Evening star., 1895-05-30
CORCORAN ART SCHOOL
The Gold Medal Awarded to Miss Annie
Hunt
The Fifty-DOllar Prize In Portrait
Honorable Mention of Others.

COrcOran ART Scn0Ol was the scene yeSter-
day Of pretty gathering of students and
their friends at the usual annual awarding
of prizes for excellence in drawing and
painting. The drawings, chiefly from the
antique and nude life, were displayed about
the walls Of the main studio and upstairs
| over the gallery annex, each competitors
exhibit being marked by letter in the
case Of the drawings ard by a number in
the case of the paintings. The judges to
award the gold medal for the best drawings
-Messrs. Frank Fowler. Will. H. Lowe and
E. H. Blashfeld of New York-selected
those bearing the letter D. The same
judges, with Mr.. c. H. L. Mcdonald and
Mr.. Victor G. Fischer of this city, awarded
the $50 prize given by Prof. Andrews, prin-
cipal of the school, to the exhibit marked
IL. When these awards were looked up in
the key held by the trustees committee it
was found that the gold medal had been
awarded to Miss Annie NJ. Hunt. the
bronze medal 20 Miss Ella Haney, an hon.
orable mention being given to the work of
Miss E. V. Boring. and the $50 prize for
best portrait studies from life to Miss
Katherine RiggS, honorable mention being
made Of the studies by Miss May l.. Good
ell and Miss Bertha Hanson.
The Work of the School.
Mr.. s. H. Kaufman of the committee
from the board of trustees Of the Corcoran
Gallery presided and announced the result
of the awards. Prof. Andrews in present
ing to the committee the envelope in which
the judges had sealed their decision, made
a brief address. "The work of the scholas-
tic year dating from October l, 1884, to
date is before you," said Mr.. Andrews,
land must speak for itself. To you, as
representative of the board of trustees; to
the public, and to those eminent artists
whom We have invited here to adjudicate
fG In mol
has shown by previous reports (now upon
record a phenomenal increase in the num-
ber enrolled and in average attendance
from year to year. 1t is unnecessary to
last year. 1 will therefore briefly state
that the enrolment last year was 124 and
the average attendance 94.2, this year the
enrolment being $50 and the average daily
attendance 125 and, including night school,
151. The advancement IN both attendance
and Improvement this year is largely due
to the increased facilities for doing more
advanced work by the selection by the
board of trustees of Mr.. Hinckley as pro-
lessor Of portrait painting and the estab-
lishment of a class for aquarelle by Miss
Mnnigerode. The results Of both depart
meDtS are upon exhibition. AS 1t is sell
dom that can collect so many of the pu-
pills of the school together at one time, 1
will crave your Indulgence for a moment
to quote few words from probably the
greatest, certainly the most many-sided
and universal. in his study of nature of
all living painters-Sir John Everett Mil
lais of England. 1 quote, and believe the
quotation to be true, without any dispar-
agement to any teac hers in schools Of arts,
but which, If true, must increase the honor
and respect in which we should all hold
the memory Of Mr.. W. w. Corcoran.
Words of n Great Artist.
''Mr. Millais said years after his gradua-
ton at the Royal Academy, The advantage
of a teacher is very small Students gain
more from each other. Some are superior
to others, and those who are inferior in
ability learn from those who are better
than themselves The teaching which they
get among themselves is Infinitely more
helpful than that they can get from any
teacher. 1 think you give student every
thing he wants when you give him the
means Of study. do not think that edu-
cation will make an artist. Lectures upon
painting l think of no use. l think that
practical lectures upon anatomy and per-
spective are of use. But lectures upon
painting, unless delivered by painter who
would be able, practically, to do something
before the student, are of no use. Knowl-
edge must be gained by the student him
self before it becomes of practical use.'
Il happened upon this quotation only
week ago, and yet this last requirement of
Sir John has been the motive and practice
of your teachers here. We have drawn
and painted with various material and
from all imaginable models, and We leave
the result TO your Judgment. The artists
who have been so kind as to come here at
certainly great personal inconvenience
and loss of valuable time are in the roll of
the most eminent in the land. They have
after long and arduous deliberation, made
their awards, and the result is in this
sealed envelope addressed to your honors."
After the announcement of the awards
the floor was cleared, and the audience
gave itself up to the enjoyment of the
drawings and paintings. all of which display
great merit and promise.