Cornell University Library The original of this bool< is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014077691 Cornell University Library N 355.M66P Pencil and brush; art In the Minneapolis 3 1924 014 077 691 A SERIES OF MONOGRAPHS EACH TREATING SOME PHASE OF THE MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS These monographs are designed lo take the place of con- ventional iannual or biennial reports. 1. A Million^ Year. ' A five-year building program, including ^ discus- sion of, policies concerning^ juiiior high schools, , extending the normal capacity of the school plant and the establishment of standard distances for the location of school buildings. Issued, September, IQK 2. Financitig the Minneapolis Schools. Sources of revenue; expenditures. Issued, September, 1916 2a. The Price of Progress. Legislative program of the Board of Education; '■callsi^for the authorisation of increased revenues . through, tax levies and bond issues, and the iiide- penderice of the Board of Education in fixing the tax rate for educational purpojses, subject, only to maximum rates established by the Legislature. Issued, November, 1916 3. Where Are the Children? Describes a continuous census taken and kept by ^ the schools; also means of securing regular attendance. ^ o Ready, December, 1916 4. Keeping the Children Well. , \ Medical inspection;, school nurses; the open air school; open air rooms. ... ' Ready, December, 1916 5. In a Major Key. Music in the Minneapoliis Schools. - Issued, December, 1916 . 6. Pencil aiid Brush. Art in the Minneapolis Schools. < ' Issued, November, 1916 7. Wider Use of the School Plant. Ready, January, 1917 8. Operation of the School Plant. Ready, January, 1917 9. Out of the Beaten Track. School publications; entertainments; festivals; various activities not in the regular curriculum. Ready, January, 1917 (Continued on inside back ' cSver) ,„ Pencil and Brush Art in the Minneapolis Schools Monograph Number 6^ Series of 1916-17 Ordered Published by the Board of Education City of Minneapolis, November, 1916 Under the general direction of the Superintendent of Schools this monograph was prepared by M. EMMA ROBERTS Supervisor of Drawing in the Minneapolis Public Schools Cover design and hand lettering by pupils in West High School CONTENTS. I. Art in Elementary Grades 1 II. Art in Gram mar Grades 13 III. Art in Junior High Schools 19 IV. Art in Senior High Schools 25 V. • School Decoration 31 ■ VI. A Broader View 37 VII. A Vision for the Future 41 Illustrations. Halloween in the William Penn kindergarten vi Story illustration with scissors and pencil 2 Clay modeling of animals; third grade, Greeley School 4 Clay modeling of nuts and fruits in second grade, animals in third grade and pottery in sixth grade 5 Clay modeliifg of pottery ; sixth grade, Douglas School 6 Application of lettering to school activities; all grades from second to eighth 7 Cardboard construction work of grades three to eight inclusive .' 8 Hiawatha in illustration and dramatization; fourth grade, Garfield School '. . 9 A painting lesson at Emerson School 10 Designs made and executed in the High School Domestic Art classes 12 Eighth grade house planners at Garfield School 14 Ground floor plans and elevations for bungalows, by eighth grades of Lyndale and Harrison schools 16 Lettering and pose drawing from the Commercial Course of South High School; pages for The Cardinal," the annual of East High School 18 Showing equipment of high school drawing room 20 Products of three of the crafts taught in the High School Art Course, leather tooling, pottery making and stenciling 22 Groups of objects to be used/ in advertising posters. Commercial Course in South High School; designs for covers, Art Course in high school 24 Some of the regular work of Central High School , 26 Posters advertising the Senior Play and the "Centralian" of, Central High School. . 28 Many beautiful pictures and casts have been assembled in the entrance hall of Douglas School ■ 30 A good arrangement of pictures in a first grade room, Thomas Lowry School 32 The upper hall of the Thomas Lowry School. Pictures were chosen with consid- eration of architectural spacing 34 Designs for tail pieces and decorative spots in "Polaris," the annual of North High School; pages for the "Centralian," the annual of Central High School.. 36 Posters by Central High School students reproduced from School Arts Magazine.. 