The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-02
ANNIVERSARY
OF THE 1ALE SCHOOL OF THE
 FINE ARTS.
Introductory Remarks by the Director,
 Professor Weir.

Professor Weir.
 The anniversary exercises of the Yale art school were held last evening. There was a large and appreciative audience present who greatly enjoyed the exer- cises. Director Weir spoke as follows:
 Tt may be well to state, in connec- tion with this anniversary, that the Yale School of the Fine Arts as a de- pertinent of the university, including in it's plan of organization the arts of painting, sculpture and architecture, is primarily a professional school, and takes it's place among other similar in- stitutions in laying it's first and stron- gest emphasis on the technical practice from the professional standpoint. The Yale School of the Fine Arts was the first institution of the kind to be inclu- ded in the university scheme, and when it took its place among other profes- sional eschools in this connection. as for instance with the departments of law or medicine. it's aim, like theirs, was primarily to equip the student with the requisite technical knowledge for the professional practice. The tech nical and scientific requirements, known best to those who have experienced the course of study requisite for high achievement in art. makes this profes- sional point of view the only reliable and important view of art as art. There are few things more fictitious than the speculative theories that are separated from this. No one can read MT La Farge's recent work, entitled Great Masters without being inn pressed with the distinction between the point of view of the skilled and in- formed practitioner, as a master among masters, and the speculative yagaries of the mere theorist, so far as critical estimates or fine distinctions in art are concerned. Nevertheless, there is much valuable learning associated with the outside history of the subject, and when a School of the Fine Arts takes its place in the university it is expected that it should include this related learning with the technical practice in a far richer and fuller form than is possible in the ordinary art school.
 The time is approaching, and it has already come to pass in the case of the leading schools of architecture and in this institution when schools of fine arts will find within the university ad- vantages that cannot be had elsewhere under the modern system of training. The schools of the Renaissance, from which issued multitude of skilfully trained artists differed in a marked de- gree from the modem academy; the latter now stands apart from the pro- a fession, being visited at stated times < by professors who criticise the work of I classes or lecture on stated subjects. \ Under the old system, the apprentice I was in constant touch with the profess sion; he passed through successive H ateliors where the business of art was M going forward and he was advanced from one atelier to another as his skill |fand knowledge increased, till eventu- Fally he found himself working beside Ethe master and sharing his thought in |arealizing his conceptions. This liberal |Aizing system had it's effect on the mind |'of the pupil, especially when ideas |found expression in art. While we ex- Halt the technical to-day, something has |Sbeen lost to the pupil; the average |smodern art school has become too spec gaI and narrow in the equipment it sup 9l,lies. That old influence which was in- kinate, personal and professional, has becosne in the ordinary modern acade- sny the impersonal relation of a profess
 Tor to his class; the school and the pro- Eession have little in common.
 That which has been lost to the lchool is certain intellectual stimulus which tended to broaden the mind and he artistic sympathies of the pupil.
 The question arises, whether this as kociation of the fine arts with other
 h;ases of the intellectual life in the un-
 yersity-not as a mere matter of cul-
 ure, but in the form of professional
 chools of practice-may not prove the
 blution of an important consideration
 or the advancement of art, when a
 frger number of art students shall
 ave had the advantage of proper edu-
 ational equipment before entering
 pon the absorbing and expressing
 judy of art as profession.