Art for all by Miss Vida Lahey

in t h e s e c o n d a r y schools, while e v e n in the L'niversity, w h e r e olle w o u l d expect the foundations of culture t o b e b r o a d l y laid, w e {11](-1 that n o i m p o r t a n c e is a c c o r d e d officially to t h e pictorial, plastic a n d musical arts. T h e so-called F a c u l t y of A r t s is in this respect a mism,iner, as the degrees of B a c h e l o r of A r t s a n d M a s t e r of A r t s are usually g r a n t e d w i t h o u t a n y k n o w l e d g e of the jine arts (except literature) b e i n g collsidered necessary, w i t h t h e result that it is quite u n u s u a l for University g r a d u a t e s in tile F a c u l t y of A r t s to b e interested in the visual arts at all. A n d $0, in t h e w h o l e s y s t e m of ellicial education in the State, art, instead of bring treated as a langitage the rii(liments of which every chikl should practice :111(1 e v e r y y o u t h s h o u l d s t u d y in order to jit h i m to u n d e r s t a n d a n d e n j o y t h e great heritage of artistic culture n o w available, is g i v e n comparatively small consideration, a n d b y practical implication is r a n k e d a s of m i n o r i m p o r t a n c e in life. T h e consequences, the l o w level of general artistic k n o w l e d g e a n d t h e lack of d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e p o w e r t o e n j o y art o n the part of the public iii general, :ire unfortimate for the w h o l e c o m m u n i t y . lf w e n o w turn o u r attention to the titilitarian point of view, w e find that increased art educatioii w o u l d r e p a y t h e State firstly, b y increasing the capacity for h a p p i n e s s in the c o m m u n i t y , a n d t h e r e b v d e v e l o p i n g c o n t e n t m e n t ; and, secondly. b y selling the g o o d s of t h e people, a n d s o creating m o r e e m p l o y m e n t . F o r art plays a n i m p o r t a n t part iii t h e selling of goods, n o t o n l y in t h e i m m e n s e field of advertising t h e m , in w h i c h art m e d i u m s are of first importance, b u t also iii their preparation, In textiles the colour a n d the attractiveness of t h e pattern are potent factors iii stimulating sales, while it is shape, pattern a n d colour w h i c h sell pottery, glass a n d chinaware. T h e lines of a m o t o r car a n d its distinction in style p l a y a big part in its disposal, while countless other things are sold b y the attractiveness of their labels a n d their effective display. B e h i n d the production of all these things lie imagination, inventiveness, a n d t h e k n o w l e d g e of colour a n d shape. atid d e v e l o p m e n t of these qualities in t h e child b y art e d u c a t i o n f r a m its earliest years w o u l d in t i m e p r o d u c e in t h e State ati i m m e n s e l y e n h a n c e d p o w e r to compette w i t h the rest of the w o r l d T h e frequent criticisms froni a b r o a d of o u r lack of a w a r e n e s s iii effective display c a n b e m o s t effectively r e m e d i e d b y increasing the artistic Mensitiveness of t h e general population. A n o t h e r reason w h y greater attention s h o u l d b e g i v e n to art eflucation is that the s u p r e m a c y of the written w o r d for c o m - m u n i c a t i o n of t h o u g h t is n o w b e i n g challenged. W i t h the develop- m e n t o f p h o t o g r a p h y . c i n e m a a n d radio, t h e e y e a n d ear n o w p l a y a role o f e v e r increasing i m p o r t a n c e in the dissemination of k n o w l e d g e , a n d so correspondingly increased i m p o r t a n c e sholl](l b e g i v e n to the education of these organs, n o t o n l y for the joy-giving possibilities of art a n d music. t h e potentialities of w h i c h h a v e n o t yet b e e n tried t h r o u g h m a s s d e v e l o p m e n t , b u t a.% the logical result of m o d e r n conditions.