Swansea School of Art
Other names: Municipal School of Art and Crafts (1908-1922), School of Arts and Crafts (1923-1951)
Foundation date: 1853
Active: 1853 -
Function: Art school
Policy: Taken from prospectus for 1909 -
The Municipal School of Art and Crafts is established by the Town Council of Swansea, to serve as a Central Institution for Art Education in Swansea and District.
Aims of School:
1. To provide for the study and teaching of the Fine Arts-painting, Design, Architecture and Sculpture, and the Decorative Arts and Crafts.
2. To impart systematically a knowledge of the Theory, Principals, and Practice of Art, with a view to the application. The object of the School is to supplement, not to supersede apprenticeship by affording to trade Students opportunities for studying design, and for practice in those branches of their craft, which, owing to the sub-division of processes of manufacture, they are unable to obtain in the workshop.
3. To enable Students to carry out their designs in the actual materials. Special arrangements have been made for the study of Decorative Art Metal-work, Enamelling and Jewelry, Wood-Carving, Gesso, Embroidery, Art Needlework, etc.
4. To enable Students to qualify as Art Teachers, and to provide special courses for Teachers of the Elementary and Secondary Schools...
History or description: As well as the related primary courses the school also ran a large variety of day classes, day craft classes and evening classes throughout it's history. These included decorative metal work, wood carving, gesso, plasterers, pottery and figure modelling and stone carving.
Activities: art classes, classes, classes in drawing, classes in landscape painting, classes in life drawing , classes in modeling, classes in modeling from the life, classes in painting, classes in painting from the life, classes in watercolour painting, classes in woodcarving, criticism of works, discussions on art, exhibitions (members only), lectures on art, sketching excursions
Benefits: grants and prizes, medals, prizes, use of library, use of studio, use of society's premises
Composition: amateur artists, amateur painters, amateurs, architects, artisans, men and women members
Funding types: fees
Exhibitions, Courses, Meetings and other Events
Courses offered by Board of Education Syllabus of Examination in Industrial Design (Swansea School of Art), 1913-1914
Courses offered by Board of Education Syllabus of Examination in Modelling (Swansea School of Art), 1913-1915
Courses offered included Monumental Sculpture (Swansea School of Art), 1913-1936
Courses offered included Modelling from Life (Swansea School of Art), 1910-1911
Courses offered included Decorative Metal Work Course, Day Class (Swansea School of Art), 1909-1936
Courses offered included Sculpture and Modelling Course (Swansea School of Art), 1909-1951
Courses offered included Architecture Course (Swansea School of Art), 1909-1947
Courses offered included Wood-carving and Gesso Work Course, Day Class (Swansea School of Art), 1910-1936
Courses offered included Modelling Design (Swansea School of Art), 1910-1911
Courses offered included Modelling from the Antique (Swansea School of Art), 1910-1911
Courses offered included Modelling from the Head (Swansea School of Art), 1910-1911
Associated People
Members included G. Houghton
1897 - 1907
Members included William J. Hollowood
1939
Principals included William Grant Murray
1908 - 1936
Murray was interviewed for the position in December 1908 along with John William Allison, A.R.C.A., Portsmouth; George Car Duxbury, A.R.C.A., Northampton; Thomas J. Jones, Burslem; and Wilson Jagger, A.R.C.A., chief assistant of the Cardiff School of Art. Murray was recommended for the position by letter from the President of the Royal College, Kensington.
Murray frankly told the interviewing Council that unless they were prepared to spend money on their art school not to appoint him. It was the most dismal art school he had seen.
He received the appointment on the first ballot. The salary was £300 a year.
Also listed as teacher of mural decoration and painting from life.
Principals included Harry C. Hall
1943 - 1946
Hall was acting principal between these dates following the retirement of Grant Murray and before Ken Hancock took over. [Information submitted by Gill Fildes, Records & Archive Officer at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Swansea (formerly Swansea Metropolitan University)].
Principals included K.W. Hancock
September 1946 (Presumed) - 1951
Students included Clifford Graham Roberts
1903 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Roberts studied with Harry Hall and Grant Murray during his apprenticeship as a monumental mason and sculptor
Teachers included Glendinning Moxham
September 1913 (Presumed) - 1930
Listed as Head of Architecture Section.
Teachers of architecture included Charles W. Gott
1909 - 1927
Also listed as Lecturer on History of Art (Only listed as History of Art Lecturer and not teacher of acrhitecture 1926-1927)
Teachers of architecture included J. Herbert Jones
September 1926 - 1949
Listed as Head of Architecture from 1930-1931 session onwards
Teachers of architecture included Kenneth Graham
September 1946 (Presumed) - 1947
Teachers of architecture included J. Dryburgh
September 1948 - 1949
Teachers of metal work included William J. Hollowood
September 1948 - 1951
Also listed as Vice-Principal from 1950
Teachers of modeling included William R. Rött
1909 - 1930
Also listed as teacher of Sculpture, Wood Carving and Gesso.
Teachers of sculpture included Harry C. Hall
1909 - 1936
Also listed as teacher of modelling, Jewelry, enamelling and decorative metal work.
From 1910 listed as Chief Assistant
From 1913 (presumed)- 1936 listed as Head of Sculpture.
Teachers of sculpture included Ronald Cour
September 1948 - 1951
Teachers of woodcarving included L. B. Palmer
September 1931 - 1936
Teachers of woodcarving included W.J. Rogers
September 1946 (Presumed) - 1949
Teachers of woodcarving included S. McGairl
September 1948 - 1949
Sources
Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales, 1920
1920
South Wales p.1435
Prospectus of the Municipal School of Art and Crafts, Alexandra Road, Swansea
Session 1910-1911
1910
Prospectus of the Municipal School of Art and Crafts, Alexandra Road, Swansea.
Session 1909-1910
1909
South Wales Art Society 44th Annual Exhibition Catalogue.
1932
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1926-1927
1926
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1927-1928
1927
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1929-1930
1929
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1930-1931
1930
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1931-1932
1931
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1932-1933
1932
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1934-1935
1934
Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus 1935-1936
1935
The School of Art and Crafts Swansea
Prospectus for Session 1915-1916
1915
The School of Art and Crafts Swansea
Prospectus for Session 1921-1922
1921
The School of Art and Crafts Swansea.
Prospectus for Session 1918-1919
1918
The School of Art and Crafts Swansea.
Prospectus for Session 1919-1920
1919
The Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus for Session 1923-1924
1923
The Swansea School of Art and Crafts
Prospectus for Session 1924-1925
1924
The Swansea School of Art and Crafts Prospectus 1913-1914
1913
The Swansea School of Art and Crafts Prospectus 1914-1915
1914
Citing this record
'Swansea School of Art', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib1_1204743862, accessed 08 Feb 2023]
