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Wales and Art.

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Wales and Art. -BQiENCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT. .-Alr Christopher Williiaims, who has been ai adjudicator at the National Eisteddfod oi ) several occasions, the last 'being at Swanses this year, writes as follows to the Press:—I is very disheartening for the aitist to have t< speak or write on art—or rather the lack 0, art—in Wales. One of our greatest" modei-i British painters now dead some years, onOE suggested ito me that there was no art in th( Welshman! I have of/ten asked myself the same Question. 'Is there no art, painting, sculpture, or architecture in the Welshman, or is it only tlhe in iter mixture of foreign blood that has produced the few artists who have from time to time sprung up among us? I cannot tbelieve it. My own conviction is that Wales has never been given a chance, arul l'f ic kii-nm-fodw of her nast histprv that prevents me from utter despair. In tne first place, the sympathies of our aristocracy first place, the sympathies of our aristocracy are to a great extent Engilish, because their education <and training are English. They take a general interest in art as the result of that education, and they would no doubt be willing to make efforts to encourage ait in Wales if the initial difficulties were not so great. But as compared with other coun- tries, there is practically no art in Wales, and though the interest and sympathy of our aristocracy are often roused to try ntid do something, the case is often so hopeless that they do not know whew to begin, and their efforts generally end in failure. Then, again we have scarcely any art schools or classes. Is it not a shame to think of towns like Bangor and Llanelly offer ing no encouragement whatever to art stu- dents, while in England towns fare less im- portant have flourishing art schools from wihieh students pass on by means of scholar- ships and exhibitions to a course of training in the best schools of the Metropolis? Yet if schools are to be started the general public the man in the street—must give his support I cannot myself help feeling that possibil- ities of true alft lie dormant in many a Welshman. If such could only be given the advantages of that att. within reach of any would-be student across the English border line, who knows how many distinguished painters, and sculptors, and architects might be springing up all over the country a glory and all honour to tlheir native land? At present we are killing our talent in the bud by taking no trouble to develop it, and one comes constantly upon a man Aviith the artist's soul, but, alas, his hand has misled the training to enatble hini to express what is within that soul. We must be up and doing if we are not to be left behind every other nation. One hears everywhere the national call for a great artist, be he painter, sculptor, or architect, who will express the ideals of Welshmen and reincarnate the heroes of Welsh mythology and history. We have splendid charaoters in our mythology and history, and wilio but a Welshman can ever make them live for us again in art? Yet how can we have Welsh artists without train- ing, and training without Welsh schools? And how can we have a glorious record in art withouit doing something for it ? In this money-making and material age our people lack taste and have no eyes for the things that tend to beauty and peace. Where are our loan picture exhibitions, our museums and permanent galleries, our beautiful build- ings? Compare Wales with England. France, Italy, Belgium, Holland—Where is she? Much might be done if we were only in earnest and if our Comity and Town Councils and politicians would lend a helping hand. Think of what the Press was able to do at the time of the Welsh revival? And might not a sympathetic Pre-s again b:' the mealH of interesting the whole people of Wales in art? And once interested, who knows what might be the end? We are all anxious to claim great artist* like Burne-Jones, Williaim Morris, and Are we willing to do our best to produce others of their type, lecognising always that art is not only a motter of imagination, 'but that our artist must be a craftsman, too, and must have a workshop where he can learn his business. ALLEGED ABSENCE OF ENCOURAGE- MENT. Mr E. Harold Jones, wftio is prominently connected with the Institute of Arehfeohrgv of the University of Liverpool, and has been assisting Professor Garstang in excavating in Egypt, writees as follows in reference to the article on "Wale-, and Alt." Mr Jones is a son of Mr Win. Jones, headmaster of the Carmarthen School of Art. "Mr Christaplher Williams's remarks on the lack of art in Wales are very true, the chief reasons of the paucity of Welsh artists and art schools being apathy and lack of en- couragement on the part of Town and County Councils and School Committees. Science on the other band, is everywhere assisted largely, no school being without its science and laboratories equipped with suffi- cient apparatus, while very few Council schools go further in art classes than to give lessons in freehand drawing, the teachers often not shaving had any art training, whereas it is compulsory for teachers .in tne other subjects to have degrees in either science or a Its No ,algulnent ill required to show the utility of art, and further space for bids me going to that length. But to show still further the weight of Mr Williams's ar- gument it is only necessary to take one of the Welsh Schools of Art for example. Car- marthen school of art has given to Wales the headmaster cf Cardiff and Newport and Car inanthen Schools of Art. and to England the late 'headmaster of Dudley School of Art, the present headmaster vit Woolwich School of Art, and the assistant master of design at the Royal College of Art, and one of the students being appointed to illustrate the reports of an expedition in Egvpt, sent out by the Metropolitan Museum of New York. Surely not a bad record for a town with a population of only 10,000 inhabitants and in a purely agricultural district. On three occasions the Carmarthenshire Conni,y Council gave assistance ( £ 2o a year) to enable students to spend a year at South Kensington and on each occasion the stu- dents succeeded in gaining scholarship of thE value of £ oO per annum for three years, ir open competition with students from the schools of art in Great Britain. This scenic to show that were encouragement and sym- pathy given to art teaching that Welsh stu- dents would at least hold their own with stu- dents from other parts of Great Britain. It is to be limped that Mr Williams' remarks will move ait lovers on Town and county Ccuuc.i Committees to more active sympathy with art teaching throughout the Principality so thai Wales too will be a,ble to Boast of its museum; and Art Galleries, and in time to come £ Welsh School of Painting' may find its pi act on the walls of British Art Galleries azic Museums.

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