ART GALLERY SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18562, 24 May 1922, Page 3

ART GALLERY SOCIETY

ORIGINAL SOCIETY’S LAST MEETING. . U l ®, annual meeting of the Dunedin Public .J™* er y Society was held yesterday in u *.< ,® - office. Mr Alexander Bathgate presided over an attendance of about a dozen members. The meeting was the last annual meeting of the original society, as it will henceforward include the du oClet y under the title of the Dunedin Public Art Society Incorporated In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet (as published), Mr Bathgate said that as it would be their last meeting under the original constitution it might not be out of place to follow the example of the president of the Otago Art Society and glance at the past history of the Public Art Gallery, which showed its inception to the splendid collection of pictures displayed ■ in the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. 1889-90. -When that exhibition was drawing to a close numerous letters appeared in the press suggesting that something should be done to retain some of the fine works of art hanging in the gallery of the exhibition, and as no move was made by anyone in authority towards that end, two or three citizens took steps to have a public meeting, called to consider the matter. It was decided to ask for funds to purchase one picture only, and as Waterlow’s “Sunny Hours” was a popular picture, that was the one selected. A committee was appointed to organise a canvass, and sufficient money was raised to buy not only “Sunny Hours.” but also four or five other pictures, including Stanhope Forbes’s “Preparations for Market.” The pictures were first hung in a room in the municipal buildings, where the Art Society already had a few pictures which had been purchased from time to time at their annual exhibitions, but the lighting was poor. The artists of Dunedin, therefore, generously contributed specimens of their work, which were disposed of by art union, and enough money was raised to enable one of the bays of the Exhibition building to be purchased, which was erected as an annex to the Early Settlers’ Museum. When the nucleus of a public art gallery was thus established several presentations of pictures were made bv divers citizens, the best of which was the Perugini “He Loves Me He Loves Me Not.”' given by the late Mr George Gray Rupoll. In that iron shed, for it was little less, the small collection was housed for a good many years, till Mrs George M'Lean (afterwards Lady M'Lean) succeeded in securing the lease from Sir Joseph Ward (then Minister of Railways) of the- present site on a 99 years’ lease at a peppercorn rental, and the present gallery was built. The financing of the undertaking was somewhat difficult, but many subscriptions were received, including one from the City Corporation, when a promise was made that when the gallery was freed from debt it should be handed over to the city. The balance required was raised by the .isssue of. debentures amounting to £4BOO. The debenture debt bad been reduced, partially by the surrender of their denebtures by some public-spirited holders, but mainly by the repayment of those drawn' for the. purpose out of the profits arising from the source indicated. During . the - years which had elapsed the collection of pictures had graduallv been augmented by the purchase of pictures by the trustees ond by the Art Society, as well as hv, donations of pictures and by bequests. - The most important of these was. the very handsome bequest of the late Peter Smeaton. To commemorate his generous bequest a brass tablet had been prepared and affixed in the gallery. Many of-the pictures hung on the walls wore really the property of the Art Society, but these would be vested in the reconstituted body. As the walls were now getting somewhat crowded it would be necessary for the society to consider the weeding out of the inferior pictures or utilising the walls of the hall, which wuold of course involve the cessation of letting it. Referring, to the- society s relations with the City Corporation, Mr Bathgate said it was only fair to say that besides the ■ initial contribution to which _no had referred, the city had gß' e . n further aid. During the war their rents fell off to such an extent that they did not meet the ordinary expenditure. An appeal was made' to the Gity Corporation, and a grant of £2OO was made to cover the deficiency. Besides - the council’had borne the cost of certain repans. When, the Art Society approached the trustees with proposals for amalgamation they felt they-could not entertain the suggestion witnbut the consent of the City Corporation, in view of the promise which had been made in the past, and therefore communicated with that body and were freed from the obligation to hand the Gallery over to the city. To give effect to the amalgamation involved the drafting of a new constitution, whicb, if it were adopted, would effect . the , amalgamation as soon _as the new rules were registered. During the long life of the society only one of the occupants of the mayoral chair had ever attended any of their meetings, although the Mayor was ex-officio a member. This showed that the; city was perfetcly satisfied with the management. The provision for the Mayor was being retained, so that if th© city made an annual grant; to the society itf could always have, a say in the management of \ thq institution. The day would come when an extension of the building would become necessary, and it would undoubtedly hid the finances of the society if the tenure of the site were a freehold one. It had been suggested that the Government should he asked to grant the freehold, in lieu of the present long term lease, and probably the new executive would move in the matter. It seemed to him that the time was opportune for an effort to be made to increase the membership of the society, which could probably be easily doubled. Mr Bathgate mentioned the purchase of a picture with Miss Winifred Smith’s bequest, which had been carefully chosen by Mr Alex. Roberts, who had also purchased another picture which he was presenting to the Gallery. Another picture had been purchased by the trustees with the balance of the money arising from the bequest of the late Mr Thos. - Brown. It was an Italian scene by Wbrsley. It was to be regretted that the year’s accounts should reveal a deficiency of £67 19s 2d, which, however, was easily accounted for by several non-recurring items of expenditure, and would no doubt soon be made up during the current year. He moved the adoption of the report. The motion was adopted without discussion. '

The annual meeting was then adjourned until a date to be fixed by the president, after the new rules have been registered, and in special meeting those present adopted the new constitution.

Mr. J. Loudon proposed that Lady M'Lean, Mr Bathgate, Sir John Robrts, and Mr D'Arcy Haggitt should he elected life members of the society in recognition of their long services, but Mr Bathgate said this was really a matter for the annual meeting when it resumed.