New-York tribune., 1896-06-21
MORNINGsIDE HEIGHTS.

Differences Of opinion prevail among the Aca-
demicians Some Of the members, as Is "eh
known are not only strongly In favor OF q uo"i-
town Site but jealous OF any aiiiahce oe
tween the Academy and any other ihs'lu'io'''
As a we-known Academician said yesterday
There are numbers In the Academy 70 WHOM
- u,ould not he WIS. to advocate q combination
Of art and university education. Such PROPOSE
ton would excite them. They insist that art ID
a wild flower, and would die II brought "''ni"
university lines for cultivation 90 ho' NC
leve IT, Art cannot be taught ike an e""0' "'
ence that we know. But, admitting Tic w"
flower theory, II seems TO me hardy oPs" ~ '
nu,. that art must develop a stronger. better.
purer growth In a soil enriched by educa.'oh.
am heartily and sincerely In favor Of the CO.
,,,,o rr,i,,arsi,v site with or without alliance.
and I shall work for 1t with all the energy
possess"
WHAT MR. SMILIIE SAYS
An interesting statement favorins the %
lumba University site was mace oy '
Smiue yesterday 10 a Tribune repoi'e'. .
",rhe Nationa! Academy OF Design. In seeK'rs
. ,oco,ion upon which TO build It's new nome
eaid Mr. Smile has seriously involved p'oO.
t,, ., solve combining as 1t does numDer u
ohs,inately conflicting factors. It's fuhuS' d.
,houph large are not large enough TO ehd"'' -
., purchase in the thlckly settled part Oh ''c
CITY such a site, and 20 erect thereon su0" "
buildlng or buildings. as would peN' i's i"i'A ~
satisfy the ambition OF its members anu ii'r"'
Tho requirements Of the several functions % '"7
,c.derov arc no, altogether harmonio ous us
exhibitions. I'm a way. supplement the eouc"''o'''
work Of the schools. but there are REQUIREMENTS
Of the exhibitions that. 10 some extent are d.
variance with those Of the schools. Ne'ef'"e
loss for reasons having weight. II Is de@raole u
have exhibitions and schools IN one e''a
ment and under one management
"a, ideal academy FOR the conservatism Of
pure art, with plans 70 meet future neeu' "''
conditions and an institution arranged 70 meet
The material requirements Of the art exhibitors
O, to-day. are difficult 10 combine. ma"y OF thriF
,p,ores,a being divergent. An academy Tor AK
education and IN. Development OF high ART ideaIs
T. o,. thing an exhibition and business concern
~ show and sell pictures Is quite another 'h'hs'
Whilo I'm some ways they are antaSohisuc'
neither interest can be ignored. By dlploha'o
concessions they may be brought into harmony
with tho means ut its command the Academy
can buy in good location downtown" '"e''"
rifty-u!nth-s: and above Thirty -iourth-s'I "o'
far ranooyea from a business centre and great
/ ,horoughfare a site haN as large again as l's
,rcs.n, one. and upon (, could put up building
] n
planned than the one It Is now in. Such site
and huildin. would answer the requirements or
tho Academy for another twenty-five or thirty
,..ars Then the Academy would have II seek a
+ NOW location and build a new home. Every such
change as the history ~ the Academy SHOWS -
attended with much trbuation and expense II
is but simple common sense. therefore, 10 st''e
+, make the change that IS 10 be made now
/ permanent one II possible
40 SITE 50 FULL of PROMISE.
NO other site yet found is 50 full Of promise IN
this last named respect as site In the Immediate
/ vicinity of Columbia University. II mas Deeh re-
Gently urged with great force that an alliance lo'
educational purposes should be made between
/ the University and the Academy now consider
the question II site only The matter OF an edu-
cationai alliance rest for the present without
detrimen,. one thing al a time.
The University site cannot be intelligently
considered by any one who has not visited It
and seen the astonishing extent of the cltys
growth In that direction-the physical conforma-
tlon OF the land the Arrangements OF avenues.
boulevards and drives already completed. and
the noble buildings there. finished or In course
Of erection. Some. not having such Information.
have said that It is too far uptown. In 1880
forty-one years ago. the Academy was urged.
with great energy and persistence. to purchase
the block bounded by Broadway. Fffth-ave,
Twenty-hfth and Twenty-sixth SITS, but the
proposition met defeat finally. because. as
Thomas 5. Cummings states in his Annals Of
the Academy It was too far uptown The site
that was then too far uptown is now half mile
below the lowest. or most downtown site that
has been offered for the consideration of the
Academy at this time. In ten years from that
date. in 1865. the whole block was covered
| with fine buildings, and the adjacent property
was Well built up.
"A site upon the Boulevard near Columbia Uni
versty would be upon the same Broadway line
The Academy. with the means at It's disposal.
| can purchase upon Morningsidc Heights site
five times greater IN extent than It's present one
! "A site with area enough for an ideal academy
| with room enough and to spare FOR galleries. In
| which. for many, many years 10 come the best
| art Of the day would find choice setting. site
| 20 ample and In such noble company that II
would be good enough for all time. The char
acter Of the nelghborhood is assured. 1t cannot,
In the nature of things. become ordinary or COM
inonplace II is now easily accessible by several
lines Of street cars. and In the near future faci!
ties for travel in that direction are to be greatly
increased
Growing the high ridge. nearly 13O feet
above tdewater. the east face of which forms
MOrnlngsidc Park overlooking Harlem plain the
western slope. Riverside Park. falling 10 the Hud-
| son River il the square OF Columbia University
where there Is now In progress or construction
a group Of buildings noble In every element OF
beauty, stability, material. size and purpose. q
group planned in IA spirit sa far-eeeing. so liberal
and So enlightened that a centre Of refinement
and learning II must become famous throughout
the world. Other colleges and institutions OF
culture and wealth have already been built or
are preparing 10 build upon the streets aud ave-
nues surrounding this square. Such n centre
must, as a matter Of course. become a strong
point Of attraction To THE natural gravtatlon
Columbia University adds the tremendous pow
or OF a declared policy that invites and encour-
ages a gathering within close limits OF SYM
pathetic institutions.
President Low in his dedicatory address. said
that university set upon hill cannot be hid.
The same would be equally true of the Academy.
That hill Is TO be the Acropol!s OF this great
city, To which It's temples OF religion learning.