THE PUBLIC AND THE ART GALLERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22100, 2 November 1933, Page 15

THE PUBLIC AND THE ART GALLERY

TO THE EDITOR. Sir. —I am sure a great many people will join me in expressing gratitude to the council of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery for arranging the recent loan collection of pictures. That a great deal of interest was taken in the exhibition is vouched for by the attendances, which, I understand, totalled some 8000 for a period of little over a fortnight. This shows a keen appreciation of art in Dunedin which must be most gratifying to the council, whose duty it is to encourage and foster a love of good and beautiful pictures. Dunedin is certainly to b« congratulated on possessing such a particularly fine public gallery, housing as it does what is probably the best collection of pictures in the Dominion. But, Sir. do the citizens fully realise and appreciate this, great asset? How many of those recent 8000 visitors were in the gallery for the first time since the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition of 1023-6? How often does one hear the remark: “I must really go down to the Art Gallery; I haven’t- been there for years? ” The excuse that it is too far away is not sufficient, as there is quite a good tram service to Logan Pa) k on week days. (Unfortunately there is none on Sundays, but I understand tins is to be remedied soon.) Let us hope so. Tt is probably the old, old story of the citizens of a town taking their own beauty spots and places of interest for granted—they feel they can see them any old time—which so often means never. Then, when something special is staged, like the recent loan collection, they (lock in their thousands, as it is only on for a fortnight. Now that the special exhibition is over, I trust these same people, and many thousands more, will make a point of visiting very soon, and very often, these same three rooms of our gallery, where they may learn to appreciate what is their own as much as what was lent to them. Tt seems a pity that some small charge could not have been made for viewing the loan collection, but I understand that any money-making exhibition is outside the province of the Art Gallery Council, and that it depended on a generous public placing contributions in a collection box to defray expenses. I hope it is not disappointed in the result, but I for one had no idea of this until my second or third visit. Perhaps the public will show its appreciation by a tremendous increase in the membership of the gallery. Every good citizen should be a member. The subscription is only 10s Gd a year, and an increased membership may encourage the council to repeat its recent achievement next year. A loan collection of etchings, engravings, and colour prints would be most interesting, especially if a lecture could - be arranged on the different processes.—l am, etc., > Member.