TECHNICAL EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 55

TECHNICAL EXHIBITION.

An interesting exhibition, is at present open in. the .large-hall belonging to the 'Edtication Board.' . The .exhibition consists of various collections -of students’ work called: from the several departments of the -Wellington Technical School. While the subject of technical education and the necessity for giving it more prominence in schools vis only emerging from' the initial stage of discussion, the Ideal technical school, with its twenty-five instructors and large roll of • pupils, has ’ been [steadily forging ahead. In these, - "busy;'- -tjmes periodical exhibitions are perhaps the most convenient .test of -progress;, iin the students’ work ••..-of -.such institutions. In an hour : a very ■ fair idea ,'eF[ the"" success w’h|sh is being .attained.- in the,- various departments of - ■ ; the. • school- : may. -Be the visitor to the excellent exhibition which • opened yesterday-.-- Admirably ar- • ranged, the scheme -of. theo-display, despite tli© absence of a .catalogue, may be readily grasped, and its .merits recognised. Generally speaking, the work shown reaches "a\V Comparatively high c. level. Some of .it is -;very" excellent. The highest average of excellence -would appear .to. have been . reached in the " 'practical departments}VthoUgh in some of the . artistic. wdxk::;Shown there is considerable imaginative power and delicacy of expression. In the mechanical drawings, the building construction sehfioh,-:the collection " of,-designs and the plumbing! section, hthexaverage . of ci steil shown ;is -EmdauMedly faighj 'v fh© ■:wtrk:.a^vstudeiiis ; ’ .workit Ahd that p shdlw-n,;:it : is! to '-foe'' .is absothe pupils’ 7 pTvTiytnnishinglt-ouches r 'by: .ibheoteacher mol-t heing; encouraged by . , - the!directorv-fMr "-AT.fDJ: itileyh-I- In one ; • department this ' is specially noticeable f ts. .Adesigh—add the pupils? y individuality j ;iis tstamped indelibly Ion: alll: the work!, 3. shown'; ' .To - the public the ; section de-| r vbtedo't'oa the -:display::., of: water-colours, \ ■'VoiF painting: and: drawings from-othe anVfique’! will'.doubtless prove .'■.the-.: most attihotive/: though the exhibition" is robbed of much interest by the decision of : thie authorities not. to! publish the pupils’ names. Many of-these: are well- •• -knbwhy.'andriit is: always: interesting -to be table to compare later works, with a ■ student’s earlier: efforts-hn'd-rnote the--: . .-progress .made, r Again, - curiosity to ' learn the artist’s name is irresistibly : aroused'. by. such,- water-colour-• studies as : 7 those;-.-which won- hhe National Book-:, prize of the." South Kensington [Depart- : ' ment-'O-f .Scie'nce';..and'Art-s.: The: subjects : of;. ..the-, drawings-'are fall native birds,":ryaiidiv they -ate executed “with ;strengths: f pprity and delicacy "of \colotlting ;as well ■ hwith ho - nature.-: Then, toqy; Aspm© -df-th© studies- of stillcsife?r especir- ;< ally; that -of;; a-piece." of • heavy-.- drapery- [ thrown;. carelessly over an antique chair, la,w,a:ken to: leaflv the . hames.jqf; .-such clever .artists. Some of the; studies rim crayon and chalk are highly meritorious, and the collection on the-iscreen}-! which,'with another collection -consist-! ing of oils and: water-colours, hung - on ; the same" screen, is "to be sent-116me-for competition" with the work of students’: attending .English schools of aft, 7 ; cannot

rad to .arouse warm oomrqendation, even, hi the mpst- or I The water-colour' ami ;bers.':ef tbe'm^ta^"au ; Guild! are, int&SSlißg. time sketforth Highlander, whoj during the recent. visit ox the Imperial troops, gave 'the' students -a; three-antf-a-half hours’sitting, show a great variety of executive' ability. h The ' exhibition Q>f woodcarving is an .unusually .attractive one, •and contains many-examples inx early English curving cf more. • tlrand ;j>a£-smg merit; Some .of tbehyorkysucbCas, for example, some of ".'.the '.specimens, of Italian and; low relief, would • hold their -own in., any school ofabarvin® in the world. Beferring to cfhe designs, it should, be . -mentioned that those marked' <r scleetecli’ 5 - have tall to he worked out by other departments of the school. In four, departments there are exhibits that are "to be sent*. Home for the art master of" South rExensingjt«m’s certificate.. Very interesting, too, is a jereen.of original drawings., for book illustrations by celebrated,i.English ' artists such as Gordon. Browne, Barnard Davis and others. These were presented to the school by Messrs,-Cassells 'and Go. at the '. -request : -of ' Mr*’ Riley. I T'he exhibition, which will well repay a visit, will--be open till 5 o’clock this evening. > - : • '