Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-03-10
FIELD FOR FEMALE TALENT.
School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia.
 One Woman's Work.

School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia.
 One WOman's Work.
 About the time of the closing of the | Centennial exposition ill 1876, a com mittee was formed and provided with | $50, ,000 in cash, for the purpose of secur- ing from foreign exhibitors specimens of | their best handicraft in industrial art subjects, to be used as nucleus for an educational museum in this city, the same to eventually comprise a depart ment of school of industrial art. This was one of the practical methods adopted to render the Centennial exposition of permanent benefit. It was successfully carried out through the efforts of one woman-Alrs. E. D. Gillespie, who is g grand niece of Benjamin Franklin She worked in season and out toward the Accomplishment of her plans.
 The result of her labors is the magnifi- cent collection of art works that now fill the Memorial hall Tn Fairmount park,
 part of which were purchased and the
 balance donated by foreign and native
 exhibitors. These works are employed
 as models, from which are drawn art in-
 spirations, that eventually find their way
 into the carpets, china, calico and the l
 well as domestic economy.
 It is to the city of Philadelphia and the
 ,tate of Pennsylvania, supplemented by
 the generosity of a few public spirited
 citizens in the eastern states and in Phil
 adelphia, that this important art move
 ment has been made in this country.
 The best features of the South Kensing-
 ton Art school have been localized, and Al | | AL Il I
 Belgian designers have been freely util-
 ized. The progress made by the latter
 country is something wonderful, many
 of the best suggestions coming from
 here.
 Among the subjects taught are de-
 signs for carpets, rugs, wall papers, in
 which there have been progress within
 the past five years that is simply marvel
 ous; oilcloths, calicoes and all sorts of
 textile fabrics, two-thirds of all the
 ''genuine Smyrnas," are made in Phila-
 delphia. Ill clay modelling for the deco
 rative art trade instruction is given. A
 particularly important branch is the
 china decoration. The advancement made
 in pottery manufacture has brought into
 demand hand painters of all descriptions,
 as well as designers who can make the patterns that are printed upon our more
 common stone china by machinery China decoration has kept pace with
 china manufacture, and now American
 goods successfully compete with those of |, both England and Holland
 The purpose of the school is to furnish
 such instruction in drawing, painting, modelling, carving and designing as is re- quired by designers, superintendents and
 workmen in the various decorative arts and to serve as a training school for
 teachers of these branches. In the pur- suance of such instruction the pupil is taken through each successive branch of practical art to which he or she is adapted. No knowledge of drawing is j required in beginning and all studies are directly from objects and from nature. y As the pupils advance they are taught to make their own designs, the character , of the designs being confined as closely as 2 possible to work that could be applied to U practical use. Even if the life classes, '- where copies are made from the semi v nude, the models are posed in attitudes e that could be applied to architectural de l. signs. In fact, in no department is the e industrial feature lost sight of, and from n the first attempt in geometrical drawing
 to the highest perfection ill copies from
 life this object is kept steadily in view. ' An important feature of the instruction e is that of compelling the pupil, after !. having made the designs, either ill textile If or in purely art department, to worl , them out in real articles. Looms exactly # like those used in New England anC F. Pennsylvania manufactories are provided if and the pupil makes a rug or piece O ,e carpet from his or her own pattern. ,f In an institution owing its existenc ,s almost wholly to the indomitable plucl 'a and push of one woman, there are natur
 ally a large proportion of women stu $ dents, but they are by no means tn is majority of those benefited Ambition .e artisans in the hundreds of industria V mills of the city find here immense advan
 tages for self improvement. Women fin le the same, and they are availing thenlselve Y of the privilege, both here and ill the olde y institution for industrial and art advance i1 i1 ment-the School of Design for Women Ill The latter was pioneer in this couhtr , ,h in the task of providing congenial an y profitable employment for women. re WitAin a few months art schools IT. three large western cities have sent reprt 1e sentatives to this city to ask after th ne feasibility of industrial plans. It is rec he ognized that women must be provide ps with the means of earning living, an ad the vast field of industrial art furnishes
 broad and hitherto uncultivated and LII
 occupied one. The number of wome
 now filling renlunerative positions in u d. mills as designers attest the claim of il of dustrial art education to notice.-EugeI h. NJ. Camp in San Francisco Chronicle.