MAORI ART SCHOOL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 126, 18 August 1927, Page 13

MAORI ART SCHOOL

BUILDING AT ROTORUA FINE SITE AVAILABLE (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. The latest move in placing Maori arts and crafts on a satisfactory basis is to get underway the erection of suitable buildings for students at Rotorua for which an admirable site has been chosen. The Hon. R. F. Bollard said to-day that arrangements have now been made with the Tourist Department for an area of about ten acres to the north-east of the bath-house to be made available as a site for the operations of the board and as. a “marae” for public receptions. Tho area to be used is at present lying waste, and as the erection of the buildings and the lay-out of ground will be in conformity with the surroundings the proposal will have not only the effect of providing a site but will also add to the attractiveness of the sanatorium reserve. “Until thq new building is up the operations of the school will be carried on by the director of the board in the present offices, which are situated in a pictur-equely-carved Maori building at Ohinemutu on the shores of Lake Rotorua. But the building is not large enough. Nevertheless, during the latter part of the last tourist season, when the board commenced its work the building and the exhibits on show in it, were the star attraction to many visitors to the thermal regions” When the new school for students has been well started in Rotorua added interest will be shown in the fine arts of the Maori. General satisfaction is expressed by Mr. Bollard at the enthusiasm which is displayed by members of the board. “Every member of the board,” he said, “is imbued with the one aim—to set the foundation for perpetuation by the present and coming generations of Maori craftsmanship. That was Mr. Coates’s main idea in introducing the legislation which passed unanimously. It is a good thing to see Parliament take up a cause of the kind, and the board starts off with the good wishes of the Legislature ,and New Zealanders, who consider the work of our Maori artists well worthy of preservation for its originality of conception.”