ART STILL NEGLECTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19041, 11 June 1925, Page 11

ART STILL NEGLECTED.

CRITICISM OF AUCKLAND. THF, ANNUAL EXHIBITION. SITE FOR NEW GALLERY. MINISTER FAVOURS DOMAIN. Thero were "searchings of heart" about Auckland's backwardness in art last,evening, when the 54th annual exhibition of the Auckland Society of Arts was opened by Sir James Parr, Minister for Education, at the customary conversazione. The speakers' remarks, however, were not inspired by the very fine exhibition, nor by the large gathering of members and their friends which had assembled to see the pictures. Mr. H. E. Vaile, president of the society, expressed the members' pleasure at having Sir James Parr, a former president, in Auckland to open the exhibition. Mr. Vaile remarked that the Hanging Committee had had a difficult task since over 600 pictures had been sent in, but he considered it had done very well. He regretted that Auckland still failed to show that appreciation of art which should be. found in a city possessing so much atmosphere and so much wealth. At present it was far behind the other cities of the Dominion. People who could afford to buy pictures should do so. This year, at any rate, they could not plead that there were no pictures worth buying, for the exhibition was one of tho best the society had ever had. Artists Go Elsewhere. Sad to say, young artists had either to seek other fields or face the official assignee. However, it was gratifying to see that painters who had left Auckland still remembered the exhibition. The present one included works by Mr. Harry Ilountree, well known both in England and New- Zealand; Mr. Frank Moore, who had made a name for himself in America; and Mr. Spencer Macky, now of San Francisco, who had sent a couple of his own paintings and one by his wife. Some small pictures by leading Australian artists—few in number, but good—were also included. Southern friends of the society had again come to its assistance, and some promising youn'g Auckland artists were exhibiting. There was a complete absence of the "w'il j."'type of picture. . ■ ' t 7: -■■■■ ' The president reminded Sir James Parr that a former Government had once voted £SOO to the society, which had augmented the grant from its funds and from donations, with the result that it had been able to buy a fine collection of New Zealand pictures for the Auckland Art .Gallery. It was to be regretted that Australian art was' not represented at all in Auckland's public art collection. -Australia was near at hand, and possessed) some , notable artists, who were doing excellent work. If the present Government saw fit to grant another £SOO, the, gift would not send it to bankruptcy, and he could guarantee that the money would be well spent,for the same purpose as the" first grant had been. Sir James Parr praised Mr. Vaile's remarks, but said they contained one " bad break." "Lobject to having my pleasure in this very fine exhibition marred by any mention of business," he declared. "I do not wish to discuss such matters, but no doubt later on, in my little office, I shall have Mr. Vaile applying for a grant." (Laughter.) Art in Education. In all schemes of national education there was a plja.ee for music and art, said Sir James, but he was sorry to say that in'the New Zealand system they had been, and still were, neglected. The Education Department was looking for two supervisors to take charge respectively of all instruction in art and music. It was felt that if children could not be made into pood performers they could at least • bo given an appreciation of the best music. As regards art, New Zealand schools were 15 or 20 years behind those of London. That should not be. The new supervisor would have the duty* of, collating the instruction in fine and applied art now given in all different types of school. Reverting to the exhibition, Sir James said the work was of a more uniformly high standard than that which had prevailed in his term of office as president. He was sorry that, as Mr. Vaile had said, Auckland still lagged behind the South in its appreciation of art. Thero was no reason for this, and certainly no lack of wealthy patrons, whom he saw around him in shoals—though since entering politics he could not count himself among the number. If it were suggested that the teaching of art in Auckland was inadequate, then the local school of art should be made second to none in New Zealand. At present it was conducted under the dual control of the Education Department and „the, Elam trustees. A new director had been appointed, and had an opportunity to show what the consistent') and real teaching of art could do. There was some talk of a new art galery; it was realised that the present one would be inadequate before long. To his mind there was only one worthy site—upon the Domain Hill, near the new museum. "Do not plant it in a gully, I beg of you," he added. "Some will*tell you that the Domain is a little out of the way. The Domain is in the centre of a city of nearly 200,000 which will yet have a population of half a million." Sir James wished the society every success and declared the exhibition open.