New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-13
ART EDUCATION IN ANERICA.

A SYSTEM BAsFD SOLELY ON MERu-EXHEBiTioNs
LIMITED TO TIE QUALITY OF THEIR WORTH
TIE ARTISTS NAME TO have NO WEIGHT
70 the Edttor or the Tribune
SIR: The question What shall we do for art7
seems from AL almost universal !nstinet since
the LATE Philadelphia Exhibition. Ia answer VIII not
come any impulse OF generosity, except 80 f1r ~
az prudcn: means, such experience shows 10 be i
necessity are used IN permanent, Wholesome manner
Among the macy conditions required for cur
progress in art TWO general things must nave leading
place One is the public Judgment nusi be educated ~
to art axioms and standards, 80 a. TO correctly
guide public and representative bodies acting III inc
name OF the people tho profession The other Is the
private patron must buy with discrimination All az
em9ts 10 educate the people Will be met b. tue oppos'
ton Of those whose phosophic grasp Las enabled them
10 lngv that an Of art cHnnCt be embodied 10 N0ris
Therefore national intercourse should not be esaye on
this subject. ike the proposition 20 guide snip ny
astronomy Being met by some one who IN sulAy y
.oraLee asks what is the MILKY way wren lie does hoS
know paralax frOm puidins-stick.
All true vital lelp to LIT must come from without The
orofession can DO nothing. They generally mere
paln.rs many Of them not thai. The work Is one OK
milling down "a well building up. No insil-
tuition now eA SIS, or ever mas existed WHICH
being LETT 10 the management Of artists h's
exercised wholesome or even faiorahe IN
nucnce on ant The land must De got clean oi the
dCautiui'~ Nhiti schd hlttc dit''H 'Nis
,e-ug before the world ~ y weight or shAes 20 their
names paiutiNr auea! Tor patronage, aud swelling
the volume 81 professional tramps unnecessarily Us
can Oh De done by a truly national institution super
seany thcsc, and tlis only by national "2siat"n =
mist remain q SINGULAR pTeGmincLce tat :he Ancicans
are the only uaton in ChristendDm thai nas not ma
tona hon OF ART The details req"ir" {. make such
an institution effective useful are cd the most vital
,plportaAce \ class illrgtImatc d'ters, VINO hang
about the profession nike lcci prldi theater doors,
VIII sock - crush or manage form Of organized effort
By all means let have many exhibitions rs pos
sible Ana let make iei1 instructive. To accomplish
this Latter end would -us following scheme OF
haug1n Let there he -four e.assiteaons, made BY COM
poent lges the best get First pictures to oe
ranke, with The best works OF art second pie
lrrs az ;uch posifyc general merit 20 b. hung WITH
cnmnlt ,tiou tBr, pictures If merit AMI promise;
fourth pctlrrs accepted for exhibition without eonl-
urut coura do not ask that this discrimination De
prr.ect-suply that 10 be honest The pubho VIII Ills
cover b. sucl u plan how much those know who 80
cheerfulg Oft uirect public Jngint MT IN THESE mat
teTs and 10 will be calamity II they sometimes us
cover how llItle &c will De SIMPLY iinpOs-0ie 10 Keep
down any painter 81 merit under such system. iet
there be no Of permanent rank gwen 10 any
artist LONGER tnu Ills exhibited works viii warrant ,li
right exhibit accorded except on the merit OF toe
work presented each year for acceptance.
This plan could be carried out Ia any connection a. an
annual cNhbiou. believe body AZ Iue friends Oi aft
can bc found In New York who COul and would conuncI
such project 10 eminent success believe that tlra
the SeW-YSrk Academy could be resnrTeeted 10 pubo
respect By similar OF FAIR aud earnest ~ok
Tor art. instead uf merely working Tor sis
IariS. EIIJtcs. Dee. I, 1870. JAMES fAlkhAH