ART EXHIBITION.

Evening Star, Issue 24055, 29 November 1941, Page 16

ART EXHIBITION.

TO THU EDITOR. Sr. —After the surfeit of flattery which has ibecn released on the improvements effected in cononetion with the Otago Art Society’s exhibition it is indeed) stimulating to see a little criticism which may have the effect of bringing the now committee back to earth. Northern artists, as well as local, have each had their usual quota reduced by approximately 50 each to make room for 150 very indifferent drawings and paintings by school children—infants, judged by the standard of most of the examples. They are arranged neither in school nor age groups, and should in any case have no place at an exhibition where the work of the society’s own artists has ueen so severely curtailed. The school teacher influence on the committee is too obvious, and their influence appears to be out of all proportion to their numbers. Encourage children in art education, but display the work in the schools or at their annual break-ups.—l am, etc., Fair Play. November 27. TO THE EDITOR, Sir,—ln reply to “ True Facts ” and “ Visitor,” one finds it difficult to reconcile these criticisms of the society with .the state of affairs as they exist. The first-mentioned correspondent is very much in error when he claims that the present council is inexperienced in hanging, etc., as over one-half of the present council have been members of past councils, and of these two are past presidents. The, council set up a small Hanging Committee to handle this difficult task, and in this direction they were governed in their choice by the experience of its members. The three selected are artists who have had considerable experience in this field; while one was recently chosen by the Government to organise and hang the Centennial Art Exhibition, and the last criticism one could make of this committee would be one of inexperience. With regard to the letter of “ Visitor,” where he is concerned with rejected work and suggests that a favoured attitude was adopted to the pictures of the council, it is probable that he is not aware that the whole council acts as the Selection Committee, and each picture is anonymously voted on, and any favouritism such as he suggests is thereby reduced to a minimum. In support of this it can be stated that at least five of the 11 artist members of the council had work rejected this year. Further, bis claim that all is not well with the society is probably made without a complete knowledge of the position, for if his claim is true it is surprising that since the new council has been in office, a matter of a few months, the number of honorary members has almost doubled. This,_ I think, coupled with the tenor of his own and that apparent in the protests of others, should prove to an unbiased observer that, at last, perhaps all is particularly well with the Otago Art Society. —I am, etc., Committeeman. November 28.