File:Adelaide School of Arts, Annual Exhibition 1911 - Piece of Sculpture(GN02210).jpg

The Adelaide School of Arts was set up in 1909 when the SA Education Department took over the School of Design previously managed by the Board of Governors of the Public Library, Art Gallery and Museum. It continued in the same location, namely the Jubilee Exhibition Building on North Terrace. It was reorganised in 1916 as the South Australian School of Arts and Crafts. (Register, 1 July 1909, p5; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_School_of_Design). The School held an exhibition of work each year open to the public. GN02209-2219 show work in various categories including needlework, clay modelling wood carving, and fibrous plaster ceiling displayed at the exhibition held in May 1911. That year there were 700 students and 200 staff (Register 25 May 1911, p60).

The 1911 exhibition was hailed in the Register as 'the best all round exposition yet held.' Its reporter described the work in a number of categories, in particular art and needlework, wood carving, china painting and metal work. Images GN02210 is captioned as a piece of sculpture by E Kelly. The piece, which is signed Margt E Kelly, is in fact a drawing by her, not a sculpture. The drawing, which was described in the Register report of the exhibition depicted a cast of a rondel by Michael Angelo [sic] of the Virgin, Jesus and St John, executed on grey cartoon paper in charcoal and white chalk. The principlal H P Gillies described it as 'the best drawing ever done at the school.' (Register, 25 May 1911, p6). The reporter was more measured, writing 'it is certainly a charming piece of work.' Margaret Kelly-Willowscheck (1888-1985) was an instructor at the School and its successors until the 1950s, in which capacity she taught such notable South Australian artists and John Dowie and Ivor Hele, as well as generations of art teachers in schools.