Massachusetts Normal Art School (1873-1928)
The Massachusetts Normal Art School was founded in 1873 by the Massachusetts State Legislature, in large part, to educate students to become art teachers in local schools. This mission supported the 1870 Drawing Act, which made Massachusetts the first state in the country to mandate art education in public schools. Entrance examinations in freehand drawing were held, but capable students may have been turned away due to lack of adequate studio and lecture space. The new institution rented several buildings in Boston to instruct students before eventually erecting a school building in 1886 on Newbury Street in the Back Bay neighborhood. Early instruction prioritized industrial drawing over pictorial drawing, as the state believed public school students would benefit mentally and socially from more scientific, technical design. Professor Walter Smith explained to his students the benefits of art education:
What we are trying to do in our [public school art] lessons is to make the children know how to draw, not how to make drawings . . . . And the great reason for them to draw is, that the process of drawing makes ignorance visible . . . and gives physical evidence that we either think rightly or wrongly.
Eventually, fewer students chose to attend the Massachusetts Normal Art School to become educators and more students were interested in studying specialized art fields. In the 1900s and 1910s, new courses were introduced and students were able to graduate with certificates in costume illustration, modeling and sculpting, and applied design and interior decoration. Starting in 1924, students were able to graduate with a degree – a Bachelor Science in Art Education. Students began celebrating Smock Day during this new era of the school, with older students gifting Freshman green smocks at the beginning of academic year. In addition, students started organizations such as the Glee Club and athletic teams, fostering a sense of community among the state’s art students.
This building on Newbury and Exeter Streets was occupied by students beginning in 1887 (photograph undated).
Stone head, originally part of the frieze over the entrance doorway of the Massachusetts Normal Art School (1892-1930)
Student examination, 1897.
Glee Club concert and dance pamphlet, 1904.
Group of unknown stuents in smocks, 1912.
Color tree based on Professor Albert H. Munsell's color system, ca. 1913.
Studio with cabinet showing tools, 1919.
Group of unknown students in sculpture studio, ca. 1920.
Entrance drawing examination, 1922.
Work of evening class students Josephine Sander and Helena Saunders, 1922-1923.
Jubilee Banquet of the Massachusetts Normal Art School pamphlet, 1924.
Work of senior textile student Rose Terry, 1924.
School creed and alma mater song, first sung ca. 1926.