HOME FOR FINE ARTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20323, 2 August 1929, Page 14

HOME FOR FINE ARTS.

UNIVERSITY AND CITY.

COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSAL.

OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL SITE.

CAPITAL OF £lll,OOO REQUIRED

A central and common home foi all the responsible cultural and aesthetic societies of the city, tho Auckland University Collego's proposed faculty of fine arts, and tho art gallory, wns envisaged in a scheme brought before tho Auckland City Council last evening by Sir George Fowlds, president, on behalf of tho University College Council. A suggestion that tho City Council and the collego should confer on tho subject was referred to tho Library Committee for a report. Sir Goorgo said that for some considerable time the collego had had under consideration the instituting of a faculty of fino arts, which would include the existing schools of architecture and music and the founding of a chair of fine arts, taking in tho senior work of the Eiary School of Art. Tentative proposals had been drawn up involving a capital sum of ' £lll,OOO, part to be spent on buildings and part left as an endowment to provide income for annual upkeep. The proposals suggested tho use of the Old Grammar School site. The -Minister of Education in 1926 had set down in writing thb opinion of himself and his department as being (hat by tho use of this site for a faculty of fine arts, the interests of higher education in Auckland .would bi- greatly advantaged. "The very much stronger and wider appeal of the larger proposals now suggested is• immediately apparent, and the very evident tangible benefits to the City Council u. tlw matter of site and in pther directions need not be emphasised,' tho letter continued " What will make even strongei appeal to tho council will bo the prospect of consolidating, under the control and patronage of conned and university, both education tti line arts and tho activities of citizens in all the major cultural anci aesthetic direction", thereby setting on the road to fruition the council's efforts tor many years past in tho matter of the education of the public in respect of appreciation of art.' . DETAILS OF THE SCHEME. BY SIR G. FOWLDS. Discussing various aspects ot the scheme, Sir George Fowlds said that the college council had been formulating a plan for the last three or four years, ever since, in fact, tho Auckland Society ot Arts ana other organisations had first suggested concerted action in the matter. it ivas desired to erect a suitable building capable of combining all the require--1 meats ot a proposed faculty ot fino arts, which the council was very desirous of creating in connection with the University College, the School of Architecture, tho School of Music, the Auckland Art Gal--1 lery, as well as provision for the respcctive needs of such organisations as the ' Society of Arts, the Auckland Amateur Operatic Society and the Little 'theatre Society. Such a building would house the equipment required to maintain the

above-mentioned faculties and societies and would provide Auckland with a unique cultural and aesthetic homo. As far as the building portion of the scheme was concerned, his idea was that ! the old Grammar School site in Lower . Symonds Street "should be taken over, the present wooden buildings removed and new premises erected capablo of meeting the combined requirements of the uni-

yersity, the municipality and the different he had named. That meant securing the co-operation of the Grammar ;• School board of governors. The building was used at present as tho headquarters ; of tho Workers' Educational Association <T/in Auckland The scheme would entail the raising of J a good deal of money because, in addition to requirements in the way of building, it would be necessary to have a very substantial endowment fund to provide for staffing and o'ber annual maintenance ; charges in connection with tho new fac- * fiUy of fine arts. Ft seemed to him surli an important and desirable proposition for Auckland as a whole that tliev would be fully justified in looking 1o the public and the various institutions of the city for liberal support. - The - Society of Arts, the Amateur Operatic Society and the Little Theatre Society had all intimated their willingpess to contribute substantially to the ~ ecbeme. Quite recently the Society of Arts probably as a result of tho lonp; dc- ■*- lay in trotting the scheme under way. had contemplated takinc action on its own account to find suitable accommoda- '■ tion for its annual exhibitions, and it had been in communication with the f'itv Council with such an end in view. but. it appeared to '-im that a f-oml infd effort. with the public art gallery all in one larce =eheme. was the line of action that would fix most to promote advancement. The idea, incidentally, was also to take . over at least the Irrrher branches of vor!< at the Elam School of Art. although that. Of coni.io. wn? contingent upon obtaining a united movement.