The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-06
THE ART ASSOCIATION
POLICY OF THE ORGANIZATION UPON
THE HEBRON REQUEST
Touched Upon i'm the Presidents Adj
dress-New Directors Chosen
Official Reports.

The annual meeting of the Art Associa-
ton was held yesterday afternoon at the
Propylaeum. Mrs May Wright Sewall, the
president was in the chair. The several
points of Mrs. Sewall's report were dis
cussed the talk being of an informal char
acter, with no decisions except to further
consider them at future meetings.
Mrs. Sewalls report showed that there
had been an increase of fifty in the annual
membership ard twelve in the life member
ship during the year. The history of the
Art Association, she reported, has been
completed. and is now in type. Mrs. Sewall
recommended that the association become
2 member of the Central Art Association
League, headquarters in Chicago. By as
ISOLATION with the league there will be OPP
portunities for obtaining special exhibits,
visits of distinguished artists and lecturers.
During the year three exhibits were given,
the first of pottery and porcelain, decorated
by Purdue University students, and carv-
ings done in that institution. The second
comprised the summer work of home
artists, and the third was under the aus
pices of the Society of Western Artists.
Mrs. Sewall said the Art Association ought
10 seek to be made available by the. educa-
tional institutions of the State to diffuse a
knowledge Of the work done i'll their art
departments. She characterized the exhibit
of the local artists as one of rare excel
lence. 1T is generally agreed, she said,
by those who visited both that the exhibits
this season were superior to those of last
year The number of canvases shown
was considerably less but there was great
er variety and higher excellence" She
spoke of the policy inaugurated of free
days on Sunday. On the two Sundays of
the first exhibit there were 2,400 visitors.
Had each paid the usual admission fee the
association would have received $500. At
the second exhibit the experiment of max
ing ten-cent charge for Sundays was
tried The first Sunday there were sixty
five visitors, the second eighty-five, and the
third sixty-eight, making a total of 2ls so
that the association derived s21SO. This was
regarded as an argument supporting the
idea that indianapolis people do not care
enough for art to pay for it. Mrs. Sewall
went on to state that the curator kept an
account OF the visitors, and that he re-
ported but fourteen of the tive hundred and
twenty members of the Art Association
We're among the number Il do not at all
infer said she, that the two hundred and
six who did not come had no interest in the
paintings or in art; It is quite probable as
some of them said. that the most of them
had seen so many paintings by the artists
represented that they felt that there would
novel interest to them. This brings me to
say that / am sure 1t is far from the de-
sire or intention of the board to commit
the association to exploiting the works or
artists of any single section of the country
or of any single school. With the limited
means at the command OF the assocl s.s,t
with what lies near at hand. While hoping
always to avail itself of the near and con-
itself to locality. Such limitation would be
fatal
mttee provide for four instead of two ex-
hibitions next season. and that 1t arrange
for art talks from artists and art authoric
ties. She recommended an interchange OF
ideas with the administrative officers or
other associations. The president said that
on a free Wednesday over go people were
present, majority of them working peo-
pie, to whom the expenditure OF 70 cents
really involved a sarifice. She advised that
free Sundays and one free day in the week
in addition be the policy in the future.
association must educate the public before
il can have a public. This ASSOCIATION must
devote itself to creating public art inter
est and art appetite She recommended a
larger distribution of free tickets, especially
among private and public schools. Mrs:
Sewall hoped that through the 1nnuence OF
the local council with which the assoclac
ton has become affiliated a knowledge OF
the associations plan will be spread, the
membership enlarged ana an increased pat
ronage obtained for all enterprises under
taken by it.
Concerning the Heron bequest, she said
that the association finds itself CONFRONTED
with the duty of immediate action. In jan
nary a series of printed questions were sent
to directors of the association for the puf-
pose of securing their views as TO now the
association should employ the funds thus
placed at it's disposal. 1t has been voted by
the directors to hold a series OF Speclal
meetings for the discussion OF the views
11tnc oh inc in nr6n
adopt policy concerning its use OF the be-
quest. Mrs Sewall remarked that the whole
future of the association depends upon the
ton OF the Art Association, and what is It's
duty to the community" The answer, she
said, may confine the association to mar
row and barren policy, or commit it to
broad and fruitful one.
ITO the art association" said Mrs. Sew
all, although its organization is that of a
private corporation, there is committed a
great public trust. While it is not only
proper, but inevitable, that the board of
sponsbility and the burden of executing the
trust, believe it to be the unanimous de-
sire of the board to receive suggestions
through private communications and
through open discussion in the press of the
great question involved -,
While she believed that no step should
be taken which does not consult the
future and measure the growing claims OF
the growing community, the president no
less firmly believed that the cultivation and
through an active policy must not be post
roned While the present can best be
served by regarding the future, the future
will be defrauded by indifference to the
present Seven directors were chosen to
succeed seven whose terms expired. Those
elected were Mr. C. e. Hollenbeck. Mr..
A P. stanton. Mrs, ]; F. Pratt, Mrs AID;
I,ieber and Mrs. G. F. Adams. The annual
meeting of the directors will be held Tues
day, April r. when the officers for the asso-
citation will be elected. IT was stated pc
fore the association that the amount given
to the treasurer from the Heron estate
was $40 2S909 in cash, $500 in notes and
MORTGAGES. and there is still more than