The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-05-13
ALL ARE ARTISTS.
Pupils of the Public Schools
Referred To.
Public Display of Their Work Attracts
Very Favorable Notice From
Spectators.

The exhibit of the work in drawing
being done in our public schools is a
revelation to those who have not
kept posted on the progress being
made. The walls of two vacant
stores on Front street are covered
from ceiling to floor with a display
which represents the every day work
of each grade of each Of the city
schools, from the first grade to the
| the seventh inclusive.
Miss Deem has had general charge
Of the work in drawing during the
past three years, and devotes a por.
tion of her time visiting the various
schools and observing and directing
the work of the teachers along this
line. To her conscientious work,
talent aud enthusiasm can be ascribed
in large measure the advance that
has been made in drawing by the
pupils during this period. She has
the work thoroughly in hand and the
result speaks for itself.
Beginning with the first year in
school, the pupil takes up drawing in
it's simplest form, and pursues it
through the different grades. Only
twenty minutes day is given to it,,
but the constant and systematic work
has it's effect. The five year Odds tell
stories with their pencils, cut paper
pictures. draw from fruits and flow
ers, and do pose work. No copying is
done, but, as Miss Deem said today to
the reporter who called to look over
the exhibit, "the purpose. of the work
is not to make artists, but to develop
the observation of the pupils, and
make them see things as they are. "
A stimulus is also given to the imagi-
nation. While the. work advances
through the grades, it is of the same
general nature, and the result is that
there is no such word as ''can't."
The work of all the pupils is good,
and it is a difficult task to select those
who excel, but there are few whose
work entities them to individual men
tion. Among these is Geo. Renstrom
in the first grade in the Union school,
whose best picture is Priscilla and her
spinning wheel. He is seven years
old. Eight year old Sadie Blake. of
the first grade in the West Mankato
school, has done some creditable color
work. Leo Olson, third grade Union,
has shown much talent
1t is in the third grade that the
pupils begin to study light and shade
effects. The effort to portray it in
colors and pencil work is made a
speciality, and for this purpose great
variety of objects is used. Another
new feature is designing as applied to
wall paper, carpets, etc. A study is
made of leaf or other object in ma
ture and it is conventionalized. Some
posing in color has been undertaken,
but this has not been attempted much
this year. Next year, Miss Deem pro-
poses to do more work in this line.
The applying of designs for book
covers is also taken up. Pen and ink
work begins in the fifth grade.
The work of Jack Schmitt's fifth
grade at the Union is exceptionally
fine. Maud Johnson, of the sixth
grade at the Union, does especially
we'll in landscape work. The color
pose work of the fifth grade of the
Pleasant Grove school deserves men.
tion, and the work in black and
white Of the fourth and fifth grades
of the West Mankato school is es-
pecially good. The work of the fifth
grade at the Franklin shows delicacy
of management and extremely good
taste. Hulda Peterson, of the sixth
grade at the Pleasant Grove, does
somesgood work.
Magnus Peterson, Edna Jones and
Silvia Braunlich, of the A sixth grade
of the Pleasant Grove, and Clinton
Firestone, Walter Williams, Mary
Pfau, Jesse Keene and Chauncey
Fo wles, of the B sixth grade Of the
same school; Alice Berg, Ethel
Lockerbv, of the sixth grade of the
Franklin; Ida Renstrom, Willie
Kohler and Clara Koeppen, of the
sixth q ade of the Union, all deserve
mention for general excellence.
The work of the seventh grade at
the Franklin is particularly notice
able for it's lead pencil pose work
Julia Hubb has some very natural ap-
plies in colors. Christine ScOnberg
does some all around good work, and
Nettie Skuse and Ida Koke should be
mentioned. Otto Goe ss has done some
remarkable work with pen and ink.
Successful OperatiOn.-Mrs. Jane
Tucker, who resides in the county,