New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-12
FINE ARTS SCHOOL FOES.
Il MINORITY OPPOSITION.
J. Carroll BecIcocith Voices Viezcs of
These National AcademicianS.

Bitter opposition has developed among MEM
bers of the National Academy of Design to the
g plan Of President Butler of Columbia University
10 transfer the schools Of the Academy TO the
university and form school OF fine arts. At
q general meeting of the Academy on Wednes-
day the recommendation of the council that
President Buffers plan be accepted was adopted,
as published in yesterdays Tribune. 1t
supposed that opposition TO the plan was slight.
but il was learned yesterday that the vote that
carried it was % TO 8 and that the opposition
was exceedingly in earnest.
J. Carroll Beckwith, of the National Academy
and vice-president of the Municipal Art Com
mission, said last night that the plan TO
the schools of the academy from the parent
trunk and associate them with the school con-
templated in the university was one which some
Of the Academicians disapproved. The closer
allied the art student was to the art body
with which he would probably be ultimately as
ISOLATED, if successful in his career. the better
for him in every way The meeting of the
Academy on Wednesday, in which this move
raent was rushed through without notice to the
members that this annexation would be brought
forward resulted in an earnest and bitter OPP
position on the part of a small minority
Mr.. Beckwith went on to say:
deem it most unfortunate thar q ,,1,,e+ ., ti
gravity, and one in which SO many OF US arc deep
" lnte5es[eq' should not have been properly an
intention of its partisans to carry it thTough
event in itself is calculated 10 create dsuuou
and lack OF harmony.
OBJECTS TO COLUMBIA CONTROL.
Many Of Us 3, who IN our early days were students
much heart. We have felt that it was a wing
honor and for seTenty-four Wears IL has Been
known and respected for the results II has pro
- I'M 49,, az 80 brSt WaiI M' 6 - , hI5'I5 40
nd IN outTl viii
honor TO any school
Il is claimed a9 HAT the academy will SIN be in
control OF this allied school and it IS stated in the
programme that tablet viii be placed on the eX-
academy But this IS hopeless nonsense. The ma
G aTr n. p6 Of Creek % Snd of eb bra an es
Ia no way associated with a technical art school 1t
Is idle that their voices will
be exercised in directing the methods OF the art
i seems TO ne heard something Of this char
9esT when MT Mcdowell edo resigned from the uni
Arts Architects has established an architectural
school under its own direction would indicate thar
tfe I1nj.s2sI We, az, 3'ardoniy in tI7er 35rds
establishing. and what do we get more than we
aave at present? Free lectures! They be OBJ
:ained without this looping of of integral part
In my opinion after reading the articles of agree
154t,a %Llch nave every appeaIance, OF BENG
5otbng and tb t eS s, 81 i UNI I t we 6 6e
gncing arguments on the unwisdom of this alliance
we're advanced at the academy meeting by Pro-
lessor John Weir. who one of the minority in
opposition He the creator OF the art school
attached 10 the university Yale. and for thirty
Fears has been its director His arguments went
great detriment to the academy.
HOLDS ACADEMY SCHOOLS BEST.
Mr. Beckwith said that the association on the
faculty of a technical art school, such as the
. academy maintained of professors Of architect
ure Of music. of history and of art criticism
presided over as a whole by the president of
the University of Columbia. could only act as
a detriment and hamper the clear and direct
working of the professional painters and sculp-
tors who at present were in charge of the acad-
envy schools.
1T is reclted in Article No. of the agree
ment," he said. that the academy from its
present endowIpents shall pay the salaries of
its own professors. The academy, however, no
longer has the liberty, unhampered. to select
these professors. but must have them approved
by The university body In Article No. 10 it
says the university will grant diplomas and
certificates TO such Etudents IS are approved by
the faculty presided over before stated, by
the president Of the university. In Article No.
II it states that the university in connection
with the academy shall undertake the charge of
administering the educational work carried
on in the academy.
To-day We are unhampered by this alliance.
our faculty and governing boards made up
exclusively Of academicians, trained professional
artists and men in every way qualified TO guide
the student. We have ample endowment TO carry
the schools on as heretofore, and the system of
concours now in vogue produces the very highest
result at present attainabe.
Mention has been made that this new organi-
cation viii resemble IiIa Ecole des BeauX Arts.
Having been a pupil of the Ecole for four years,
! state confidently that the conditions eX-
listing d present in the academy schools much
more closely resemble the BeauX Arts than the
programme outlined for Columbia.
4 can explain the unfortunate enthusiasm
which has led some Of my associates TO approve
Of this plan only by the desire for the big,
the nonstrous, and the surrender Of a modest
and ca pa BILE institution TO the destinations OF
the educational trust with its millionaire givers,
collected and in line. \can only hope that the
matter may be delayed that both the unlVer-
sity and the academy may still see some way Of
avoiding this severance Of our small but excel
lent schools from our organization.
President Butler has only to ask any of the
acadernicians and they will all be glad TO give
their aid and advice freely in forming d uni
versity art school. without breaking into our
house and taking our child"