40 Board of Education City of Minneapolis, Minnesota 1915-16 Members Horace N. Leighton President Cavour Langdon - Secretary Alex G. Bainbridge Harington Beard Arthur F. Benson Henry Deutsch Mae Snow Frank E. Spaulding - Superintendent Charles M. Jordan Superintendent Emeritus Assistant Superintendents Catherine T. Bryce Elizabeth Hall John N. Greer, advisory on high schools Bennett B. Jackson Flora E. Pope William F. Webster George F. Womrath, for business affairs ^- **Drau)ing is tbinking anA- markipg around the thinkV -*•-*-* A Chi Ids Definition. ♦ •a in ART IN ELEMENTARY GRADES ms^ HIS monograph is intended to give the reader, in a brief survey of the work done in the drawing depart- ment of the PubHc Schools of MinneapoHs, a peep into the past, a glance at the present and a vision for the future. It should also carry a convincing reason for the belief that the spirit of the subject is essential — a life-giving, spirit which should vitalize the whole educational body. "The world is so full of a number of things" and most of them can be correlated with the work of the drawing department. Pencil and brush are but two of the many tools needed by the drawing department, but they serve to concrete the subject. There is a drawing period in the kindergarten, though draw- ing is not formally taught. The free expression work of kinder- garten children is a medium through which the teacher may see the mind developing and discover individual needs. All children like to use the picture language, and through this keen desire to make themselves understood may come a training in clearer thinking, control of material, which means self control and a quickening of the power of general observation in an effort to acquire the form vocabulary needed. In all the primary grades, scissors are a tool for freehand drawing. Sometimes the cutting is made while pupils look at an object in the front of the room; more often as an expression of the mental picture made in the mind by the telling of a story. This is excellent training for memorizing form and relative pro- portion. In all these grades, drawing, whether with pencil, brush, chalk or scissors, becomes a language which is freely and •a c c o o ART IN ELEMENTARY GRADES 3 gladly used, but which becomes obsolete in the grammar grades owing to the more critical attitude of the older mind. In some rooms, the drawing has been used to visualize the songs sung by the children, and the pictures show that the words of a song sometimes produce an unexpected impression. Water color is used first in the second grade, crayons being used in the first grade to add the joy of color. ' Technical instruction in drawing is scarcely attempted below the grammar grades, as it is considered a wiser plan to give the younger children a general knowledge of different phases of the subject. The elementary grades should constitute a habit-form- ing period, leaving specialized training for higher grades. A study of design has been placed in each year's work from 'th,e first through high school, and it has been possible to make considerable progress in it. A knowledge of design is the basis of all good art. It is well named the "grammar of art," and children cannot be taught too early to use it. The orderly arrangement of units in the primary grades teaches one of the fundamental principles. These exercises are a delight to the child, and serve to teach beauty of shape, propor- tion and color. Many of the design exercises in stenciling, or cutting and pasting, constitute good seat work and in this the drawing correlates with other work. Construction becomes part of the design course, a design being made only when there is an object to beautify. The shape and size of box, book or tile pre- determines the kind of design to be made. The limitation of different materials, such as paper, clay or fabrics, introduces the problem of adaptation, and cultivates judgment and resource- fulness. In the present industrial trend of all education, the old-time course of study in drawing has disappeared and the adaptability of .the subject and versatility of the drawing teacher is being demonstrated. o ■a bo c •o o y Clay modeling of nuts and fruits in secotid grade, animals in third grade, and pottery in sixth grade. o o a bo c ■a Cardboard construction work of grades three to eight inclusive. in O -a •o -a o o W bo a o, *it is^iVen^to |eur to create- To enjoy should be the inalien-- able biribngbt IboTDos IDosber Designs made and executed in the High School Domestic Art classes. II ART IN GRAMMAR GRADES RGANIZATION of the grammar grades into depart- mental groups makes it possible to strengthen greatly the work in drawing. When one teacher is made respon- sible for the drawing in a number of rooms, it seems more worth her while to make special preparation for teaching the subject. It is a pleasure for one teacher to be able to develop the work with the same pupils, carrying them through two or three years. There is opportunity for a continuity of thought and a breadth of treatment not possible when the work is taught by several teachers, whose interests must be many times divided. Teachers who have liked the drawing before are glad to specialize now, and are proving their ability. In a few of the schools there are art-trained teachers who can handle an academic subject in addi- tion to the drawing, and the growth of the departmental plan throughout the country will demand preparation for such com- binations. The pupils of the grammar grades are ready for technical work, and the drawing given is of a more formal character than in the grades below. The paper cutting, illustrative