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The immediate task has been the completion of a comprehensive scheme to ensure that the valuable collection of reproductions housed at the Gallery maybe effectively used in furthering a knowledge of the history of art and fostering its appreciation. The reproductions have been divided into eleven sets representing the various schools of painting. Biographical notes have been written to give an outline of the artists' lives and training, and record the dimensions of the original works, the media used, and the present locations of the paintings. Talks are prepared surveying the historical and social backgrounds during the periods of development of the various schools, and selected examples are described to suggest their individual qualities and their significance, as elements in the progression of art through the centuries. When complete, the reproductions and the talks will present a complete survey of the history of European painting. The sets are mobile and may be used efficiently without expert attendance. During the past three years the collections have been sent in rotation to towns in the Wellington province, where the scheme has operated successfully. Art galleries in the North and South Islands have expressed their willingness to co-opeiate, and in the near future the sets will be sent in rotation until they have been made available to all the galleries. Groups from the post-primary schools and other educational bodies in Wellington have responded well to invitations to visit the Gallery and hear talks on the pictures. There have been good attendances at lunch-hour talks for adults. Illustrated lectures on industrial design, landscape painting, and composition were given to members of the Architectural Centre and a demonstration of water-colour technique was given to members of the Wellington Art Club. Exhibitions The following exhibitions were held at the Gallery during the year : (1) Collection of pictures selected from the National Collection. (2) The autumn exhibition of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. (3) Collection of reproductions representing the Dutch School of Painting; early New Zealand Water-colours. (4) Annual exhibition of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. (5) Reproductions of paintings of children. (6) " The War at Sea " —Naval paintings by Norman Wilkinson, P.R.I. Exhibition organized by the Navy League. (7) Reproductions of French paintings up to the time of Manet. Recent acquisitions from the National Collection. Exhibition of British Rural Crafts The British Council's Exhibition of British Rural Crafts arrived in New Zealand towards the end of 1946. An arrangement had been made that the Education Department would be responsible for circulating the exhibition to other centres in New Zealand and that the Committee of Management of the National Gallery would run the exhibition in Wellington. The collection will be shown in Wellington at the National Gallery in September this year. Press The Committee desires to record its thanks and appreciation for the valuable support and publicity given by the press in connection with exhibitions and other activities.

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