Plan To Form Fine Arts Society For Levin District

Chronicle (Levin), 11 December 1948, Page 4

Plan To Form Fine Arts Society For Levin District

■■ I ■ III III I. II n, w If W appreciation -of the fine arts is to be developed among country residents, opportunities similar to those enjoyed in the cities must be given them. . Realising this, the Levin. Rotary Club is sponsoring a movement to form a firie arts society in Le-fin. • . . ... . . . . As a preliminary to the calling of a meeting for this purpose, an exhibition of paintings by the noted New Zealand artisL Miss Gwen Knight,- was staged in the Horowhenua College library this week, The works, which aroused considerable interest, were hung by the college art master, Mr. M. R. Smith, D.F.A. 7 , '

«• ^ ! During the evening/ the, presi- ' dent of the Levin . Rotary Club, Dr. S. J. Thompson, informed t'he large gath'ering . of the object in arranging the exhibition. It was ffelt, he said, that while there were ■many advantages in country life ■when compared with that in the cities, there were also disadvan1 •tages. One of these was that displays of arts and crafts, photbgraphy, antiques and similar cultural subjects were not readiiy available to' the country people, and specially to the younger generation. The move towards the formation of a cultural centre or 'society of fine arts was one- w'hich aimed at bridging this gap by mr creasing interest in all aspects of •the fine arts— paintings, sculpture> •music, photography, drama, antiques, pottery and the like. That might seem an ambi'tiouS programme, continued Dr. Thompson; but several of these arts were well served at present by the Levin Playreaders, Levin Music Club and Levin Film Society. It was noc intended that the movement s'hould interfere or duplicate any of these activities, but rather that aspects not at present covered shouM be served. The "new society would probably require the assistance of these and other organisations in some of the displays. ■ It was fitting that such "a movement should be centred round t'he chief educational institution of the district, the Horowhenua College. The present idea was that the college, by its advisory com*-. mittee and staff, s'hould take a large part'in the development and administration' of the society, and

that all activities of the society shouldi be freely available for the instruction, education and entert&inment of the college pupils, • said the speaker. A meeting for the formation of the society would: be convened early in the New Year and all those present would: 'be notified personally of it. His club felt that there was an opening in t'he district for "such -a movement and sought only to bring together for mutual benefit 'all those interes'ted in' the fine' arts. « . Quoting from Dr. Hendrik Vari'hoon's "Arts of Mankind." a passage which ■ seemed ' particularly pertinent to the movement, Dr. Thompson" said there was only one way to improve the taste of a nation. It.could not be done in a hurry and could not be done by force. It could only be done by exposing the people patiently, systematically and Gontinually to that which was known to 'be .good. That was what shouM be done, he added, an endeavour to per^suade the children to make the' good choice for themselves, by exposing them just as much as was possible to that which was a true product of divine inspiration and! honest, human craftsmanship. in the end, those able to see and look for themselves would make the right decision and it would be . a lasting one. The principal of t'he college, Mr. N. A. Byrne, introduced Miss Knight, who, had come to Levin for the exhibition. He referre'd to her work.abroad and.to -her association with the late Francis Hodgkins, and thanked her for the exhibition. -