The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-14
R|CHMONO'S CRITIC
WRITES OF SCHOOL
AS CENTER OF ART
Mrs. M. F. Johnston Contrib
utes Chapter to Text Book
on High Schools Published
by Scribner's.

The pre-eminence of the Richmond
high school and the Richmond public
schools as social centers of the COM
munity is we'll shown in a book just
published by Charles Scribner's Sons,
New York. entitled "The Modern High
School, It's Administration and Exten-
sion." The book is compiled by Prof.
Charles Hughes Johnston, Phi. d.
(Harvard), professor of secondary
education in the University Of Illinois.
One chapter of this book has been
written by Mrs. M. F. Johnston, of this
city, on The High School as the Art
Center of the Community" The book
contains chapters written by some Of
the foremost educators of the country.
The book is not in the hands of the
dealers, as it has just come from the
press.
The chapter written by Mrs. John
ston, who is responsible to large ex-
tent for the reputation of Richmond as
an art center, is practically a history
of the art situation in Richmond as 1t
concerns the local public school sys-
tenn. The activities of the Richmond
Art association have been outlined by
the writer, who comments upon the
growth Of the art movement in Rich
mond and the place of importance it
now holds in connection with the
school system. The article is illus
trated with photographs of the high
school building, the decoration in the
facade of the high school building, the
interior of the art gallery and dia-
gram of the art gallery on the third
floor.
Story Of Conditions.
In the introduction, the writer shows
that the caption of the chapter, The
High School as the Art Center of the
Community" is not merely the out
lining of a theory, but is the story of
actual conditions in Richmond, which
are unique in the history of school edu.
cation in the country.
1T is, in truth" Mrs. Johnston mar.
rates, "a plain tale of sixteen years
work in establishing an art movement
in connection with the public high
school of Richmond, Ind, that has at
tained the status indicated in the chap
ter heading. 1t does not advance a
theory for making high school an art
center, but tells how one high school
grew to be an art center in a commu
nifty.
Happily in this small city there
were no iron-clad, rock-ribbed tradi
tions about art being too fine a thing
for the daily life of the people," the
story continues, after outlining the his
tory of the art association in Rich
mond. There was, however, in this
people a conscious human desire fol
beauty, for happiness, and for some
greater degree of satisfying perfection
in their community life"
| The chapter also contains the sched
ule of exhibits in the high school arr
gallery for the season Of 1928 and 6
list of the pictures owned by the arr
association, which at that time includ
ed twenty-five paintings.
! Art Gallery Essential.
| "This Richmond experience Mrs
Johnston concludes, seems to demon
strate that an art gallery for art ex
hibits fills deficiency in our higf
school education and meets the natura
human demand for beauty in life. L
proves that an art gallery is as usefu
in high school as is a laboratory or {
gymnasium library or an auditorium
and that it is as interesting and edu
cative for children to learn about ar
and artists as about war and warrior:
or any other of the subjects that make
up the curriculum"
Henry Turner Bailey thus voice:
his appreciation of the art movemen
in the School Arts Book for April
1872" quotes Mrs. Johnston in con
clusion, when he says, The Richmond
people have produced model educa
! tional institution. Think of it.
! kitchen, a gymnasium, and the oldes
of the constructive arts on the grOunt
floor, and library and an art CALLER!
on top. Verify the people who hav'
turned the educational world righ
side up at last live in Richmond, Ind
They have put the solid living rooms
of the manual worker beneath, and th'
chambers of imagery of the poet ant
the artist above: they have builded a
last a sure house. fully equipped TO
every good work and word, a fit hom'
in which to bring up children wh'
shall be worthy citizens of repub
1ic.'"