The San Francisco call., 1898-02-13

In a recent article on Pictures Tor our Public Schools M. G. Van Rensselaer oI New York speaks as follows: Ihe e1- fort to increase the attractions and the civilizing and educational influence or our public school rooms by filling them "ltn good works of art has been prosecuteu along different lines in the various cltles and towns throughout the East In New York. with the hearty sanction or the Roard of Education, but with no money save what came through private slIes' the work of school decoration was begun more than a year ago by the Puoic bu- ucation Association. A special committee on art was appointed to attend to It, ana our chief and fundamental aim has been to transform the barren, ugly, always uninspiring and often actually repellent nublic school room into an attractive one. which will cheer the eyes and spirits of teachers and pupils; to make them feel that they are not prisoners In oun- Reons. but are at home in places planned for their pleasure and benefit; to create rooms which will form happy ana clVh- iged contrasts, impossible Of creation elsewhere, to the squalid, dreary ana miserable surroundings, amid which a very large proportion of our children must live.
 "The first step toward this end was taken when the Superintendent or Schooi Buildings gladly promised that all schooi interiors which required painting should hereafter be colored in light, cheerhu tones. attractive in themselves, ana Fur nishing good backgrounds for Works oh art. The second step was to concentrate our efforts in one school after another. rather than to scatter pictures impar- tially through many schools
 Tn selecting our works of art beauty IS our first concern. Nothing is approved which is merely interesting oy reason oA its subject matter. ,,oov. the
 we wish primarily to bring 10 pear lns refining uplifting, inspiring influence ot beautiful forms and, when possIo.e, o beautiful colors, for we believe tnde tnto influence is invaluable in the rlsnt oeNel opment of young minds and splrlts, anu we know that a great majority or lhose being trained in our public schoo!s are Ill their own homes wholly outside us IdAsec To secure beauty We nave cnoSeA' OA course many reproductions or the recoe- nized masterpieces of painting, sculpture and architecture. For instance, one IooIu in a boys grammar schooI is ueNIeeu t1te,. to O Greek and Roman art, and another to Medieval and Renaissance art, lncIuulns reproductions of buildings, statues anu ii4 paintingS. Another room IS gwen to Ill, erature' as illustrated by portraits and bv pictures of the dwellings or famous writers, and of scenes which they nave trlmortalized. The large assembly room is decorated with patriotic supJects55p4;a- N;i. traits Of famous men In history anu pAC- lures of noted buildings.
 l have quoted at length from the above article because l think 1t contains many valuable suggestions for decoration that might with pleasure and profit be carried out. not only in San Francisco, but in the primary, grammar and mgh schools throughout the State. Far be it from me to imply that the, schools of our n, own city are barren. ugly, always unlnsplrlng, for many of them contain home-hke rooms that abound in pictures and plants, and gay blackboard drawings, which are artistic according to the taste Of the teacher.
 But that there is still room for vast i'm provement along this line, especially Tn the poorer quarters of the city, no one who nas given the matter attention can doubt. Here one often sees large apart ments entirely bare or boasting only few sickly plants. Small wonder that such rooms are dreary and uninviting to pupils and teachers alike. Let the teach CTS then bring pictures, if only cheerful colored prints, which they themselves have gathered or begged from friends,