The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-23
ART LEAGUE EXHIBIT.
Some CreditabIe Work by Instructors
and Pupils.

In large room in the Cyclorama building
number of artists of the city have organ
lied an Art League and they gave their first
exhibit as society yesterday afternoon and
evening. The rooms attraction is its fine
north light, end here the women have come
during the day, the men during the even
ing and the children Saturday mornings,
receiving instruction from Mr. William For
syth, Miss Bessie Hendricks and other en-
thusiastic instructors. Burlap makes a
rough but effective background for sketches
and pictures in black and white and in coll
ors. An old palette SWINGS above one door,
great finger-like palm leaves are put here
and there, and casts are set off by deep
red cloth background or a piece of felt
whose colors have become softened by time
and use. 1t is rather picturesque place af-
ter all and the workers enjoy it's ugliness
for it has that element of the artistic which
belongs to the pet stories of artists of other
countries
No particular group of pictures stands out
with more prominence than another 1t may
be that the conventional decorative designs
made by Mr.. Brandt Steele, for vases and
windows and walls, will first meet the eye.
1t may be an old screen in the corner. gay
with the water colors by Miss Hendricks
and Miss Virginia Keep, and the oil por-
traits painted by Mrs Forsyth, wife of
well-known artist; it may be the collection
of sketches made by Howard Mccormick
who has genius for clear, true strokes and
graceful lines that mark him as successful
as an illustrator. His series of Society
heads and his sketch for the newsboys'
Ministries are clever, and his panel of
Death and the Fool" has touch of some
thing more than illustration. On the south
wall hangs some of the best work. Mr.. For
Syth has a portrait of a student of last
year, which is unusually strong. and near
it is a scene showing hill near Corydon.
Two particularly good sketches for illustra-
ton are by Miss Keep, whose desire and
whose talent are directed to this line of art.
There is picture of girl and a hammock
by Mrs. Fay. One of the largest canvaSes
is a portrait of Miss Eunioe Jameson In an
unusual pose, with several new effects
gained thereby. A girl playing a banjo, by
Miss Helen Mckay is full of grace and
esque picture. Miss Mckay also exhibits
the cover designs which she made for Rev.
Mr. Dewhursts book. A young artist, who
is too modest to sign his name or initials,
simply writes Paul, and number of his
pencil sketches are excellent. His drawings
of General Sherman, Col. l. N. Walker, Mr..
Newton Harding and others prove him to
be a portrait artist who need not be
ashamed to print his entire signature.
There is no school in the West that has
sent so many artists to New York and Bos-
ton as this group of workers. now known
School there were F. c. Yohn and Walter
Galloway. who are in New York; Charles
Helm, who took second prize in a competi-
ton for the Criterion Mr.. Boyd, who is
now manager of the art department Of the
New York Herald; Mr.. Condo, who is one OF
the artists under Mr.. Boyd; Bruce Rogers,
who is doing such admirable work for
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., in Boston. Mr.
Knodle and Mr. Mccormick, of the local
newspapers, are students of this school,
There is much that is excellent in the work
shown and Mr.. Gruelle who visited the ex-
hibit yesterday, pronounces it beautiful
The Art League has decided to continue the
exhibit for the remainder of the week and
the room on the second floor of the Cyclic
rama deserves a visit from those who are
interested in the art future of the city.