MASSACHUSETTS NORMAL ART SCHOOL.

THE EXHIBIT.

[This school made two exhibits-one of its general course of instruction in art, the other of the work of those pupils in the school who are preparing themselves for teaching or supervision. The former exhibit was placed, with those of other art schools, in the southwest corner of the Education building, and was composed of some 300 drawings and paintings from objects, from casts, from the antique, and from the human úgure, with numerous busts from the class in sculpture, and objects of interest and beauty from the "arts and crafts" class. Of the second exhibit the principal, Mr. George II. Bartlett, writes as follows.]

The exhibition of the public school class of the Massachusetts Normal Art School represents but a small part of the year's work, and yet it is the expres sion of the thought of the whole year.

On entering this class the pupil has had a thorough technical art training of three years (as shown in the exhibit of the academic work of the school), during which time he has labored from the standpoint of the pupil. Now he is to become a teacher. His first effort is to get in touch with the principles of teaching.

To learn how to teach, how to select from the great storehouse of art that which is best to teach and to adapt this to the various grades from the kindergarten through the high school, become his especial study for the year.

To teach the pupil to think definitely and to broaden his understanding of the subject, he is given the problem of planning and of illustrating a limited number of lessons, adapting the thought and the rendering to the grade under consideration. The graded illustrative work seen in the exhibition is the direct result of this effort, the exercises being the ordinary certificate work of the students and not made especially for an exhibit. Simple practical lessons in the various branches of art are here shown, each subject being traced in a sequence of steps from the lowest to the highest grades.

To one familiar with drawing in the public schools it is apparent that skill in the use of the pencil and of the brush in water color is most essential to the drawing teacher. To further this end throughout the year emphasis is laid on work especially in these two mediums, and as much time as possible is given to secure good simple pencil rendering with an appreciation of values, and in water color to secure pure color and direct handling.

Another essential in the education of a drawing teacher is skill in blackboard drawing, and practice in this mode of expression is given throughout the course commensurate with its importance..

The suggestions for high school lessons in the exhibit show advanced work in the various modes of rendering, yet an especial effort has been made to so closely connect the first-year lessons with those of the highest grammar grade that no break should be made, but that the work in the high school should begin on the old familiar lines.

In the apportionment of subjects the thought throughout has been to make a well-balanced whole, giving sufficient place to those subjects which, though not so attractive, are necessary to general knowledge, yet recognizing the fact that the greater interest a subject possesses the greater is its capability for developing power.

THE MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS.

BY ROBERT KOEHLER, DIRECTOR.

THE SCHOOL.

The school at present embraces two departments, the academical and the practical design.

The first includes preparatory and advanced antique, sketch, still life, portrait, and life classes, in session five days each week during the winter term of eight months. On Saturday forenoon there is a special class for children. The school is open to beginners and advanced students. No time limit is set for the course of study and no diplomas are issued in this department. There is also a regular summer term of two months' duration.

Work in the design department constitutes a course of three years and embraces the study of plant forms, historic ornament, and lettering, and their adaptation to practical purposes in the design of furniture, interior decoration, textiles, book illustration, embroidery, etc.

Advanced students desiring to qualify as teachers are given an opportunity to gain experience as assistants to the director in various classes.

THE EXHIBIT.

The exhibit was selected with the object of demonstrating the general character of the work performed.

The work displayed showed a great variety of treatment, the result of the policy pursued to encourage the development of individuality in the pupils. With correctness and simplicity in drawing as fundamental principles, students are given every encouragement to follow out methods of treatment of their own. Likewise in composition, the practice of which is required from the beginning, students are given the widest scope for expressing their ideas.

It is claimed that the advantages offered to art students by a smaller school are easily apparent, and that a thoroughly sound foundation for the study of art is more readily obtainable in such a school, where personal interest in his pupils on the part of the instructor is one of the important factors.

SCHOOL OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON, MASS.

BY THOMAS ALLEN, CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL.

HISTORY AND WORK.

Founded in 1876 as an appendage to and occupying rooms in the museum for the purpose of encouraging education in the fine arts, the school maintained a separate existence until 1902, when it was incorporated as part of the Museum of Fine Arts. It is administered by a council of fifteen members, which is composed of representatives of the trustees of the museum, artists, and art workers. Under a competent corps of instructors the school offers instruction in draw

ing, painting, modeling, and in decorative design, with supplementary courses in anatomy and perspective. The average number of enrolled pupils is something over 200.

In the department of drawing and painting the instruction includes drawing from the cast under Mr. Hale, from the nude under Mr. Benson, painting from still life and from nude and draped models under Mr. Tarbell and Miss Hazelton. Pupils are promoted from one class to another as soon as their proficiency warrants it. In the department of modeling, under Mr. Pratt's instruction, pupils are taught to model the human figure in clay, both singly and in composition. In the department of design, under Mr. C. Howard Walker, assisted by Miss Child and Miss Maguines, instruction is given by means of problems, which are criticized and corrected, and by lectures. The general principles of planning, of ornament, and application of ornament to material, and the principles of color harmony and contrast are taught in relation to all varieties of design. The purpose is to give a training which will fit a pupil to enter the field of design with a knowledge of the fundamental principles of design and an ability to apply this knowledge in practice.

THE EXHIBIT.

The exhibit of the museum school at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis was selected and arranged by each instructor in his own department. Mr. Tarbell's classes sent 53 oil paintings, portrait studies, and full-length studies from the nude, and 2 pastels. Mr. Benson's classes sent 56 drawings from the nude, Mr. Hale's class 52 drawings from the antique, Mr. Pratt's class 4 figures and 4 bas-reliefs in plaster. Mr. Walker's three classes sent 120 designs selected to include as large a range of subjects as possible. In all, the school makes something less than 300 separate exhibits. The whole exhibit was arranged and installed at St. Louis under the supervision of Mr. Philip L. Hale, instructor of drawing at the museum school, and the council voted to expend a sum not to exceed $400 to cover all expenses.

