Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-29
Art in the Pu bic
Schools.
BY Miss Emma Woodman, Super
VISOR of Penmanship and Art in
the City Schools.

The teaching of art in the public
! schools has been revolutionized In
/ the past few years. Drawing has a
new and important mission in the
United States.
This nation is confronted with this
greatest commercial problem of ouI
history. We must supply a world's
needs Art quality makes differ
Once in the value of goods. f. A
| Parsons, of New York, says I'm mat
! ters of natural resources, mechanical
skill and physical energy. we ard
| ready; in matters of art we are crude
| uncertain, and worst of all satisfied
Until this attitude is changed We
| can not compete with other nations
! in commerce. Art is mighty factor
| in national life. This country needs J
campaign Of preparedness in indus
! trial art.
Too long has American talent beer
allowed to lie dormant, while men
| trained in Europe controlled our in
| dustrial designs.
The United States has been indif-
| ierent, content TO let our industria
art drift into the hands of foreign
designers, much TO their gain and our
| loss
We are the only great nation with
out a great art.
In 1850 Austria and Germany had
state trained designers to force the
talent for her propaganda TO control
the worlds trade. This brought great
wealth to both countries.
In spite of the war French art is
still pressing forward to rebuild hel
broken fortunes.
To give mastery of craft to ones
children is the first care of the
Swiss citizen.
our talent has not been conserved.
1t has gone to work half trained OF
sought other fields. Yet wonderful
talent lies like seeds that never bios
som. We talk about, vocational
guidance and let talent slip through
our schools unframed.
Every object used by man is the
result of some design The value
of 1t is fixed by the skill of the man
with the pencil.
Design is now the basis Of all art
instruction in our public schools. The
art teacher has caught the vision.
The Tacoma Tribune says There is
no work in school more practical
useful and necessary than that taught
under the name of art"
The principles of design and color
harmony are as definite and I'M
changing as the multiplication table.
The right use of these laws trans
form raw material into rich manu-
featured goods.
Our school children are learning
the value Of harmony in line and color.
Spiritually as well as commercially
art has it's great mission of trans
forming the crude into the refined,
Good taste is rising. The demand
for Industrial art is being met by the
originality of school children whose
designs are SO fresh and vigorous.
America is to have its chance. the
art of a nation is its immortal part.
The schools have cast aside the idea
Of making artists or pretty pictures
to hang up. 1t is not the flower alone
we study, but the ideal pattern In
1t and how it can be applied to en-
rich a useful article.
art is not nature or representa-
ton of it, but creation by the same
laws"
The commercial, success of our
country depends upon our knowledge
and use of these laws.
The awakening of natural talent
and fine ideals result when drawing
is understood. Not only skill but
service is possible, for every one who
studies art.