E.— 8

6

Drawing and Painting. —Classes, both elementary and advanced, have been held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 a.m. till 1 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The work has comprised outline, and light and shade from the cast, models and still life ; colour studies from still life and flowers ; drawing and painting from life, both nude and draped. The landscape class has studied from nature one day per week during the first and third terms, and has produced some good work. A class for the study of plant form in relation to design was held, and proved helpful as giving material for application to various branches of applied art. To act in conjunction with this, classes for brush work and design have been started this year in the morning class, and students will then be encouraged to take up any form of applied work their inclination and aptitude lead them to. The drawing from life has continued to be of a high character as proved by the prizes taken. Modelling, Casting, and Moulding. —Classes have been held as follows : Wednesday, 11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ; Monday, 7 to 9 p.m. ; and Saturday, 9.30 to 11 a.m. The average attendance of students compared with the previous year has been : 1899—Morning, 15; evening, 12 ; Saturday, not held : 1900—Morning, 14; evening, 11 ; Saturday, 6-52. The elementary students have worked from simple casts of ornament and antique, and the more advanced ones from more difficult casts and from nature. A few have done busts from the antique and life in full and bas-relief. Classes were started at the beginning of the year for modelling as applied more to kindergarten work and the various standards in the schools. This work, so valuable in giving a knowledge of form and training the faculty for original work, is now being largely introduced into the public schools, and so the teachers, for whom the classes were more especially designed, have formed the majority of the students. We have also found this work useful in enabling us to indicate the lines upon which modelling should be taken in the schools. Several of the scholarship boys from the public schools have aiso taken this work. Various kinds of moulding have been practised, such as waste, piece and gelatine, and a large number of casts taken. Wood- and Stone-carving. —Classes have been held on Monday from 7to 9 p.m.; Friday, 3to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 9.30 to 11 a.m. The attendance, compared with the previous year, has been: 1899 —Morning, 6; evening, 5; Saturday, 6. 1900 —Morning, 2 ; evening, 5 ; Saturday, 4. The work, as in the previous year, has mainly consisted of chip and incised carving. The evening class has been moderately attended, and done fair work; in the other two it has continued to be unsatisfactory. I have now reorganized the classes, and put the whole under another instructor. I trust, under the new arrangements, an improvement will soon be manifest. With the attention that is now given to this subject by such increasing numbers, I have been disappointed for a long time with the work of the class. Painters and Decorators' Work. —This class, started at the end of 1899, has thoroughly justified its establishment, as far as the unfavourable conditions will allow of it. As yet there is no special provision for it, and the. work has to be carried on in the ordinary class-rooms, which are constantly being used for other subjects; hence all the materials have to be removed at the end of every lesson, and only such work undertaken as will allow of this. The instruction is thus narrowed in scope, and the syllabus impossible to fulfil. The wonder is that with such a handicap the class has accomplished so much, and is an indication of what would be done if proper provision were made. The average attendance for the three terms of 1900 was 18. Decorative Design. —This subject has been taken on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9. The students were divided into two divisions, elementary and advanced, lectures being given to each, illustrated by limelight views. Considering the importance of this class, the attendance is still unsatisfactory. The average attendance of the last two years has been : 1899, 13; 1900, 14. Architecture and Building Construction. —This class has been held on Mondays and Fridays, from 7to 9 p.m. A course of lectures was given, illustrated with the aid of the lantern, and was well attended. The subject dealt with was the history of architecture. From two to three hours per week were spent in drawing. The average attendance for the past two years has been : 1899, 15 ; 1900, 20. Geometry and Perspective. —Classes have been held at the same time as in the previous year, and the average attendances have been : —1899, 28; 1900, 27. Scholarships, Canterbury Industrial Association. —Two scholarships competed for in December, 1900, were awarded, entitling the winners to two years' free tuition. The scholarships are restricted to apprentices under twenty-one years of age. Scholarships, Christchurch Builders' Association. —Two scholarships are offered annually, one to those under twenty, and the other to those under eighteen. These entitle the winners to one year's free tuition. Public School Scholarships. —For several years past the Board of Governors have given an annual free studentship to the head boy in drawing in each of the ten district State schools. By a recent decision, these have been increased, and now one is given to the head boy in drawing in each school in the North Canterbury District having over 170 pupils. Under this new regulation the awards made for 1900 enabled fourteen schools to avail themselves of the scholarships. The remainder, amounting to about twelve schools, owing to distance from town, were unable to do so. It would mean that, were these schools enabled to participate, the scholarships would have to be made of such a value as to pay the expenses of living in Christchurch. Free Studentships. —The seven free studentships offered by the Board for annual competition on the past year's work were awarded; also prizes from various donors. Prizes. —Prizes given by the Canterbury Society of Arts were gained in—Modelling from life silver medal; head from life in colour, silver medal; architectural design, bronze medal; drawing from the figure; design of cover of catalogue. Every prize and medal awarded was won by our students. At the Wellington Society of Arts prizes were gained for head from life in black and white and landscape from nature. Canterbury Jubilee Industrial Exhibition. —ln the competitions in the workers' exhibits and