drawing and water color give place to object drawing, lettering, and design and composition. ' Courses in manual training, cooking and sewing so fully supply the need for hand work that very little is done in the drawing period, excepting in connection with general school activities. The drawing classes are often called upon to assist with preparatfons for festivals and entertainments, and the draw- ing time is gladly given up to meet such demands. Nothing else so wakens the interest of the pupils as the realization of the fact o o O 3 O JS V •o u be bo W ART IN GRAMMAR GRADES 15 that the work of the classroom is closely allied with the business of life. Making of portfolios which may be used for school papers forms part of the work in these grades. The 7B and 8B classes are this year beginning work in house planning and interior decoration. The purpose of this course is to make the pupils more observant of home conditions, more alive to the desirability of beauty in line-and proportion, and more intelligent citizens when they become homemakers and householders. In connection with this, they are learning to read plans and working drawings, and to make drawings to scale. This is a direct application of the knowledge gained by the boys in the manual training classes, of which the girls have an equal need. The course will include a study of color as related to the exterior and interior of the house, and some knowledge of wall and floor coverings and furniture design. There are unlimited possibil- ities, and that it is a live subject is evidenced by the interest shown. Ground floor plans and elevations for bungalows, by eighth grades of Lyndale and Harrison schools. IfV Whafwe like** determines what we are and ro ** teach taste inev- itably determines character —.".-ft— a Ruskin 5ILHOUET1E5 OF rACULTY Will be shown in South High AUDITORIlJvi WEDNESDAY NOV. 2 4 ABCDF 1 CHI. IK IMNO I'Q RS T lAAVX \Z abciid t] li ij k 1 lliiiopqi a\ I1\'\VA lU.-::' :-. .1; . T~^ '^^ %, SEEDS OTALL KINDS ROSE HILL NUR5Ef?Y /monf fo^Kiy Lettering and pose drawing from the Commercial Course of South High School; pages for "The Cardinal," the annual of East High School. Ill ART IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS LJNIOR high schools present a new and most interesting problem for the art department. They offer many op- portunities to make the work both interesting and im- mediately useful to the student. These schools will have a somewhat special equipment in the room devoted to drawing, and the work will be in charge of a technically trained teacher. This will make it possible to con- sider the individual needs of pupils and to adapt the work to those needs. It is probable that many things not in the course of study will be taught. Craft work, usually omitted in grade schools because of the difficulty of handling these subjects in the average room, will be provided in the junior high schools where studio conveniences will be supplied. 'One of the three buildings housing junior highs will contain a kiln for firing pottery. This will probably become a center for the firing of pottery made in any of the city schools. The experi- ence of applying glaze and watching it develop will be a fascinat- ing one, and will teach the workers to appreciate and better understand the subject of ceramics. Printing is to be taught in the junior highs, and this will offer new opportunity for the exercise of design principles. Planning arrangements and compositions with movable types will give a new viewpoint for the lettering lessons in the studio. One of the most difficult things to teach is a feeling for good composition, as expressed in a division of space. It is difficult because few definite rules can be given, and the pupils must be led by the teacher's appreciative feeling. All finished written work should evidence this teaching, in good margining and place- o o u a O ,o J3 J3 3 D- lU bo c O ART IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS 21 ment of titles. The output from the school printing presses should show a knowledge of design and composition as applied to business needs. Until all the ninth grade pupils are placed in junior high schools the course in drawing for this grade will follow in gen- eral plan that now used in senior high schools, in order that pupils going from one to the other may find themselves prepared to take up the work in classes already established. There is an excellent opportunity in the differentiated courses of the junior high school to discover pupils who have special aptitude in drawing and to guide them into the line of work for which they are best fitted. The field of fine arts is a limited one but for practical arts the horizon is unbounded. Products of three of the crafts taught in the High School Art Course, leather tooling, pottery making and stenciling. "The more m M.M ib'wgs tbou learnest to Nnow and enjoy, the j§: more complete and full will be ^ for tbee tbe joy of living." Plato Groups of objects to be used in advertising