E.—7.

A class for modelling in clay has been carried ou through the year, and the efforts, though elementary, have been fairly good. A beginning, however, has been made, and doubtless better results will be achieved by next year. The other branches of work have been carried on as usual, those for model drawing and drawing from the antique producing the best work. Normal Students.— Considering that the same undesirable arrangements have been continued this year as to the time of attendance of the Normal students—viz., from 4 to 6 on Friday afternoons, fairly satisfactory results have been obtained. The few that did attend got a thorough training in freehand and model, those taking geometry and perspective coming on Saturday mornings. Boys' HigJi School. —As compared with 115 last year 144 boys have received instruction in the High School, four hours per week in freehand, model, and plane and solid geometry. An extra class has come three hours per week to the School of Art for further instruction. Seven hours per week are thus devoted to this work, where a couple or three years ago only two were spent. Teachers under the Education Board. —Although drawing is a pass subject in the day schools the Education Board in 1888 withdrew the grant by which the pupil-teachers and teachers were enabled to come to the School of Art to receive instruction in drawing. Since then, though expected to qualify themselves in this subject, they have been left without the means of doing so. To meet this want I started, the second term of last year, a special class ou Saturday mornings from 9.30 to 12.30. The number of those who attended for the three terms of the year was as follows : Second term, 1890, 79 ; third term, 1890, 78 ; and first term, 1891, 66 : thus proving the need for some provision in this direction. Free Studentships. —Six free studentships were ottered for competition, three to the morning students and three to the evening ones, on the work of the year. Those in the morning were awarded to Miss M. Gee for landscape, Miss E. Munnings for drawing from life, and Miss E. G. Culliford for light and shade; those in the evening to Miss E. G. Deakin for light and shade, Mr. G. O. Chaplin for drawing from life, and Mr. A. W. Fielder for architectural drawing. The annual free studentships offered for the head boy in drawing in each of the ten district State schools were competed for last January, when representatives from eight schools attended. The successful competitors were : H. Spensley, Ferry Eoad; —Fitzhenry, East Christchurch ; C. Wood, West Christchurch; G. .Power, Sydenhain; G. Hart, Normal; E. Hill, St. Albans ; F. Cotton, Richmond ; J. Campbell, Papanui. As the Lyttelton and Opawa schools have failed to take advantage of the scholarships the last two years, and as, in any case, it would be difficult for the boys to attend, I would suggest that these schools should in future be omitted from those allowed to take part in the competition. Prizes. —By the liberality of the Board we were able to offer a more extended prize-list for competition this year than we have done before. They were awarded as follows: Freehand: First, Miss E. M. Clark and Miss L. Rutherford; second, Miss E. M. Deakin and Mr. J. Hynes. Model: First, Mr. T. Rides; second, Mr. St. G. Atkinson. Modelling in clay: First, Mr. A. E. Bradley; second, Mr. St. G. Atkinson. Decorative design : First, Mr. C. Bickerton. Light and shade from the antique: First, Mr. C. E. Bruustlon. Head from life, in colour, prize :MrW. K. Sprott. Messrs. A. J. White and Whitcombe and Tombs have again kindly given prizes, for which I have to thank them. Auckland Exhibition. —At the annual competition of the Auckland Society of Arts, held last April, two of our students carried off almost the whole of the prizes betwen them, one of them scoring a phenomenal success. Miss E. G. Culliford won the following : First prize, landscape in colours, also the honourable mention; first prize and honourable mention, decorative-panel; first prize, still life, in oil-colour; honourable mention, landscape, water-colour ; honourable mention, painting of animal life ; silver medal and bronze medal for the best and second best works in the whole competition. Miss Munnings obtained the prize for the study of a head from life. Annual Exhibition. —The annual exhibition of works done by the students during the year was held in February, and was again very largely attended. The various branches of work were fully represented, the standard being beyond that of former years in still life painting, drawing from life, and the antique. Examinations. —The annual second-grade examinations were held last December, with the following results, compared with the last three years : — Freehand. Model. Geometry. Perspective. Blackboard. Pull Certificate. 1887 ... 84 42 31 5 1888 ... 30 29 11 5 1889 ... 46 35 ... 5 8 1890 ... 91 59 11 o 6 6 Advanced second grade, or elementary Art-Teacher's certificate: Class-teaching—Miss R. E. Aldridge. Full Art-Teacher's certificate —Miss R. E. Aldridge. Appointment. —Mr. W. K. Sprott, who was assisting us in the evening class last year, was appointed permanently at the beginning of this year. As I mentioned in my last report the advance of the school is still retarded by want of more convenience. When the board can grant this we shall be able to take another step onward. My assistants, Messrs. Walsh, Chapman, and Sprott, have helped me well during the year. I have, &c, To F. de C. Malet, Esq., Chairman. G. Hekre'kt Elliott.

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