Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

Page 33 text:

This year the school assembled in the concert hall on the evening of June the first and was addressed by Miss Olive Ziegler, who stressed the qualities of true sports- manship in the Canadian girl. Her well-chosen and inspiring words were a fitting prelude to the election of Margaret Keith as this year ' s winner of the great honor. A reception was then held in the Common Room in honor of the guest speaker and Margaret. Page Twatty-Xine

Page 32 text:

Art iepartment The year 1934 has witnessed a great variety of productions. Whether it is the result of a goodly number of technically advanced students — or whether the whole class has been riding on the wings of enthusiasm, I cannot say. More than any other year of my experience in the school the work typified Can- ada both at the beginning and end of the year. Murals of Canadian animals and landscape met with much approval and were included among the exhibits which Mr. Lismer took to South Africa. At the end of the year we spent the most profitable time of all in out-door sketching. Nothing is so vital to an artist as that which is living in the light of the out-of-doors. In the winter we accomplished a theatrical production of French-Canadian customs, dances and folk-songs, which were set off by thirty or so costumes and four stage sets — a Habitant Interior, the Town Crier, a domestic scene with a bake-oven and a Shrine and Church scene. All year long we carried on a regular study of history of art and balanced it with contemporary ideas of commercial art such as posters, etc. Whenever possible we also drew from models. The development of personality is a natural outcome of any art course. At the outset, for example, in stage-set construction, some started right in saving up wood, cutting away at cardboard and paper and glueing bits of this and that together with amazing imaginative thought and daring — while others linger on and fairly lose their creative stimulus by being too deliberate. In my fourteen years ' experience in the field of art study and education I am fully convinced that no school or teacher, however good or bad, can plant the seed of creative genius in any human being. In pianoforte study the laws of form of construction always run alongside of the emotional creative effort — while in painting or modelling in clay nothing but the depth of the artist seeing and feeling impell him to work. This explains the joy of the primitive and the child when he draws or models and believes at the same time that he is making something live. It was interesting to note that Art Schools originated in the nineteenth century when they began as a protective necessity against commercial production. From that time on it is a long story of attempts to reinstate the artist in his true position relative to production. One of the greatest creative schools of art was formed in Vienna in 1921. Germany can also boast of a close relationship between art and industry. The directors of the latter, are often men of note in some practical field of art. Over here in Cleveland also a similar relationship exists between industry and art. We Canadians cannot but be affected by the same trend. When we ban the art school and endeavor to put into practice the ideas we have assimilated we shall find that they are of value to us in any activity in which we may engage. A. T. Page Twenty-Eight

Page 34 text:

». ql m. Advisory Teacher - - - Miss Sibley President - Margaret Keith Vice-President ' - Tommy Arnold Secretary-Treasurer ' - Audrey McTavish Another year has passed and another year ' s triumphs and defeats are to be recorded in the annals of the S. C. M. It has been a very active year and some events in particular stand out because of the pleasure they have given. One night in the fall we transformed the Concert Hall into a play room and had a very merry evening of progessive games. We shall always remember the Christmas Bazaar, not only because of all its gaiety and bustle but also because of the splendid co-operation of everyone which helped to make it a success. And by its success, through our contributions to various organiza- tions, we were able to fulfill our part in some measure at least, as a very small unit of the great Student Christian Movement. We visited the House of Refuge before Christmas and only hope that our Christmas cheer brought the residents some enjoy- ment. We endeavored to carry out the idea of Internationalism during International Week by our week-end conference. We were very fortunate in having among other guest speakers Miss Gertrude Rutherford. The Chapel services throughout the year have been interesting and enjoyable, par- ticularly at Christmas and Easter.