ST. LOUIS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS.

BY THE DIRECTOR.

HISTORY AND WORK.

The St. Louis School of Fine Arts has been the art department of Washington University since May 22, 1879, and was established for the purpose of "instruction in the fine arts; the collection and exhibition of pictures, statuary, and other works of art, * * and in general the promotion by all proper means of æsthetic or artistic education."

The system which has been adopted in the school work is based on the idea of the universality of art; that is, it is limited to no material or product. The commonly accepted division of art into fine art and industrial art is not recognized. It is believed that no difference should be made between artists except by the measure of inspiration shown in their work. Upon these lines the work of the school has been gradually and steadily developed. Whereas at first the instruction was limited to modeling, drawing and painting from casts, still life, and the living model, instruction is now given in design (for fabrics, tex

tiles, wall paper, ceramics, tiles, book covers, book plates, etc.), ceramic decoration, pottery, book-binding, modeling for ornamental purposes, and illustration. It is continually impressed upon the student that drawing, modeling, or color is the true basis of all successful art work. They are urged to devote a part of their time to the serious consideration of these branches of the arts, and their knowledge of the technical side of their work is broadened by illustrated class lectures on art development and kindred subjects.

THE EXHIBIT.

The collection shown in the Palace of Education at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition is the selection made from work done by the students within the past three or four years. It has been arranged with a twofold object-first, to show the methods used in developing the student; second, to show the degree of excellence to which the student has attained. Work was submitted for this purpose by all the students in the school, from the juvenile to the most advanced class. From this work the collection was selected by the corps of instructors. A study was often chosen to represent a phase in the development of the student. Thus in drawing, mere outline studies were selected to show the process of construction. In the color and black and white sketch classes, unfinished studies, often mere suggestions, were chosen to illustrate the manner in which final results were brought about. The same process was adopted in the case of all applied art products. Designs of various kinds were taken not so much for their finish as for the knowledge they showed. In several instances a design made in that class by one student was carried out by another, either in the ceramic or bookbinding class. This enabled the students to see the practical results of their efforts in more than one narrow direction. They were enabled to see their weaknesses of design and their weakness of execution on one piece of work.

Both the students in the ceramic class and those in the bookbinding class are urged to use original designs-that is, designs which they themselves have executed. To facilitate this, their time is so divided that they alternate in their studies, devoting part of their time to one field and part to another.

In looking at the result of these methods of work it would seem that the student becomes more practical; that whereas brilliancy and cleverness may count up to a certain degree, method and thoroughness will carry the student further and enable him more readily to enter the practical field of his endeavors.

LUTHERAN PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.

BY A. KAEPPEL.

ORGANIZATION.

The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States is one of the five German synods in the United States forming the so-called “synodical conference." All of these synods maintain schools to provide for Christian instruction. Out of 2,225 elementary schools attended by 111,816 pupils, the Missouri synod alone maintains 1,888, in which 96,193 pupils are instructed by 1,061 pastors, 857 male, and 176 female teachers. Besides these schools for

elementary instruction, which are sustained by the individual congregations, the Missouri synod provides for the higher education in high schools, colleges, and seminaries, maintained, with two exceptions, out of the common funds of the synod.

The synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States was founded in 1847 by 12 congregations, 22 pastors, and 2 candidates for the ministry. Within these congregations there were at that time 14 common schools, attended by 508 pupils. But previous to the organization of the Missouri synod there were Lutheran schools in this country, even as early as 1734.

While the primary object of Evangelical Lutheran congregations in organizing and maintaining parochial schools is the religious instruction of their children, an equal importance is attached to the fact that the best possible instruction in secular branches must be pervaded by the spirit of Christianity. For this reason synod educates its own teachers, who make their profession a life's calling.

The plan of instruction in these schools includes, besides instruction in religion, all the common school branches; German and English, reading, writing, grammar, composition, arithmetic, geography, United States history, physiology, zoology, botany, singing, and drawing. In most of the schools instruction in all the branches, with the exception of religion and German, is given in English.

It is obvious that the standard of these schools varies according to locality and the condition of the congregations supporting them. While some large congregations employ as many as nine teachers, others, especially small congregations in rural districts, must be content with whatever school the pastor can give their children.

Every congregation supports its own schools, either by voluntary contributions or by asking a nominal tuition fee of the pupils. The management of the school is in the hands of a school board elected by the congregation, the pastor acting as inspector or supervisor.

The Lutherans, as good patriots, cheerfully and loyally support the public schools, and deem it the duty of government to provide the very best education for the youth of this country. But they hold it incompatible with the character of public schools to give religious instruction, and much more so denominational religious instruction; and since this is out of the question, Lutherans who contend that there is "no morality without religion" must continue to support and maintain their parish schools out of their own means, asking no aid from government.

THE LUTHERAN EXHIBIT.

When in June, 1902, the synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States authorized the faculty of the Teachers' Seminary, at Addison, Ill., to collect and install an exhibit of the Evangelical Lutheran parochial schools at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the committee was confronted with many difficulties, the chief ones being the newness of the undertaking and the extreme modesty of many teachers.

An executive committee of three, appointed by the faculty, began agitation for the cause by sending circulars to all the conferences, teachers, and congregations in the synod. Several of the larger conferences were visited in person by members of the committee, and teachers and pastors were shown the importance of placing on exhibition the work of the Lutheran schools and urged to combine efforts to make the display successful.

All material used for the work was supplied by the Concordia Publishing House, of St. Louis, and the completed work was sent there, where it was bound in neat covers.