posters, Commercial Course in South High School; designs for covers, Art Course in high school. . IV ART IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS N HIGH school, work in freehand drawing has become an elective course, and into this department are gathered the lllj! few led there by natural talent or liking for the subject. With such material and trained instruction, the work done is exceptionally good. The department is called upon to assist in most of the activities of the schools, and card writing and poster making take a natural place in the program. The illustra- tions for the school annuals are made in the studio under the supervision of the' teacher, a co-operative arrangement which helps materially toward the beauty of these books. A craft is taught during part of each term. Pottery, book- binding, stenciling, woodblock printing, leather tooling, metal work and jewelry making are on the list, and are taken up, one at a time, according to circumstances and the needs and desires of the classes. When kilns are placed in the high school buildings, the course in pottery will be strengthened. The chemistry of glaze can be given in the chemistry class, and the applying of the glaze and firing of the kiln will vitalize the subject. In South High School very successful art work is being done in the commercial classes. Students who expect to go into business offices need a trained appreciation of the beauty of orderly arrangement. A knowledge of spacing, margining and the essentials of good letter heads will greatly improve the quality of work done. The ability to letter freely with brush or pen is a valuable asset. There is a growing demand for clever advertis- ing involving a knowledge of drawing of objects or figures. Many of the high school students can be trained to meet these demands with pleasure and profit to themselves, when drawing becomes a part of the commercial course. o o J3 J2 bo U M-H o o 3 bo o CO ART IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS 27 Drawing and design are taught in the Domestic Art Course under the supervision of the Domestic Art Department, half time being given to work in the studio. Flowers and objects are drawn that the students may acquire facility with the pencil and accumulate material for original de- signs. Structural design and adaptation to use and material are emphasized, and many of the decorative stitches are taken in the drawing room. Costume design becomes a strong feature of the course, made effective by close connection between the studio and sewing room, each in charge of an expert in her own phase of the subject and working together for the total result. In the Girls' Vocational High School the practical use for drawing in every industry is fully demonstrated. Costumes and hats are designed and made, embroidery patterns are original with the worker and all the utilitarian output shows the influence of the art training. To the day nurses' class is given the primary handwork and many things that will help the girls when they undertake the care and entertainment of children. The salesmanship classes receive training in color harmony, window decorating and card writing. The drawing supervisors are assisting also in the training of the group of girls who intend to become rural teachers. This work is conducted in Central High School. The practical draw- ing course planned for these students includes most of the sub- jects given in the city schools, simplified to meet the conditions found in rural schools. Somewhat the same course is given to another group of stu- dents who are preparing to become play assistants in the city schools. Posters advertising the Senior Play and the "Centralian"' of Central High School. "COake places »»» good for the body to live in and fair » for the eyes to test »0upon and there- fore soothing to« the soiiir William Onortls c8 S wi O 3 3 S V SCHOOL DECORATION INNEAPOLIS is rarely fortunate in the possession of a building that is an example of consistent deco- ration. This is the Thomas Lowry School. In it two hundred twenty-six beautiful pictures have been hung, given to the school by Mrs. Lowry in memory of her hus- band. These pictures were carefully selected by Mrs. Lowry. She desired to place before the pupils examples of the best reproduc- tions obtainable of masterpieces in portraiture, landscape and other subjects. The grading of the building was studied and the interests of children of different ages considered. Very large decorative pictures were hung in the halls. The moulding used for framing is uniform throughout the building and harmonizes with the woodwork, which is stained a beautiful gray-brown. The result is a never-ending joy to teachers and children who are privileged to use the building daily, and a revelation to vis- itors — a revelation of what can be accomplished when the decora- tion of a school building is included in the original plan and car- ried out consistently. The pictures in the schools are purchased almost entirely with money earned through