Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-24
ART IN THE SCHOOLS
Proposed Decoration of the
Halls of Study.
WHAT HAS Been DONE
Progress Of the Movement Through.
out the Country.
LOCAL LEAGUE IS ORGANIZED
Movement Enthusiastically Endorsed.
It's Purposes and Aims De-
Standardization Of Officers.
LOCAL LEAGUE IS ORGANIZED

| suitable decorations Tor the local PUBIC
schools was organized yesterday after
noon at meeting held at the home of
| DR.. and Mrs. Charles w. Richardson.
This meeting was called by a committee
| appointed by the National Society of the
Fine Arts. and was held under the au-
| spices of that organization. 1t was at
| tended by about one hundred persons,
teachers supervisors and principals of
| the public schools, officers of local liter
airy. scientific and patriotic organizations.
and individuals specially interested in art
| and the public welfare.
Mrs. Richardson, acting as temporary
chairman. awakened interest by describ-
| ing at the outset the painful impression
| made upon her. when a child, by the
| frightful barrenness of the school on
High street. in Georgetown, which she at
| tended. and of the Joy afforded her by
the bow of red ribbon which her teacher
wore-the only bit of color upon which
her eve could rest during school hours
| And with this single, significant remf-
| niscence. she left the presentation of the
| main subject, the formation and purpose
of the league, to Miss Leila Mechlin,
| whom she Immediately introduced.
Birth of the Movement.
The first work of this kind that was
ever attempted in this country. Miss
Mechlin said; was the decoration of the
| hall in the girls high school in Boston.
| in 1871. Shortly after this new school
| was erected in Salem, Mass. and, through
| the Intervention of Ross Turner. the well
known water colorist. the people of that
| citv raised sufficient funds for the deco
ration Of four of the classrooms.
1t was not, however. until 1883 that any
| attempt at organized effort was made.
| Then the Boston school board proposed
| the organization of an Art for the Pub
lie Schools Association based upon the
| idea presented in a French report two
years earlier to the minister of public In
struction by committee formed for the
| decoration of the school houses and SINH
lar to an English institution organized IN
| London with Ruskin as president, and Mat
thew Arnold. Sir Frederick Leighton and
other eminent men as vice presidents. In
May, 1893. in the same city, Public
School League came into existence. and
though 1t did not prove long-lived. it may
Justly be regarded as the parent of those
| in the several cities. north, south. east
and west, which have since been Or
ganized.
In regard to what has been accomplish
3D. Miss Mechlin referred first to the
mural paintings placed In the DeWtt
Clinton and Norris High Schools OF New
York the John Sartain High School OF
Philadelphia. and in Hull House In Chica-
go. and then told of the less ambitious
but perhaps more important work that
| had been done in Chicago. Cleveland. New
York and other cities. In the way OF INT
| ing the walls, placing pictures, casts, pot
terry and other art objects in the class
rooms, not turning them into art galleries,
but rather creating an environment re-
filming and uplifting. Those who nave
studied the subject. she said. nave con on
jectionable as we'll as too rev. ana tnat
those which are used must be inherently
Interesting, as we'll as artistically good.
They must be chosen with care as we'll as
placed wisely.
Local Conditions.
Touching local conditions. Miss Mechlin
| told what had been done by the puplis
| and teachers toward decorating the Cen
trail and Mckinley High Schools, of no"
an experiment had been tried in decorat'
| ing simply but artistically the assembly
| hall of the Western High School. and OF
| how it had conduced to good conouct; OF
| the collection of casts presented 10 the
Business High School some years ago %, oS
| The Evening Star, and of the DECORATION
| of the Edmunds School by Mrs Ed
munds as a memorial to her husband
| Thus evidence of interest and inclination
were demonstrated. That the otne1
schools in this city are comparatively
undecorated and bare, Miss Mechlin ex-
| planned, was not due to lack OF desire OF
appreciation on the part of those in au-
| thority. The essentials must come nrst
and the funds at the disposal of the school
| board are limited.
| excellent work has been done and Is
being done by the Public Library. which
has assembled collections of photographs
| and prints with the object not only OF use
within the library precincts. but for cir
culation in the public schools This Is q
| H,orl u,bich WAS directly along the lines OF
| that to be taken UP, Miss Mechln said
| by the proposed league. whose business II
| would be to promote in every way tine
creation of artistic environment. and sup
| ply, as far as possible. and as rapidly az
! nieht he feasible. such materials, OBJ
tects and the like as are now wanting.
| Commissioner Browns Views.