The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-02
THE WAsHTNGToN ARr AssocIATIoN.

ing last night Tor the election OF officers and the trans
action of other business The attendance was so
large as expected owing partly to misunderstanding
to the place Of meeting After the Association had been
called TO order the president Dr. Horatio Stone, pro
ceeded 10 deliver his annual address as follows
Before proceeding with the special business of the meet
ing deem 1t proper to address you briefly and in gen
eral way in regard TO the affairs OF the association
The officers who are consttutonay required to make
special reports will perform that duty shall not tres
pass upon the ground they occupy upon your
! time but for a few moments
Two years ago tonight the institution organized
Since that time Is well known 10 you, and especially
to the board of management its vitality has been evneed
In an unceasng energetic and progressive activity and
in my judgment, II may be truly said successful
tivity But TO achieve this the enthusiasm of
faith well the persistency of duty required of
those to whom committed the burden of labor and
and it is plainly duty TO impart those who
are to succeed us in the various duties of the admnisa
ton and pecunary support OF the institution all the
enlargement that record of our success can furnish
and all the inspiration to pereverng effort which indi
cation of sacred duties to be performed can give,
On the first Monday in November 1856, the Washing
ton Art Association organized having its general
object the encouragement and advancement of the fine
arts Ii also Ind important special purposes TO
psh namely, their advancement in the United States;
and the inducemen of their application patriotic uses
such as the the national condition. aud of
tional honor demanded to be made
On the 24th of February, 1851 the practical life of the
institution was nauguIated by the declaration of its
dscourses themes related to and for the promotion of
its objects, which continued in connexion with aud
during the first annual exhibition of paintings and stu
AIRY held in March and April Of the year. In the
meantime efforts made for the procurement of books
engravings &c, for the formation of library of art
During the winter of 1878 the second annual eAhi-
bton given, and there delivered in connexion
Herewith series of dscouses the relations of
with national lfethe latter being free to ALL and the
former to the public schools of the District than
three thousand of the pupils of which attended
invitation ordered by the unanimous vote of the associ
| ton
which, in your judgment and that of the public general
ly was much impaired by the unfvoabe location of the
gallery the association, Immediately after the close Of
the fst exhibition determined upon the erection
lease of gallery the principal thorougharc of the
city for future exhibitions, and authorized the board
to raise the requisite funds il possible, by subscp
ton, and to consummate the purpose They enter
ed upon that duty, and their applications were SO
promptly and literally responded to that, in few
weeks, subscriptions amounting to three thousand and
five hundred dollars obtained; and had not their
negotiations been protracted, by beyond their
control, until too late period in the autumn of
1857 for the erection of building, the second exhibition
would have been held in your gallery. The late
financial revuson has been the only but sufficient
why your board have postponed the collection of the
building fund.- and they well assured that they have,
in this respect faithfully represented your judgment and
your considerations of delicacy
In the time the joint committee of the board and
.
cal meeting have in obedience to your Instructions
ceped the terms of Mesrs Sbley Guy, by which you
have limited lease of the gallery erected by them under
the supervision of your committee.
With reference to the library / have to state that
considerable number of valuable books and engravings
have been acquired by donation, and may the
nucleus of full artlibry and cabinet of historical cos
tunes and other relics which the institution should and
may acquire by devoting proper degree of attention to
the subject.
Although the subject has been alluded to before,
deem it proper to state that during the of
two exhibitions generally admitted to be
equal in merit to any given by the art institutions
of the United Staes-thee twelve discourses on
the fine arts delivered before the association and the pub
lc free of admission fees and that four of them have
been published and distributed among the members
The pccunary results of the transactions which have
been thus summary considered, have been by
dscouraging although not equal to our hopes TO
what would have been realized had the location of
gallery been favorable; and they ought not and
cannot be considered evidence of the extent much less
of the quality of the attained and to which
aspire.
The experience Of the world has shown that artists and
institutions depend for pecuniary support main
y upon the libsray of individuals and the munifcence
of national and municipal governments Hence it
that in view OF the teachings of this experience popu
lar form Of constitution adopted by you which adj
mits to membership not only artists but lovers of art
citizens of all vocaons and professions and is well
known that most of income has been derived from
those who have been denominated lay members in the
of works they have purchased from annual exhibit
tions.
1t youi purpose in the establishment of the nsti
tuition to encourage and advance the fine arts. TO
compsh this you proposed to interest the largest posi-
bic number of citizens ia the works of artists and in
aims and labors by making them equal and operative
members with the artists of the institution, by public
lectures upon art by the exhibition of works of art
by the performance of your duty as enlightened and
patriotic citizens in the establishment at the seat of the
general government of that which the age and compare
tive rank of the nation demanded to have been estab
Ished long ago-an Institution and gallery Of art
The evidence of your success, already declared, is
found in the large of your attainment of these
purposes in the energy and persistency of your abor
and in tho appreciation and encouragement of the citizens
nation.
Furthermore: through your iDstrumontality con-
vcntonal union of the artists of the United States
naugurated at the city Of Washington, in March last
having its ayowed object the practical realization of
the highest ultimate object for which your institution
founded OF the transactions of that convention il 10
unnecessary for to speak. With them you ia
miliar also with their early results especially rs
shown in the public approval and in the appreciation of
Congress, officially expressed. The benefits which that
and previous results of your efforts have conferred upon
the artists OF the United States have been duly appro
cated and acknowledged by them, and have the graft
cation TO announce upon the ampcst assurances that
their of obligation will be practically verified by
the contribution Of their best works to your forthcoming
exhibition.
may also state that several of the most distinguished
OF them will become citizens OF Washington and
operate in your abois, and that unusual number will
open studios for the winter, all Of whom sympathy
with efforts identified with interests and will