entertainments, or are left as me- morials by graduating classes. The new picture is often unre- lated, either in subject or framing, to pictures already hurig, and the result is often unfortunate. It is undesirable to grade pictures too closely in selecting, for different rooms, as there are many subjects that appeal to all ages. The beauty of the building as a whole and the unity of each room should be considered, and some consistent plan developed as additions are made. Often a —31— o o J3 o o X. H ni u bo a '00 5 •a o o bo SCHOOL DECORATION 33 rearrangement of material on hand makes possible some com- plete center of interest, even though the whole building cannot be planned at once. Many such beauty spots can be found in the Minneapolis schools which own, taken together, a very large number of beau- tiful pictures. But the Thomas Lowry School, because of Mrs. Lowry's gift, expresses the realization of an ideal and empha- sizes in an unusual degree the influence of beautiful surround- ings. It is one of the varied duties and pleasures of the drawing department to assist in the selection and hanging of pictures and decorative material purchased by the schools. When the time comes that the public recognizes the elevat- ing influence of association with objects "fair for the eye to rest upon," provision will be made for beautifying the rooms where children spend most of their waking hours. In many cities there are associations which render valuable assistance in this work. These societies, with a membership representing various parts of the city and working under ad- visement with the school authorities, gain a city-wide view of school needs and can develop their plans accordingly. Minneapolis should have a schools arts league composed of men and women who value the cultural development of the city. Daily association with good pictures and statuary affords one of the best means of developing culture. "It is not by pay- ing for them but-» by understtinding tbemjbot we be- come the real pos- eeedors of Muorhe of art and of the enjoyments theyi* give;*- 'ip:i. % W B®KI THE 5CHQDL i: m 11^ as BH i „ ('p:s^ B®KIV ATHLETIC 5 Designs for tail pieces and decorative spots in "Polaris," the annual of North High School; pages for the "Centralian," the annual of Central High School. VI A BROADER VIEW ITH the opening of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, another cultural opportunity was given to the city and another phase of art education to the drawing department. A systematic plan was adopted last winter for making a direct connection between the Institute and the Public Schools. A half day a week was given by the Supervisor of Drawing to picture talks at the Institute and various upper grade classes attended by appointment. About fifty such talks were given to an average group of seventy-five students. As the Institute is young and does not own any very com- plete collections, the subjects chosen had to be general, such as the history of tapestry, the history of furniture, and so forth. The structure of trees and their use in landscape proved an inter- esting topic. .. After the talks, the classes spent an hour visiting the galleries. It is probable that visits to the Institute as part of the work of the upper grades may be arranged once a term or once a year. There is much to be gained in general knowledge and culture by such trips, and reports may be given as oral compositions. Required written work often kills the interest and makes an art gallery dreaded. Trips to the Institute should be made so attrac- tive that children will want to go often. Picture study has been a problem in school work for many years. Recently interest in the subject has assumed more active form and it promises to take its proper place in the curriculum as material for reading lessons. It is a literary subject and has been put into the drawing time only because the teacher of draw- —37— 38 PENCIL AND BRUSH ing would not have it omitted entirely. The opportunities for general knowledge of history and geography equal the oppor- tunities for art knowledge, and it belongs with the academic topics. An acquaintance with artists should go hand in hand with an acquaintance of authors as a measure of refinement and culture. There are many children in the public schools who show natural ability for drawing. Where such large numbers must be considered, individual training becomes impossible. The School of Art is desirous of helping to foster and develop this latent talent and plans are being made for classes there. 