SCHOOL OF ART.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7202, 10 February 1892, Page 4

SCHOOL OF ART.

♦ PRIZE DISTRIBUTION. The distribution of prizes to the students of Canterbury College School of Art took place at the Bohool yesterday evening, in the presence of a number of students and visitors. On the platform were Mr F. de C. Malet, Chairman of the Board of Governors, ; Messrs R. Beetham and L. Cohen, members of the Board, Mr A. C. Wilson, registrar of Canterbury College, and Messrs Elliott and Walsh, masters of the school. i Mr Malet said that he had attended j in hi 3 capacity of Chairman of the Board of Governors to distribute the prizes gained by the students, but he did not intend to make a speech on art, for the very good reason that he knew very little about it. Mr Beetham, who was President of the Society of Arts, and Mr Elliott, head master of the school, would speak on that subject. He would, however, refer to one or two matters connected with the School of Art from the point of view of the Board. First, there had been one or two changes during the year. Mr Chapman had resigned and gone to Europe to pursue hia Btudies. His place bad been taken by Mr Sprott, who had himself aince left. A gentleman from Nelson, Mr Kitson, who had taken Mr Sprott's original place when the latter wag promoted, had since succeeded him, and Mise Hunninga, who had been a student at the Bchool for many years, had been promoted to the position vacated by Mr Kitßon. The Board some time ago had decided to develop what he might call the practical side of the school by appointing a teacher of decorative design and architecture, and he had every hope that the claesas would be well attended, and the appointment fully justified. The Board would endeavour to the utmoatof its power to develop the school, but it must be remembered that the School of Art was dependent for maintenance upon the School of Technical Science, which had to support also the School of Engineering and to make no small contribution towards the Museum. The Board had imported a few plaster oasts, a Venusof Milo and some other casts. A slight increase had been made in the payment of the models in the life class, and, in connection with decorative design, the Board had been offered, by the Government, some casts of buildings in India, mentioned in Fergusson's book on architecture. Owing to the want of f nnds, the Board had relied a great deal on the munificence of private persons in the matter of giving rewards to the students, but now saw its way to grant a small sum from year to year for prizes, and last year had ordered, through Mr Mountfort, who had pressed into the service a friend of hie, Mr Bale, a die from which a number of bronze medals had been struck. These were in themßelvea works of art, and would be offered to students under certain regulations from time to time. He might Bay that forty-four of the pictures at the recent exhibition of the Society of Arta had been sent in by the students of the school, and one-third of the working members of the Society had their names on the books of the school. (Applause.) Mr R. Beetham said that he did not profess to know very much about art, and if he were an Irishman he would ask them to allow him to say that he knew enough about art to know that he knew nothing about it; and he thought that as they grew older they would come to the conclusion that the more they knew about art the more they would see that they knew very little about it He had had the pleasure of going through the exhibition of their work, and he would Bay that he knew enough about art to notice a vast improvement every year. He had noticed that a lady had taken the bronze medal, and was sure that the gentlemen of the school would be much delighted that auoh was the case. (Applause.) He was sure that if a gentleman took it next year the ladies would be equally delighted. (Applause.) The students and masters were to be congratulated that they had had so eminent an artist as Mr Vander Yelden to judge the work. From what was known of his name and hia work they might be sure that he was a man whose dictum they could receive with the greatest confidence. He (Mr Beetham) had had the pleasure of listening to the remarks of Mr Elliott on the excellent work of the students, and had noted that there ran through those remarkß, especially when speaking of the work of the ladies, an undertone of tender sadness. Under a little cross-examination Mr Elliott had at last admitted that when those ladies had arrived at such a state as to do themselves, the school and him the greatest credit, when they had gained bronze medals and other prizes, when they had attained, if he might say so, to years of discretion, there was always a danger that they would go and get married ! (Loud applause and laughter.) Mr L. Cohen said that as a member o! the Board of Governors under whose paternal, or maternal, wing the School of Art flourished, he took an interest in it, and was proud to ace the position which it occupied. He felt that there was amongst art workers in Christchurch and in Canterbury a serious disposition, a disposition to ascertain that which was true in art, and to realise it — completely if slowly. One of the beat products of such an institution aa the School of : Art was that it aroused a desire for genuine achievement in art work, and he felt sure that such a desire was fostered in this school. He was sensible of the beauty of this Colony and of the favourable conditions it afforded for the growth of art, and he felt that we might look forward to the establishment of a national art school based upon the enthusiasm of its people and upon the high impulses which colonial life encouraged. He hoped and believed that among those who attained eminence in colonial art would be those who had gone through the Canterbury School of Art ; and so long as members of the Board of Governors could entertain that feeling they could confidently feel that the school was an institution well deserving of diligent care. (Applause.) Mr Elliott, head master of the school, said that the past year's work closed the record of the first decade in the history of the School of Art. It had been a record chiefly of foundation stonelaying, of Beed sowing, of leavening. Upwards of 3000 students had studied in the school for longer or shorter periods, or passed through the classes. The students had been of all typea, but a largo proportion had been those who had an earnest desire to learn and to excel. He said that in the morning class, which met three days a week, for the three term 3 of 1837, the number attending was 53; in 188S, 66 ; in 1889, 70; in 1890, 79 ; and in 1891, 87. He reviewed the work of the classes, and paid that one of the principal developments waa that a class had been established for the study of the full figure from life. The numbers in the evening class, compared with past years, were as follow:— In 1887, 212; 1888, 186 (this year the mechanical engineering department was removed to the College) ; 1839, 20G ; 1890, 189 ; and 1891, 219. The students from the Normal School had attended on Friday afternoons through the year, and had received a thorough trainin gin freehand and model, those wishing co take geometry and perspective, attending on Saturday mornings. A special class for teachers and pupil teachers had been held on Saturday mornings, and had been attended as follows :— For the two terms of 1890, 79 and 78 respectively ; for the three termß of 1891, 6C, 78 and 86 respectively. One hundred and forty-four boys from the Boys* High School received instruction in drawing in 1891, compared with one hundred and fifteen in 1890. The annual free studentships offered to the head boy in drawing in each of the ten district schools had been competed for by representatives from eight. The successful ones had been: — H. Spensley, Ferry road; Fitzbenry, East Christchurch ; C. Wood, Weßt Christchurch; G. Power, Sydenham; G. Hart, Normal school; E. Hill, St Albans; F. Cotton, Richmond; T. Campbell, Papanui. Mr Elliott then spoke on the necessity for. developing the practical side of the school, and said that all countries were ! trying to succeed in trade by the establish* 1 ment of technical schools, in which their

