The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-02-25
n VfttoOe Art Museum.

While The newspapers have been discuss
Ing how II WAS best for the city Of Nor
ctster TO dispose Of the S2J, 900 given IL
he Interests Of art education ia that city,
There ba- come to the writer of this arli-
Gle letter asking how gift Of 1 900 e4u
be best spent for art education IN c9aa-
tey town Of about 2 100 Inhabitants. Tae
mstter Is al important 9nr; for il lsqGlfe
Wltbln the reach OF fnany II country town
10 OBTAIN 81, 200 for ART interests, il it oBIy
knew nov such sum could he spent with
positive advantage 10 the community. NV
IL SO happens that The writer has, within
the past five years had about the amount
named 10 spend for precisely the Object ii
forth In the reqbest. lie disposed OF Z =
money to the best Of his ability; aud
though he does not clam 10 have spent il
IN the wlsest possible way. he has certainly
seen considerable benefit growing oul Of
the expenditure, and has not been SERIOUS
ly found fault with The nrst step isken
Wa 10 secure proper place in which the
articles 10 be bought could be deposit d.
by al arrangement. with the school author
tiles room was obtained. and al al TX
penditure OF less than $50 1t was painted
and papered and furnished with curains,
80 arranged as to give the best possible
hight for the display of art objects. The
walls were covered with warm gray plain
paper, with dado of Pompeiau red mat
ting, and the woodwork painted dark
greenish gray. The curtains were OF dirk
gray, and rolled from the bottom. Pede,-
tails were made of pine, painted, like the
woodwork, and draped with cotton sun OF
red color, harmonious 9TH the dado. At
an expense of 500, good iour-foOt plaster
casts OF the Venus OF Milo, the A polio Bel-
videre, and some three or four other wa1ks
OF ike character were bought and placed
on the pedestals. A long table was made
by village carpenter, its woodwork
painted black, with gold stenciled orua-
ments; and its top covered with red cloth.
A bookcase was made by the same work
man, and similarly painted. The entire
cost of the two articles was $50. a dog Il
armchairs were bought, SIN the wood at
S2l, and these were painted to match the
furniture, at cost of sc more. Cushions
were made for them, aud covered with red
cloth at an added cost of 50. \ specimen
was procured OF every kind OF engraving
on an interesting subject, and the best i'm
preston oblainable. These were framed
in natural wood frames. Their cost, franz
ing included, was SOS. Then the sum Of
$500 was spent in standard art books, and
this nearly filled the bookcase. The list is
moi at hand, but is easily obtainable. The
imported editions were not bought, nor
were the superb, illustrated hooks 0biaina-
Bile for the sum at hand. After much stuty
reelection OF fifty photographs was bought,
most OF them carbon prints, illustrating
the history of painting, as ii had advanced
chronologcaly. There were framed aud
disposed about the walls of the IOum elch
frame bearing card giving the name OF
the artist represented. The Photographic,
most of which were imported, cost sl25.
and the framing S35 more Good speci-
mems of the more ordinary kinds OF lace
were obtained III half-yaid lengths and
placed in frame where they could he
easily insp, cted and their characteristic
studied. Most of these specimens were
given, and should not have been mentioned
here, but that the framing and supplying
deficiencies involved an expenditure OF SIG
more. AT this point, lei me say, that no
sooner was the project oil "a village art-mu-
scum preached, than several gifts were
seut in for it, This will nearly always he
the case. The most valuable of those gifts
were some twenty pieces of old china,
some OF the pieces exceedingly rare, all OF
them valuable. The village carpenter and
glazler were called upon to make Il cabuet.
This was done at an expense of SIG. IT.
il was placed the china that had been given
and forty dollars was spent n Specimens
illustrating the modern ceramic ware of
Japan. Two hanging lamps were placed
above the table at a cost of SO, and two
bracket lamps on the wall at cost of 81
Subscriptions to the more prominent art
periodicals were provided in the sum of
SS3, and nearly 5000 remained as a fluid
Tor such needs as might arise
But who was to take care of this $500
worth of property? Here was qut sion
OF importance 1t WAS solved by the for.
nation OF an art club, Of ladies' ard gen
tiemen, who met fortnghtly for art study,
ana enc OF whose number volunteered tn
keep the rooms open three evenings and
one afternoon in each week. The room
became at ouce a resort for all who had The
least interest in art. lis books were used
freely for reference, aud the history of arr
AMI the methods OF art processes became
plain to many through the examples on the
wall. Having habiIl ion. the AIT Club
grew, and, instead OF drawing on the fund
for improvements in the room made fr5m
time TO time, at once increased the fund,
and improved the room with funds o3
tanned from a course of lectures.
Such an art museum Is possible in al
most any village. Its benefit tn the COM
munity is incalculable II properly mau-
aged, it will soon make art study fashion,
able where it has not been thought of be-
fore. School boards could we'll afiold 10
pay for the fitting up of sIch place as
a part of the educational machinery. And
one of the most benz tcent gifts that any
citizen of such town could
make to the community would he the small
fund required for such an Institution. An
art museum, no matter how sinai il is in }
he beginning, is sure to grow; only care
needs to be assured Loan exhibitions and
courses OF lectures naturally follow its es-
and in tme il becomes re-
pository from which an art sense and mr.
Outstanding spread, II all The departments
Of life and work in its neighborhood.-
The independent.