which could also be utilised for tlmt purpose. Whothor tho citizons would b<v prepared to face tho question of tho expenditure of tho sum necessary for tho purpose and .adding to tho rates he was not at all sure about. Possibly, Iho best, course would be—being satisfied that nn ' Art Qnllory was necossnry— to got tho Government to go on at onco with tho idea Jh its mind of establishing nn Art Hall in connection with tho Musoum ; because tho 'Museum, like tho Town Hnll, would bo nn objoet of interest to visitors as woll tin tho oitizons, nnd in eithor plnco thoro would bo a constant throng of people going through, and a vory considerable amount of Interost in it would bo ovinoed by nil classes ( of citizons us woll as outsiders, Ho did not pntloipato vory much difficulty in gathorlng In tho £600 asked for. If tho .Mayor would issuo an anpotil to tho wealthy eitl/.ons through the prosi, and sond oub twenty or thirty privitfe )ettor» to thooo whom ho knew were wealthy, nnd to whom tlio Riving of money would bo no tax, ho mus quite suro the nmounb would be collected within a week. He «uggeHed tlwfc Instatd" of taking tho present art collection an a nuclou*, If tho section on which the Academy stands wero sold, with tho build' ing, ib would 'realise somo £4000, and if tlmt. with' the Government subsidy, nnd JD6OO to. bs colltftd-nfirthw £1000-

were expended on works of art, with the works already in the Academy, it would givo them somo £5000 or £6000 worth of art for the citizens to sec, and it would bo nn inducement to make the Hall nn exceedingly attractive place. In addition tho fact that tho Government would bo going to lmve micli an attraction in addition to its Museum would be an inducement to build tho Hall at n very curly dato. (Applause.) Mr. H. H. Wardell, S.M., could not help expre«iing regret thnt Mr. Mocdonold had introduced the questions of the Government finding their futuro Art Gallery. Ho thoaight they photlkt endeavour to avoid thoso political nnd locnl jealousies which had been so long rampant between Auckland, Dunedin, ChriM.clvurch. nnd Wellington j and while they regarded Wellington us tlio capita!, they must look in tho face the fnct tlmt the Government could hardly bo asked to llnd money for Wellington's Art Gallery without placing itself in | a. poeition to oo called upon to render simitar aid in tho other centres, In Auckland tho Coiporntion hnd provided a very fine building for a Grtllcry, nnd that, thanks to tho liberality of tho citizene, hnd been well filled with pictures. Ho thought thoy should look at the present time to something of that kind here. There would bo no difficulty, lie felt sure, in raising the £500, but ho asked them not to/think that that was nil that was wanted. He hoped that next year they would havo another £500 grant. Tho Government had recognised n-rt ns one of tho branches of education, nnd it ought to set aside moneys in connection with the education voto specially for art purposes, He asked the community to respond li. bowlly to the appeal now being made. (Applause.) Dr. Kington Pyffo wiid ho wottld havo no hesitation in taking Government money. It wns not ho easy to get monoy from rich people ns somo of tho speakers appeared to think. Ho hnd dono eomo canvassing in Wellington, nnd ho knew it. The threo refinements of lifo were Literaturc |( Music and Avt. Tho speaker p»id a tribute to tho work of the Into Mr. J, M. Nairn, and appealed to the meeting to get good pictuves, interest rich peoplo, and try to get thorn to help in every poswiblo way. (Applause.) Mr. J. W. Joynt, M.A., considered it was very gratifying to members of tho Council of tho Academy, who had had this matter very deeply nt heart, to have it (it Inst thrown out on to Iho broad ocoan, ns it weie, of Wellington public opinion. They saw from the tone of iho meeting that this nppenl would bo successful, nnd thnt tho movement innugurnted thnt nftornoon might expand to propor•tions which would causo delight to thoso of tho present generation os well ns thoao who might come after. 110 thought it was rather an Invidious think to bo talking of tho rich people of tho city— those who Kad made- their fortunes, nnd so on. It seemed to him that if tho movement wero to bo successful, it must have the support of tlio public opinion of tho broad masses of Hio people. It would be a vory poor consolution to have a. Gallery endowed by n, wealthy citizen in which tlie peoplo generally took no interest. ' It was their object not only to collect, but to stimulate ft widespread interest in tho movement. Then they should know thnt, when established, tho Art Gallery would not be meroly n white elephant, but that Iho citizens would feel it \ra« th'elr own Onllery, which they had helped to found, meant to use, and meant to show their appreciation of, (Applause.) Mr. 11. M. Gore alluded to the fact that tho mibllo of Wellington hnd been very mucn blftmed.for not coining forward aiid supporting art, but the public had not been approached before to help in regard to It. Te reason was that tho Academy felt if it was to approach tho public before a solid foundation had been laid, ila efforts might end in failure. He did not think tlio prosont movement would end in failure, as numbers of promise.^ of subsenptions had been received,, and ninny had promised, when tho GnHcry Ws founded,that pictures would be lent «nd ?J yen m /, HHer.H * e r., nd rcc<jlvc(l ti l^tor from Mrs. T. O, Wjlliaim from Auckland «polo. gising for nob being present, wishing the movement succow, and sending ft substan^ tiar donation. (Applause.) Ho Appeal, ed to tho City Council to paaa a BUbatan. tiftl voto in nid of the movement, and was sure tho Council would nover regret doing Mr. A. D, Rlley (Into Director of tho leclmioal School) pointed out that he students of tho district were in a, very hopeless stato with regard to art matters. Ilioy had seen nothing, kmw» nothing, and wero apt to think Hiat they knew a great deal becatwo they knew very little If thoy saw what art, wns, they would nd« vanco much moro rapidly than in the past. llio resolutions wero carried with acelftiiintlon. The Hon. T..K Mncdonald, Mr. A. D. S& mA i Js w r/ lJ p tho r ™«> elected members of tho committee to give effect to the resolutions. Tho Academy of Pino Arts will nominal* th" rciSnJ thrco members of tho committee g m£.iW r.r .T ote of th , n . nk » t0 tlw terminated tho proceedings.