The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-25
THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.

THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.
The last spring exhibition of the Pennsyl-
vania Academy of Fine Arts was most unsatis-
factory to all parties concerned in it. 1t was
the worst display that had been seen upon the
walls of the institution for years, and il was
particularly remarkable for the absence of
works by Philadelphia artists. In other words,
the exhibition was disgraceful failure, both
from an artistic and a pecuniary point of
view; but it served one good purpose at least
in giving practical demonstration of the
radical defects of the present system of man
agement, and in eliciting decided expression
of public opinion. The adverse criticisms
that were bestowed upon the Academy and
its managers created healthy excitement,
the effects of which have been visible during
the past year in the efforts that have been
made to increase the facilities of the schools
and to correct some of the most glsring de-
fects that for many years past have been
bringing the institution into disrepute. This
leads us to hope that, in course of time, the
directors of the Academy will be able to see
what its real deficiencies are, and that they
will be impressed with desire to make it
genuine art school that will be credit to
Philadelphia and the country, and that will be
the means of promoting the art-culture of the
country in manner that it never yet has
done.
One of the effects of the failure of last year
has been a determination not to hold any ex-
hibition this spring as usual. No official an
nouncement of this determination has yet
been made, it is stated definitely by the
directors in private and it may be accepted
as a settled thing that the old ladies who
never go to any other 'show," and who
consequently look forward to the spring ex-
hibition of the Academy during ten months
of the year with anxiety and impatience, will
be disappointed. The reason given for this
failure of the Academy to come to time as
usual is very strange one, apparently. The
directors complain that they have no pictures
available, and that it is not worth while to
attempt an exhibition, and to run the risk of
making a worse display than that of last
year. This reason is strange, from the fact
that the artists of Philadelphia have been
working as steadily as usual this winter,
and the number of works produced will pro-
badly come up to the usual average both as
regards quality and quantity. And yet the
institution that processes to be the especial
representative of Philadelphia art has not the
power of collecting their performances and
arranging them 80 that the public may know
what progress our artists are making! There
is certainly something radically wrong when
such condition of affairs is brought about;
but the directors of the Academy show wis
dom when they decline to bring upon them
selves additional odium by getting up an ex-
hibiton that would be chiefly remarkable for
the absence of meritorious works of Phila-
delphia artists
That there are pictures enough to make an
exhibition is certain, and Mr.. Edward Moran
whose difficulty with the Academy is matter
of some notoriety, is about to place on exhi-
bition at Earles' no less than eleven works, so
that the public of this city may have an op-
portunity to see them previous to their being
shipped to New York to adorn the walls of the
National Academy of Design in that city.
Other artists will undoubtedly follow Mr..
Moran's example, and unless the Pennsylva.
MIA Academy makes more speedy efforts tC
regain its lost ground and to obtain and main
tain position such as the times demand, il
had better shut its doors and cease operations
entirely. AS it is now carried on it stands
confessed failure.