The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
sCHOOL-ROOM DECORATIONS.

A citizen of Chicago has offered, through
for a color sketch which will present the
most practical suggestions for decorations
of a schoo room. Such decoration is COM
ing to be considered an important element
of a child's education, since he must neces-
sarily be greatly influenced by his imme-
date surroundings. and offers like the one
mentioned show that the establishment
ing to artistic principles, else the labor is
wasted. School rooms, as most people of
middle age nave known them, and as a
majority of children know them now, are
bare and unattractive places that, except
for association with friends and favorite
teachers, have no pleasant memories cling
ing about them when the young student
passes out of school life. The average adult
visitor finds these bare school rooms most
Tepellent places, and, If he n to be of
cultivated taste. the crude decorations that
nave been added by teachers and pupils
hardly convey a better impression. This is
not to be wondered at. Comparatively few
teachers have the training that qualities
them to select the best forms of art and or
nament, and even If they know what is
suitable and desirable are in no position to
realize their own imperfect Judgment n
their powerlessness, they understand the
Importance of having children become ia
miliar with beautiful objects. No pleasing
form of art that the pupils can comprehend
is out Of place in the rooms where they
spend so much of their time. The convic-
tions of the teachers and other public-mind-
ed persons who have looked into the matter
are at last producing practical results. The
offer of the prize before mentioned is one
instance. and the taking up of the subject
by various other organizations is another.
In most large cities something has been at
tempted in the way of intelligent decora-
ton Of school rooms, but Philadelphia. un-
der the direction of the Civic Club, a So
ciety composed entirely of women. has ac-
complished the most. Their attention has
as yet been devoted entirely to one building.
the decorations being distributed with such
method that the pictures in the kindergar-
ten room are such as TO be easily under
stood by the child of five years. AS related
in a recent issue of Municipal Affairs:
One room has casts of several distin-
guished authors. with now and then a scene
from a masterpiece. The prominent char
acters in American history are placed in a
third room. and besides developing the ar
tistic sense CO the pupil by keeping constant
ly before his vision a work of art, also
cause the otherwise dull textbook to be-
come q reality. Still other rooms are de-
voted to animal life, natural scenery, ia
nous paintings n sculpture, effects of the
forces of nature, patriotism, Greek and
Roman history, ct cetera. The young man
in charge of the building assures the visitor
that although the pupils are quite young.
owing to the grade of the school,. yet they
manifest a. keen interest in the paintings
and casts. and when they first see a picture
eagerly inquire as to the story or ideas II
represents. and often look up the story
themselves.
The school fraternity indianapolis hopes
that something In this line may be accom-
plished here. and II vas thought that the r.