SCHOOL OF ART.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 882, 7 December 1916, Page 8

SCHOOL OF ART.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION. The annual prize distribution (if the Christchurch School of Ait took place last night in the presence of a large number of students and friends. Mr J. C. Adams (chairman of the Canterbury College Board of Governors) was in the chair.

In opening the proceedings the chairman spoke of the troublous times through which the Empire was passing, and of the effect that the call to service had had upon the school. Forty students had. during the year, gone to the front, while the ladies had taken a prominent part in providing comforts for the men in the trenches. Owing to the war competitions with students in the Old Country were no longer possible, so that graduates from the school had not been able to repeat their previous successes in this direction. In New Zealand, however, prizes had been won at Dunedin and Palmcrston. He mentioned that an extension of the school's work would be made next year, as the master painters of the town had stipulated in their award that a five years' apprenticeship at the school 'must be served by boys entering the I trade. This was a public acknowledgment of the good work done dv ! the school in the interests of decorative art. He still hoped that traveljling scholarships would be provided for. Mr Adams complimented the j director and the students upon the j excellence of the work done during the year.

The director (Mr Herdman-! Smith) spoke at length upon the ideals, the situation and the work' of the school. Dr. Lester said that all who were'] interested in the propagation of artistic ideals could not but be deeply concerned at the fate that had befallen Greece—the home of all that '■, was purest and noblest in pure art — j fair, classical Greece which had been made the scene of hostilities by people in high places. He also spoke of the value of the power of observation. If the events of this unfortunate war were closely investigated it would be found that success had always come to those whose powers of observation were greatest. Without the sense of observation there could be no great craft work or art. Students must be taught to observe. Possibly many present had gone to see a picture by a great artist, and had failed to appreciate it. That was because, owing to deficient powers of observation, they. could not see the picture from its creator's point of view. Of course it was a moot point whether the greatest and highest form of art was not that which could awaken a responsive appreciation in everybody, even though he be untrained. The majority of students were too eager to perform—to paint a picture in a few weeks. Students should remember that they might go through a six months' course without any marked improvement in dexterity or technique; yet they would be six months nearer the true i.rtist, because they had been taught to observe. He, personally, would like to see, every term, the students apportioned the task of viewing an object placed in a certain light, and being asked to'record what they had observed on leaving the room. By such means the director might exhaust the whole field of observation. Then, as a corollary to observation, came th~ value of attention to details, which was the foundation of efficiency. In the first Hush of success the student took to letting his hair grow, and to wearing multi-coloured ties and imagined that detail was inclined to cramp art. But art must be treated as a craft, otherwise it would be impossible to reach the ideals *hieh belonged to true art. After that stage had been reached it was time enough to cultivate the eccentricities he had mentioned. He would like students to remember that, although the commercial side was useful and profitable, there was something better than that in the artistic. He hoped that a few of the students at least j would look upon art as an imitation of the beautiful things of the world, and that they would pursue it to provide enjoyment for others. Songs were sung by Mr W. J. Trewern, Mrs Trewern playing a solo and-the accompaniments.