Art for all by Miss Vida Lahey

w i t h art. 11 w i d e r trailling b o t h for the e n ] O r m e n t a n d the p r o d u c - lion of art were given, n e w d e m a n d s worifc!-tiutomatically awake*11 a n d n e w a v e m i e s of e m p l o y m e n t to fullil these d e m a n d s w h i c h w e c a n n o t visualise t o - d a y w o u l d o p e n out to us. T a k e a n o t h e r <11)jection. Parents s o m e t i m e s c o m p l a i n that their children w e r e t a u g h t m u s i c u n d painting, b u t :IS 80011 115 t h e y left school t h e y g a v e t h e m tip, a n d n e v e r t o u c h t h e m n o w . I quite agree that this often h a p p e n s , but shit]1 w e consider w h y ? T h e v w e r e p r o b a b l v t a u g h t to d a n c e also, a n d to p l a y tennis But suppose for a moment that on growing up they found that n o n e of their friends w e r e interested in d a n c i n g or tennis, for h o w long (10 y o u think t h e y w o u l d retain interest in these pursuit, either ? Y o u n g p e o p l e are gregariously inclined ancl f e w desire to clevelop interests to w h i c h their friends are quite indifferent. 1 h a v e n o d o u b t that if sport h a d as little publicity as art the interest iii sport w o u l d b e i m m e n s e l y d i m i n i s h e d while, o n the contrary, if art interests received a s m u c h ])11],licity as t h e sporting n e w s , stilmilation of general interest in art would be just as inarked. T h e Press, w i t h its p o w e r to rouse public interest, is a p o t e n t m e a n s of stimulating art appreciation, b u t it is in t h e schools a n d d u r i n g childhood's m o s t impressionable years that the b r o a d founclations m u s t b e laid, anci a k n o w l e d g e of art beguii that is both personal and illuminating. I s h o u l d like to m a k e it clear that b y increased art e d u c a t i o n I d o not m e a n m e r e l y m o r e of the old-fashioned t y p e of drawitig lessons that w e sparsely received ourselves, b u t art education a l o n g m o d e r n lines, w h i c h m a k e s e n j o y m e n t a s p u r to effort a n d a i m s at d r a w i n g out imagiiiative an(i constructive ideas rather t h a n merely copying objects in a mechanical manner, though observation a n d a c c u r a c y s h o u l d h a v e their place in later stages, It seeins to m e that e v e r y child s h o u l d receive training in t h e m e a n s of art a n d its appreciation t h r o u g h o u t the w h o l e of his school life, T h i s training w o u l d be, in t h e first place, b y the stimulation of his iinagination t h r o u g h t h e free expression of his ideas, also b v the c o m p o s i t i o n of s h a p e s a n d colours, i.e„ design ; secondlr, 14' the e n j o r m e n t of g o o d pictures, beautiful objects a n d pleasing designs ; and, thirdlv. b v the practice of d r a w i n g . L o o k i n g at g o o d repro- ductions a n d listening to g o o d inusic s h o u l d p l a y a n importatit part in t h e curriculum. w i t h help a n d explanation f r o m c o m p e t e n t teachers. Visits to art exhibitions a n d art galleries sliould b e r e g a r d e d as m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n sport. W h y s h o u l d a child b e drilled in the proportion of n u m b e r s a n d n e v e r t a u g h t to appreciate t h e proportion of s h a p e ? \\ h y should h e b e trained in tlie ec,mposition of w o r d s , b u t s e l d o m iii the c o m p o s i t i o n of colours, f o n n s a n d satinds ? T h e appreciation of art a n d m u s i c is far m o r e enriching to life t h a n the m a s s 01 undigested facts w i t h w h i c h h e is n o w c r a m m e d . Looking at education as a whole, we may querv why literature s h o u l d b e regarded :ls the „Illy art that is w o r t h y of serious s t u d v