OTAGO ART SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 65

OTAGO ART SOCIETY.

The following report will be presented to members of the Otago Art Society at the annual meeting • — The council is glad to report an increase in the number of honorary members. It is pleasant to note this sign of interest in the society and its work. There are now 70 honorary and 120 working members on the roll. The exhibition held in November was quit* up to the usual standard, and 271 pictures ware shown The sales amounted to £168 12s 6d, including an art union of JES6 10s. The attendance of the public was, however: small, and ike expenses gieatly exceeded the EU a realised by admissions, sales of catalogues, and commissions on sales. The long series of exhibitions held in the Choral Hell has now oome to an end. and future exhibitions will ba he'd in the two large rooms adjoining the new Public Art Gallery. These are in a very central situation, and as they have been specially built for the purpose, it is exp-eoted that the pictures will h& shown to greater advantage than has been possible hitherto. Tha sum contributed by the society to the building fund of the Public Art Gallery finally amounted to £332 6s id. and this ha^ been paid over to the trustees. Shortly before the close of the International Exhibition at Christchurch an effon was made by your council to Taise funds to purchase soni* of ttoe pictures in the ait gallery there. A sum of JC2S was voted to initiate the movement, and the subscription realised £121 4s With such a small sum it was not possible to purchase any works of importance, but two watercolours and an etching were secured These have bsen presented to the gallery, and will lie on view in the course of a month or two Tho medals presented to the Boys' and Girls' High Schools were won by S B. Patterson B. P. cle Lautour. and Mary Lilian Rutherford. From tho balance «heet it will be seen that a Finn of £102 17s lOd is to the credit of the society.