ACADEMY'S GOOD YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 55, 2 September 1943, Page 3

ACADEMY'S GOOD YEAR

Compared with last year's annual meeting of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, when there were nearly 250 members present and acrimonious discussion lasted until midnight, this year's annual meeting was a very quiet affair. It was held last night in the temporary gallery and was all over in 40 minutes. Fewer than 50 members were present, no contentious matter was brought up, and no election of officers was needed as the nominations received did not exceed the number of vacancies. This led the president, Mr. G.. G. G. Watson, to remark that it had obviously been a peaceful year. He added that it had also been a year of achievement and progress, with sales at the two exhibitions totalling the record sum of about £2000, which had gone to a large number of artists and not to only a favoured few. The Academy's membership had shown an increase to about 800, but that number, he thought, might well be doubled. When art overseas lay bleeding, it behoved people in a country like New Zealand, which had been fortunate enough to escape the ravages of war, to keep art alive.

After referring to the harmonious working of the council through the year, Mr. Watson said there had not been time to take the necessary steps to confer the honour of a life-member-ship upon Mr. A. D. Carbery, who had resigned from the council owing to his leaving Wellington. He hoped next year's annual meeting would do that, as Mr. Carbery had shown the greatest zeal and enthusiasm for art. A similar honour should be accorded Mr. F. de J. Clere, who had been associated with art and with the Academy since 1888.

The following officers were declared elected:—President, Mr. G. G. G. Watson; vice-presidents, Messrs. E. W. Hunt and W. S. Wauchop: council, Mrs. M. Fuller, Messrs. F. V. Ellis, H. W. Nash, B. R. Webster, S. W. Fearn, Cedric Savage, and Nugent Welch; honorary treasurer, Dr. R. Stout; auditor, Mr. C. D. Morpeth; secretary, Mr. E. D. Gore.