workmen were trained in art principles. People in New Zealand were able to avoid the faults, perhaps, of other systems, and, at the same time, were under great responsibilities in endeavouring to direct their efforts in the right way, in order to accomplish that result whereby the country would be benefited by the application of art to any industry in which art was required. He expressed thanks to those gentlemen who had presented prizes in the past, and said that Mr Lund this year offered a prize of £10 for decorative design in external woodwork. . Mr Elliott then read the list of the winners of prizes and certificates, and those who were present came forward and received them from the Chairman of the Board. The list was aa follows :— Second grade certificates— Mary Fuller, freehand, passed; model, good. Hetty L. Smitb, freehand, good; model, excellent. Sarah G. Eainey, freehand, excellent; model, good. Sarah Fuller, freehand, passed. Georgina A. Bobison, freehand and model excellent. Elizabeth Barford, geometry, passed. J. Hamilton, model, passed. J. G. Hardy-Johnston, model, passed. F. A. Bosewarne, freehand, passed; model, good. Austin Corriok; model, excellent. E. M'Leod Smith, freeband and model, good. Bachel Old, freehand and model, good. Harry Chapman, freehand, excellent ; model, passed. W. Speirs, freehand, passed. H. Westropp, freehand, passed. Charles Watkins, freehand and model, passed. A. J. Danks, freehand, passed. David Lusk. freehand, good; perspective, excellent. Dora Meeson, geometry, excellent. L. Westaway, freehand, passed. Thirza B. Barford, freehand and model, passed. E. H. England, freehand, excellent. L. A. Edkins, freehand, good. Charles W. Wood, freehand, excellent ; model, passed. W. Bullen, freehand, passed. L. C. Foley, freehand, passed. B. J. Westropp, freehand and model, passed. M. Sorensen, freehand, passed. E. B. Webb, freehand and model, passed. J. O. Hyndman, freehand, good ; model, passed. M. E. Dickinson, freehand, good. C. S. Elmsley, freehand and model, excellent. E. J. Fisher, model, good. M. Tabart, model, good. Full second grade certificates : —Henry Whatman, freehand, passed ; model, excellent ; geometry, passed ; perspective* excellent; blackboard, good. Charles Edward Piercy, freehand, model and blackboard, excellent; geometry and perspective, passed. Art class teachers' certificate, personal teaching examination, paßßed good, Miss E. B. Budden. Full art class teachers' certificate, Miss E. B. Budden. Awards at the Auckland competition of the Society of Arts.— 'Two of the students of the Canterbury School of Arts carried off almost the wbole of the prizes between them. Miss E. G. Culiiford won the following :— Landscape in oil colour, first and honourable mention ; decorative panel, first and honourable mention ; Btill life in oil colour, first; landscape in water colour, honourable mention; painting of animal life, honourable mention ; also, the silver and bronze medals for the beat and secondbest works in tbe whole competition. Miss Munnings obtained the prize for the study of a head from life in black and white. Theliats of the Canterbury College School of Art prizes and scholarships for 1891 have already been published. After the presentation of prizes, the proceedings closed.