New-York tribune., 1906-04-15
EDUCATIVE PICTURES
Plan to- Decorate School BuiI9iinrs
zcith Scenes That Teach.

II the city takes kindly to the latest p-ofac.
Of the Municipal Art Society. it viii not be many
years before the principal events IN the histnry
Of New York will be worked out on the walls
Of her public schools in a series Of large mural
paintings.
Behind the recent announcement OF a cornpeti-
ton for the decoration with historical paintings
Of the two side walls Of the west vestibule Of tbs
Morris High School at 166th street and Roston
Road. in The Bronx. lies a movement for tho
placing of similar paintings not only In other
school buildings. but in all the public building,
of the city. This. the society expects. VIII be
done by the city at its own expense. The So
ciety bears the expense Of the Morris T4iqb
School work and is assuming fun responsibility
for the proper execution of the project With re-
gard to this particular school in the hone tba,
when the work there is finished il Will sa-va
not only example of what can be- aora 8,
this direction. but prove a constant source 90
inspiration to the city authorites o. furtbe-
efforts along this line.
Decoration Of the public schools OF Na-- yor.,
has been undertaken in a sort Of ha.f-hearted
way for some time but until recertlv F., 7-os
confined to small pictures on cards. which v-e-a
hung about the walls The Board of Flrca+fo,
first realized the value Of large mural -afr---,,
as an educational factor when I'm the erection
Of the new De Witt Clinton High ST. ahoo, two
large paintings descriptive of Incidents in -ra
life Of one of New York's famous Governors
were provided for the decoration Of the wallis
of the great assembly hall
These paintings were executed F,- G, Y T,l--
ner acting president of the National Sacfs+- -
Mural Painters. for $500 but he declares rs
would not undertake the work a-aia for r.yfra
that sum. and holds himself morally r-sroref-
ole ior the fact that the Municipal Art Society
offers only $1,000 rs an inducement % the VIM
ner in the Morris High Schoo! decoration s-7-
test He holds that this sum is absurIy low
and VIII not attract the best artists. A port. p
of the $3.ol0 offered has been ra--7 t,- .-.-
scFIption from public spirited inIivl1.aIs ana
the remainder has been contributed L. The SOC
cIety
There are two paintings .-e,u5aI q The
scheme of mural decoration for The Morris F--l
school, and the subjects have been selected ry
the Municipal Art Society. As the l-.o-4-. ions
Ut the De Witt Clinton Hi1h Sch.o, I.--.t.. ....s
in connection with the opening os tl.- tr.. ,.l...
the most notable event in The a!--...-----. .-
Governor clinton, for whom The -ch1o. is r..--. l
so those in the Morris II-h : hloI must h.-s s..
close historical connection with the .sa Of Cow
verneur Morris and with The locality .1 VIII. +
the school is placed, The subject oc one os ,,s
paintings required is Gouyernrur Morris ti-ses-
Ing the convention for framing the Constitution
Of the United States The subject or 81. o-a.-
is The First Treaty os Peace Made E.ta..a .ts
Weekquaisseek In.lians and The Dutch nj ,te
Residence Of Johannes Bron,k i'm 1rl2"
The paintings are . III into wall spaces about
eleven feet long by eisht feet high Those e--
,erinS the competition are required % furnish
Sketches on a scale Of three inches % q soa.
mounted on stretches measuring thirty by forty
inches. and these are to be submitted 20 thu Sec
'rtary Of the society by 6 p m. on May ~
The first prize Will be the commission 10 exc
cute the full sized paintings according q the
conditions imposed for which $4,000 is 60 be-
paid The second prize is $500 the third. $780,