'the habit of re- garding art 05 Q-s^ thing opart iTow» Wk is fatal to the developroeDt ot-s' taste.lts tcue tunc- tioD should be to^ contribute to the* joy of living" Posters by Central High School students reproduced from School Arts Mao-azine Work was collected by Henry Turner Bailey, its editor, " while visiting the Minneapolis schools. VII A VISION FOR THE FUTURE RAWING has long appeared on the programs of pubUc school teachers and the subject has covered "a multitude of sins." Also, like charity, it has brought joy and brightness and health to many in need of such help. Whether supervised or unsupervised, the drawing period has been one of experimentation and, from the nature of the sub- ject, probably will continue to be so. There are few definite principles of fine art training which should be taught in the public schools, but every child who attends these schools should leave them with a trained appreciation of beauty in its various forms, beauty in nature, beauty in orderly arrangement, beauty in good workmanship. If all were per- meated by this clear vision of beauty, there would be no need of a course of study in drawing — it could exist as a "state of mind" in the teacher. Then, so far as she could control the affairs of the schoolroom, there would be beauty of color, form and arrangement, evidenced in becoming dress, pleasing room decorations and order in personal belongings. Could she impress her "state of mind" upon her pupils, the whole day would be filled with the teaching of principles that are sometimes confined to the drawing period. It is good to have visions even if not all of them can be realized. The ethical standard is much better understood by the public than the esthetic standard. A common school educa- tion is conceded to be the right of every child ; he should have a like uncontested right to an art education. Popular opinion has taught that refinement is expensive. Popular opinion itiust be taught that refinement and culture is not a matter of, money values. 42 PENCIL AND BRUSH Artists have devoted much time to the beautifying of expen- sive articles which only the wealthy can buy; the schools must teach the beauty of line and color in inexpensive things which all may buy. This is the only hope of training the masses and lift- ing the country to the level of other countries which have for years been training the masses to demand beautiful things. Truth and beauty are always represented as going hand in hand. Teachers are expected to be the embodiment of integrity. The lessons the children learn from their daily presence and personal example are not consciously taught. The teacher's esthetic standard should be as high as the ethical, and it should be the duty of every teacher to live up to one as conscientiously as to the other. The beauty of orderly arrangement cannot be taught by a disorderly teacher; the beauty of nature cannot be taught by one who does not see it. The beauty of good work- manship cannot be taught by a poor workman. "What j^oujj p^ speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say," said "Emerson. The exercise of this vital influence does not presuppose a training in technical drawing, though it often accompanies or follows it. Some persons are born with an ear for music, but most gain by training. Some are born with a fine sense of color, a feeling for fine form and good arrangement, but most persons need training for appreciative understanding. If this training could be given to all the youth of the land throughout the school life, this would soon become an "artistic" nation. Taste and skill are fruits which must develop from the seeds planted in the minds of the public, and these children are that public. An undimmed vision and untiring effort will bring the miracle to pass. ^S^^^ /■ A SERIES OF MONOGRAPHS (Continued from inside front cover) 10. Teaching in Minneapolis. Conditions of appointment, retentipn and ad- ^ vancement; salaries; expenses; adVailtages. Ready, January, 1917-^ 11. Making Children Strotig. Athletics, plays and games, gymnasium Work, Ready, February, 1917 12. Housing the Children. School buildings, old and new; different types; additions; remodeling and repairing; grounds, equipment. , Ready, February, 1917 13. Becoming Professional. Professional organizations of teachers; work at the ITniversity of Minnesota; "extension"- work; research in the schools; summer school study. Ready, March, 1917 14. Why Summer Schools? Ready, March, 1917. 15. Children-Who Are Different. " Defectives, subnormals and backward pupils; pro- visions made for them. ' Ready, April, 1917 16. Something About Mitmeapdlis Kindergartens. Ready, April, 1917 17. The Critical Period. Junior High Schools. 18. The Parting of the Ways. Senior High Schools. 19. After the Day's Work. Minneapolis Evening Schools. ; Ready, May, 1917 Ready, May, 1917 Ready, June, 1917 : 20. Possibility and Opportunity. Vocational guidance, plaicement and. supervision. "-.- , "• Ready,, June, 1917 Other monographs in preparation ; titles and dates of pub- llcatiori to be announced, frOm time to, time. ■ ' t . Monographs are uniformly 6x9, printed on good paper and illustrated with charts, diagrams and photographs. Price, single copies, 25 cents; ten. or more cdpies to one address, 10 per cent discount, postage paid. One hundred of more copies to one a4dress at 25 per cent discount, transportation to be paid by the purchaser. Addressj Secretary to the Superiirten- dent of Schools, 305 City HaJI, Mitineapplis, Minn.