The Red Cloud chief., 1880-07-01
The Decorative Art Society.

THE main purpose of the society is to
provide in New York City a place for
the exhibition and sale of art work done
BY omen il seeks 10 induce women 10
master one kind of decoration, rather
than ditluse their energies in several
directions: il has an art library. and
classes in various art industries; and it
s~olicits orders for It's clientele from
dealers in decorated pottery and porce-
lain. cabinet-work. draperies, embroid-
cries, and other articles of household
art. Wax flowers and fruit, feather
flowers. leather-work. skeletoniZed
leaves. knitting. crochet. under-cloth-
ing, plain sewing, and similar articles
are excluded.
ANY person sending a first contribution
will receive a contributor number, if
the article is accepted by the eNamin-
inc committee, and by this number she
will be thereafter known, and her work
will be identified. The accepted arti-
Gle is signed by the society, and if il is
considered TO be specially meritorious,
the society's seal is attached To it.
When the contributor does not mark it
with the price. she is required to give
an estimate of the cost of materials. and
when il is sold the full amount is paid
TO her. less ten per cent. the society's
commission. Rejected articles are re-
turned TO the sender. with criticisms of
the committee. Among the articles
considered appropriate for admission.
if of sufficient merit. are pottery. china,
tiles, plaques, embroiderieS, window.
bookcase. cabinet, and other hangings
or curtains. mantel and bracket lam
brequins, decorated table and other
house linen, panels for cabinet-work
painted on wood or leather. paintings
upon silk for screens panels. and fans.
decorated menus, and decorated note
paper.
The contributions come from all
parts of the country. and over 500
articles were received last year. The
largest amount paid To any one contrib
utor was S675 for paintings on china;
and from this the reader may well con
clude tina, under the most favorable
circumstances the decorative arts do moi
lead on 10 fortune. Occasionally q
oma is heard of who receives fifty
dollars apiece for her plaques. and the
fact is circulated far and wide. creating
an impression in every necessitous
woman's mind that she may be able to
do likewise. But ii is only when CON
siderable ability is combined with bust
ness push" that one is SO successful.
for the painter is usually compelled to
solicit her own orders. The number of
instructors who advertise themselves.
and the hundreds of women who are
taking lessons in china-painting. silk
painting, the colOring of photographs.
and crayon-drawing in all large cities.
ought to deter others from v~enturing
upon an occupation already so wen
filed. The farmers wife and daugh-
tiers in Kansas and Nebraska. the I'M
poverished women of the South, the
widows of army and navy officers. and
girls in New England homesteads are
all submitting contributions to the Dec
orative Art Society. Those who are
poor and who work for bread are
brought into competition with other
ome who pursue art as a recreation.
Nearly every lady now devotes some
part OF her leisure 10 panelpainting or
china-painting, AMI however generous
she NAV be. il has all the pleasure OF
novelty when she can sell what she
Drodu es, be the amount never S.
trifiing or immaterial to her, HIRian
a. Rideing. IN Edrper..s Magazine.
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