The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-13
YOUNG ARTISANS
AID SANTA CLAUS
PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS TURN OUT
ARTISTIC GIFTS.
Children In intermediate Grades Have
Fashioned 1000 Pieces Of Pottery,
While High School Pupils Makes
Beautiful Objects in fooled Leather,
Metal and Wood for Christmas.

The work Of Santa Claus is being
greatly augmented this year by the
clever work of children in the public
schools Of Minneapolis. For several
weeks pupils in the intermediate grades
have been industriously working in clay,
trying to make their unframed fingers
shape bowls and vases and tiles Of all
has perched upon their banner is proven
by the huge collection Of 1000 pieces
of pottery they have made, all of
which are to be fred before Christmas.
It is q collection which needs no apol-
ogy either for the clay work or the dec
orative design. In Minneapolis, at
least, the time Is past when parents . re,
with an indulgent smile.
just what this training OF eye and
hand in the intermediate grades means
was shown in samples Of work by high
school pupils which were on display for
a short time yesterday in the teachers
assembly room in the city hall. The
work just now is largely in fooled
and the samples shown would have done
credit to professional rt,a-
| There were fooled leather tan belts,
exquisite ivory white chatelaine bags,
purses and billbooks without number, as
we'll as complete desk fittings, from the
writing pad with fooled leather corners
to the triangular leather cover Tor the
penwiper. fooled leather is an entirely
different bit Of workmanship from burnt
leather and after once handling tools
and getting even halfway satisfactory
results, the high school leatherworker
| would scorn to do a piece OF burnt
leather.
| While leather seems TO be the most
4 popular material for: Christmas work,
/ there were hammered copper bowls and
sconces, of odd shapes and designs and
Of such excellence Of workmanship that
! it was hard to avoid coveting every one
4 Of them. In addition, there were sever
al pillowtops and tablecoyers stamped IN
block design and scale drawings showing
copper candlesticks and candleshades,
bookracks, fancy hinges, etc, yet to be
The most astonishing fact, however:
is that from start to finish, each piece is
wholly the creation of the pupil. The
| pupil first draws design and submits
it to the teacher for whatever correc-
tion may be necessary Then it is re-
duced to scale and working drawing
made before the material receives one
touch. And not the least interesting
feature Of the exhibit Tuesday was the
LARGE collection Of these working draw
/ ings. drawn to scale with a neatness and
nicety that would be creditable to
much older and more experienced work
| ers. 5@ ,.E
While the metal, leather and wood:
work were most in evidenc, Their were
] several samples Of block stamp work on
Il linen, and number Of working draw
i ings showed that p6llowtops and table
eoSers would be nnlasfous as Gh ri t1m
\ Der a high school girl Or boy ~, among
: their number. At first sight, the tyre
would call it t.stencil work, . but rl it il
! something far better and represents in !
fnitely more painstaking work; + I?stf fh{
!, chosen design, and passing br9sl
2 dipped in dye over it, small woode1
: block is made by the pup! from M M
working drawing and st. thu 49, dpp sam npet
pad prepared WITH Mt eng a$e - Tbis re
:, = o1uires an eye trained to distinguish
:, q hairline and hand that knows no nerv
:, BUSINESS or uncertainty Of motion.