Page:The Academy Of the Fine Arts and Its Future, Edward Hornor Coates, 24 January 1890.djvu/16

 engravings in the Library, about 60,000 in number, bequeathed to the Academy by John S. Phillips, which can be seen by application to the librarian; and to the complete and admirable series of the old masters, reproduced by the Arundel Society of London, and presented by one of the present Board of Directors.

Of the future of the Academy there is much to be said, more indeed than this occasion will allow. In the high cause of art there are many things needed. At the present moment one of the most urgent is greater harmony and co-operation in the practical working of the different art institutions of the city. Unfortunately there is no statute legislative or moral against that "parallelism," which in railway building has been checked, but which, whether in the matter of art education, or other direction, constantly threatens the welfare of a particular branch of endeavor, by the starting of new and weakling ventures, rather than in the building up and maintaining of those which already exist. There are to-day in Philadelphia four life schools. Why should there be more than one—the Academy? At great cost it is arranged to offer every facility for thorough, systematic and complete work in this direction. The school rooms and equipment are unequalled by the Artists' League for the Academy of Design in New York, and are not excelled by the great schools of Paris, up to the present time. The field of art education is large enough to be sub-divided to the advantage and welfare of all, but the Academy must be the highest school, the university of art teaching, or its school department has no reason for existence.

In the matter of exhibitions of current contemporary work in sculpture and painting, something of the 16