NEW ART ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20740, 6 December 1930, Page 14

NEW ART ASSOCIATION.

DOMINION SOCIETIES.

ADOPTION OF PROPOSAL.

CO-ORDINATING ACTIVITIES.

[by telegraph. —PIIIESS association] WELLINGTON. Friday. Consideration of the proposal put forward at the conference of delegates from the New Zealand art societies, which was held some weeks ago in Wellington, reached a conclusion to-day with the formation of the New Zealand Association of Art Societies. This was do®* at a similar conference of delegates, over which Dr. E. B. Gunson, of Auckland, presided. The delegates had reported to their respective societies in the meantime, and a resolution to form an association of New Zealand art societies was carried. The purpose of the new association is to provide for better co-ordination between the activities of art societies in the Dominion, and to handle effectively questions which concern them all.

These questions may be domestic ones, such as the arrangement of exhibition dates to the best advantage, or they may be rather wider, as is the case with the proposal of the Roya!l British Colonial Society of Artists, to hold an exhibition of work from the Dominions and colonies.

The Wellington delegates were authorised to appoint an honorary secretary and treasurer. A set of rules and regulations was discussed and adopted. One of the principal questions dealt with by the conference was the proposal of the Royal British Colonial Society of Artists to hold an exhibition of overseas art in the galleries of the Royal Academy in London. It suggested that such, an exhibition . should be held either in the autumn of 1931 or the spring of 1932. At the earlier of these suggested times there would be hianging space for about 1600 pictures, and at the latter space for about 800.

The conference decided that if the exhibition were held in 1931 it would endeavour to send a collection of not more than 80 pictures, and if in 1932 a collection of not more than 160. The collection would be representative of New Zealand art, past and present, and representative also of New Zealand landscape life and character. The delegates representing Wellington were instructed to approach the Government, with a view to the possibility of its subsidising the scheme by the provision of freight and carriage charges.