Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-22
Ideal Club Gives Reception in Honor

of Mrs. Van Ncchtcn.
The art loan exhibit and reception
given by the Ideal club at the
Bloomer school yesterday afternoon and
evening proved delightful affair
socially and was well attended. The
majority of the club women of the city
avaied themselves of the opportunity of
meeting Mrs. Van Vechten, president of the
Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs.
The reception was held in the large hall
on the third floor, where stage had been
erected, which was handsomely decorated
with palms and carnations and draped with
two immense American flags. The collection
Of pictures showed a number Of masterpieces,
artistically framed and well hung. The mem
bers OF the Ideal club received during the
afternoon and evening From half past
3 until 4:3O o'clock the children held full
sway and program especially arranged for
their benefit was rendered, those taking part
being Miss Fay Travis and Miss Grace Hem
ing. Mrs. Van Vechten also made the young
people a short talk.
From half past 5 until o'clock the club
women were entertained and given an op-
portunity to meet their state president. All
the clubs of the city were represented and
among the guests from Omaha were Mrs
club; Mrs Belden, vice president, and about
thirty of the members. Tea was served
throughout the afternoon by committee
from the Ideal club
The attendance in the evening was larger
than duriug the afternoon and the building
was crowded during the whole time of the
reception Mrs. Van Vechten delivered an
entertaining address upon "School Room
Decoration or Art in the Schools and was
followed by Jacob Sims of the Board Of
Education, who spoke on What Art Has
Done for the Schools and People in Other
Cities" A pleasing program of vocal and
instrumental music was rendered, those TAX
ing part being the Misses Jessie Wallace,
Baden of Louisiana, Fay Travis and Mona
Reed. Master Henry Jennings gave talk
on the Circus Maxims."
Mrs. Van Vechten, whose address on Art
| in the Schools" was listened to with the
deepest interest by her large audience said
in part:
THE use of the term Art Education in
connection with public education has long
| been a bugbear to many so-called practical
| people. To such persons the word Art
| in connection with the public schools savors
of something impractical, something that is
| for special pupils, for the benefit of the
few rather than for the many. And yet a
right understanding of the relations of art
to daily life shows this to be an entirely
| erroneous conception of the subject.
Every observing person will admit that
our people are lamentably lacking in an
appreciation of the beautiful in nature or
in art AS people we are ignorant of the
uplifting and ennobling influence of art, we
are lacking in art culture. However there
are marked evidences of an improvement
! and rapid development. is certain. We are
| beginning to realize that we have in our
public school system the grandest oppor-
| tunity that was ever given to carry love
( for the beautiful into every home and make
it the possession of every man and woman
in the land.
1--WE are outgrowing the restricted ideas
of education of fifty years ago, when public
school education was a matter of intellec-
tual training only. Not only was no in
struction in the principles or practice OF
art given but the school house itself was
deficient in all the prime elements of edu-
cational fitness. 1t was supposed that bare
walls and cheap furniture were a proper
part of the means of education and thai
the pupils learned better when they sat on
hard forms and had nothing but blank plas
ter about and above them whereupon to en-
ploy their spare attention, also that 1t was
as well that they should become accus
toned to rough and ugly conditions by
way of preparing them for the hardship!
of life.
To-day we recognize the necessity o.
training our children in all that tends to thu
highest intellectual culture and refinement
Artistic objects introduced in profusion can
not alone put art into tn" schools. Thes'
objects must be understood, their meaninf
assimilated their presence made an or
ganic part of the beauty and fitness OF thu
school room, before we can speak OF th'
influence of art as an element in our sys
tenn of education. Better nothing on tht
walls of the school room than poor pic
lures"