The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-22
THE ART ASSOCIATION AND THE
PUBLIC.


The Indianapolis Art Association is a
private organization formed primarily for
the purpose OF bringing together in it's
membership people OF artistic tastes ard
of adding to their opportunities of crafty
ing and cultivating such tastes. Incident
ally it was arranged that the public should
or other art objects were exhibited. In
pursuance of this plan each annual exhibit
has been thrown open and the general pub
lie invited. indeed urged, TO come. The
response has not been of a sort TO cheer
those persons who believe that all the
masses desire in order to improve and ell
eYate themselves is a chance TO indulge
their artistic tendencies. The masses have
never turned out TO inspect these pictures
brought here at much expense and at the
outlay of much thought and labor. The
cost of admission could hardly have been
a barrier to many. because that has always
been low. II could not have been lack of
time, for the exhibits have been open six
days in the week from 10 a m. to 10 p. m.
The truth is that the aesthetic tastes of
the multitude are either largely imaginary
or so crude that fine paintings, statues.
carvings and the like do not interest them.
The multitude in this case includes a
great number of persons who would resent
being classed among the masses which
superserviceable philanthropists are always
seeking to "uplift' in impossible ways AS
matter Of fact, the four hundred, the
very class which prides itself on its appre-
citation of art, is none too ready TO pat
ronize the entertainment provided for them
by the Art Association. The financial man.
ayers of the organization well know how
scant and even reluctant this patronage is
This means, OF course, that the art idea
and spirit have not reached such a stage
of development that they create a hunger
for the sight of the work of artistic ge-
Mus This is true not only of Indianapolis
| but OF every American city. even those
where permanent art galleries stand open
every day in the year The average Amer
| lean is not yet conscious of any need in
this respect. In the course of time many
| influences will unite to change his feeling,
| but the appreciation of fine paintings will
be late and not an early token of this ad-
| vance in aesthetic growth.
But all this is apart from the point at
| issue The Art Association, being a pri-
| to the public than has a private individual.
| If it chooses to display it's pictures one
day in the week, or six, or seven, that is
it's own affair. The public has no right to
| demand that it shall do one or another. If
its members have scruples against opening
the exhibit on Sundays there is no room
for outside complaint. The private individ-
ual who owns an art gallery may be under
| moral obligations TO his fellow-citizens To
intervals. but he would hardly be assailed
in terms of obloquy If he refused to name
Sundays as visiting days. The case Of the
association is a parallel one If it's pictures
were bought with public money. or it were
in any way a public concern, the matter
would be very different. AS it is, the coarse
criticisms OF the members who, from con
scientious or other motives. object to
seven-day display Of their pictures is un
| ~ IIa,l for apd O,,tro0a-o,S