Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-08-23
BUILDING AN ART SPIRIT
IN A MODERN CITY

meetings, and so the museum fulfills
another function as a ENTER of interest.
A Camera club was an early activity.
and it has become selfsupporting.
Just to show how the museum has
entered into the city's activities, let mo
tell you about our bird houses. This
spring. 10000 bird houses were built
and put up in the trees Of the city.
Specifications for these We're furnished
by the museum and the work was done
in the manual training department OF
the public schools, where, although
conforming to the general idea of the
structure, each boy worked out his in
dividual fancy.
With the same idea the museum
has entered into the garden contests OF
the children, and this summer we had
a vegetable show. Why vegetables?
Some thrifty parents objected to the
children's raising flowers, but they did
not mind their vegetable-flower gar
den combination. Hence for the sake
of art II paid to cultivate the vege-
tables.
This may seem like a long list Of
activities to carry on among the chill
dren. but l can assure o there We're
many more than these, and besides
there are something like so. 900 children
a year visiting the museum. Their in
terest in the institution is so great that
there is always a scramble to help in
any way possible. For instance, We
have no guards. This work is done
by children. and they are called 'mu-
scum police Special diligence is some-
times rewarded by promotion to the
position OF assistant decent and after
much study of one particular object or
picture the proud holder of that title
is allowed to give a talk before a group
of children.
This is the kind OF work that we
are doing, and we consider that it is OF
more Importance IA the mere acqui-
sition of art treasures. although we
nave a permanent collection that con-
tains many rare and valuable items.
The collection is strongest in Ameri-
can paintings. and it recently got con-
siderable advertising through the pur-
chase and presentation to US Of the
Blakelock Moonlight Next we rank
our print collection. which Is arranged
ENTHUSIASTICALLY. starting with a tablet
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS time, going on
through various papyri up through i'll
Eliminated manuscripts. examples OF
Cations printing n into the etch-
ing and engraving processes OF the
present day. Then our ceramics COM
prise a collection OF much interest, and
sculpture.
This collection has been got togeth-
er and maintained through the con-
~tributions OF the 1000 members Of the
museum and such special donations as
could be obtained. Now we have in
stituted a campaign to raise a fund Of
$4,000 for maintenance. which will
include the running expenses Of the
plant. together with salaries and up
keep, and III contributions of the 1000
members will be used solely to pur-
chase acquisitions. This plan. as have
most OF the others that have been in
stitued for the benefit Of the museum,
meets the approval Of the board Of
trustees. This governing body con-
sists of 81 business and professional
men. and has always been wise and
helpful in its administration. It real
ICES that a layman cannot know things
h a specialists are paid to know, and
1t leaves h selection Of acquisitions
entirely to the specialists in the vari-
Gus departments.
I'VE do not lay claim to having as
fine a collection as many museums.
but we do believe that in no other in
~stitution OF the kind is C complete
and fruitful use made OF the collection
as in Toledo"