ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1838, 26 August 1913, Page 6

ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.

ANNUAL MEETING. Tho tweuty-fourth annual meeting of tho New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts was hold last evening, about thirty members attending. Tlio president (Mr. H. M. Gore) occupied the chair. Proposing the adoption of the report and balance-sheet (a precis of which lias been published), tlio president said that the academy was to be congratulated on its steadily increasing membership, ond consequent more stablo financial position. Mr. C. Wilson seconded the motion, and eulogised tho zeal of tho president, who, lie said, occupied a rather thankless position at present. He thought the society would have been able to do a great deal moro if _ its finances had been in better condition. What was needed was an increase in interest in

the work of tho society, and a greater membership. Tho report and balance-sheet wero adopted.

Officers for tho ensuing year will be as follow:—President, Mr. li. M. Goro; vice-presidents, Messrs. H. Linley Richardson, R.8.A., and C. Wilson; treasurer, Mr. F. Sedgwick; council, Misß D. K. Richmond, .Airs. J. A. Tripe, Messrs. A. T. Bate, A. Hamilton, J. Ellis, H. F. Von' Haast, L. H. B. Wilson, and K. M. Ballantyne; auditor, Mr. C. D. Morpeth: secretary, Mr. E. A. S. Killick.

Mr. K. M. Ballantyne proposed rji amendment to Articlo 72, to tlio effect that tho financial year should end on March 31, instead of Juno 80, as at present. The motion was carried by 13 votes to 10. It was also decided to hold tho annual mooting in May instead of- in August.

A further motion by Mr. Ballantyne was that Articles 45, 46,' and 47 be amended, so that tho wliolo council, instead of half as at present, Should retire every year. This motion was defeated.

Mr. Ballantyne also proposed a motion to provido that tho selection of pictures for the annual exhibition bo mado by a committee of nine artist members, to bo chosen by such artist members as are would-be exhibitors at tho Academy, such selection to be mado at least fourteen days before the opening day of tho exhibition; and that the hanging of pictures bo left to a committee of three selected in tho samo way, and at tho same time. An artist member was defined as one who hajl exhibited at tlio Academy at ■least once during tho previous three years. At present the selection is mado by the council generally. Tho contention of the mover was that the best judges of pictures for exhibition wero artists, and not laymen who might happen to bo members of the council. Oil the other hand, it was contended

that there might bo members of the council who could not paint a picture themselves, but who wel'o nevertheless excellent judges. To adopt tho motion would be to band the judging over to a "mutual admiration society. Tho motion was negatived. Mr. Ballantyno moved also: —"That all questions of a purely technical nature, arising at a council mooting, shall bo referral to a sub-committee of tho council consisting entirely of artist members." Several speakers pointed out tho difficulty, of defining what aro technical matters. The mover said that his definition was tho selection, hanging, and buying of pictures. Tho motion was defeated by 11 votes to 8. Mr. T. Lindsay Buick urged that the council bo' recommended to acquire a representative seascape, tho _ gallery being u I ready well supplied with examples of other subjects.