THE ART GRANT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11029, 18 March 1914, Page 1

THE ART GRANT.

CR HUNTER AND HIS CRITICS. THE COUNCIL'S INTENTIONS. Some criticism has been passed on the City Council for appointing Councillor H. Hunter with the Mayor to select the pictures at the Art Society's Exhibition that will be purchased by tho Council's grant of £3O, but Councillor Hunter explained to-day that- the position had been misunderstood by some members of the public and' by newspaper writers. He admitted iliafc, althoogli lie knew when'a picture pleased him, he was not acquainted with tho 'technicalities of art, and, perhaps, could jiot point cut the defects of a picture, even when lie saw that it was not good art. He stated, however, that lie had not been appointed to make the selection. The Mayor and he had been appointed to act" in that way with two members of the Art Society's Council, who of course, would be men practised in studying pictures from the technical point of view. He did not criticise Mr M'Gregor Wright's ability, but he thought that the City Council's representative was placed in a Avrong .position when a. decision in favour of a certain, position was reversed without consulting the Mayor. The duty the Council had assigned to the Mayor and him was to interpret its intentions. _ It was on Councillor Hunter's motion that tho Council decided to give the grant, and Councillor Hunter stated that it certainly was not the intention to purchase the picture of an English artist, as had been done last year, when Mr R. Wallwork's " TJp for Repairs." was selected. Mr Wall work was brought from London to take a position on the staff of the School of Art. Ho had been here for only a short time, and he could not bo classed as a Now Zealand artist. It was sometimes impossible to state in a motion all that ought to be stated. The motion dealing with the grant, consequently, had to be treated in a. broad spirit. In moving it, he intended that tlie grant should be given for a. picture painted by an artist who was born in this country, or who had been trained her, or who could be regarded as a bona fide Now Zealand artist. Ho agreed with a.n artist interviewed in the " Star," who suggested that a Now Zealand artist might be defined as one who had been born in the dominion and had received some training here, or who had resided in the country for ;i certain time, which could be stated.