The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29

Methods OF Awarding Prizes-Ihe
First Recipient of the Awards.
That Washington is aot backward in the
| encouragement Of art and artists
| is apparent to everyone who visits
the Corcoran School and witnesses
the work in operation there by
| pupils under most excellent and COM
petent instructors. Visitors to the Corco-
ran Gallery whose attention is necessarily
confined to the splendid exhibition of
paintings and statuary on public view. can
scarcely realize the full scope of the eff
forts in behalf OF art made by the late
W. W. Corcoran
One must enter by the north entrance
of the beautiful marble structure and so
through the rooms devoted to the class
work of the pupils of the art school to
obtain an idea of a course of instruction
| which is sending out distinguished and
| competent artists over the entire country.
| The visitor is prepared for sight OF ex-
| cellent work from almost the very moment
he enters. The walls of the first apart
ment on TIE right hand side of the hall
| are embellished with the prize drawings
| which have won the gold medal in past
| years. 1t is the ambition of every pupil
| to obtain this medal, which is awarded an
| nually. and the competition is open to all
who have attended the school for two
| years. AS the history of the medal is
! practically that of the art school from its
inception to the present time, it may be
! well to briefly review the same before
| describing the work now being done by
| the pupils.
! In the year 1880 persons were first per-
mitted TO draw from the casts in the
| sculpture halls of the gallery. and, in or
| der to promote the excellence of the work.
a resolution was offered on April IL, 1888.
| by Mr.. S H. Kaufman, member of the
| board of trustees, which proposed the
1 awarding of gold medal Ito the pupil or
non professional copyist who shall, during
! each year, show the greatest improvement
or progress in drawing from the casts in
| the gallery selected for that purpose: pro-
| vided. that such medal may be withheld
| whenever, in the judgment of the com
! mittee of award, for the time being, 60
| drawing submitted shall be deemed of suf-
| ficient merit to be justly entitled thereto.
| and provided further that no person shall
! have the right to receive the same more
! than once His resolution was unani-
mously adopted. The medal was designed
| and the dies made by Mr.. Henry Mitchell,
/ OF boston. VINO received SJUU Tor the WOrk.
| Ten medals in bronze were also struck
| off at the same time, and these are now
awarded to the series of drawings next in
merit to that obtaining the gold medal.
| On January 20, 1885, occurred the first
| awarding os the prizes. The, judges then,
! as now, were necessarily non-rGsidents of
! the District, and the drawings were sent
to the Academy of Design in New York.
At the present time the judges make the
| selection of meritorious works in the gal!
! lery where the drawings are hung for en-
| hibition. These judges are three in num-
| ber and besides being on-residents of the
| District are strangers to each other.
On the occasion of the first award the
work of only eight pupils had to be con-
sidered. whilo at the forthcoming competi-
tiOn which Will take place upon the last
Wednesday in May, there will probably be
over $50 exhibitors with about twenty
| competitors for the medal.
The work of each pupil has always been
marked by letter so that not until the
award has been made do the judges know
the name OF the winner. The first re-
cipient of the medal was Miss II. A. Har.-
well, and she was presented with it 10y
| DR.. James yelling, p esident of the
Board OF Trustees OF the Gallery.
The project for building a separate
structure for the purpose of art school
was first preached at a meeting Of tt"
Board of Trustees held April S. 1889.
| The recommendation was adopted and the
edifice, which was the home of the art
school until the erection of the new gal
I lery, was completed January l. 1890
This was Immediately in the rear OF
the building formerly occupied by the
| gallery and was erected at a total cost
| of $1I sos. The Board of Trustees were
impeiied to take this step in accordance
with the wishes expressed in the will Of
| Mr.. COrcoran, who died in 1883, the year
| previous to the erection of the building.
and the practical founding of the art
| school as it exists today. For the estab-
| lishment and maintenance OF the school,
| Mr.. Corcoran left in his will the sum Of
| 500 900. The school was opened January
| 6, 1890 with forty pupils present and 1O3
names entered on the list of applicants.
| For the first year 1l5 pupils received in
| struction. while at present fully three
| times that number are entered on the list.
On January 30, 1890, the judges met for
the first time in the school building to
| decide upon the merits of the contestants.
| This. too. was the year when the first
public exhibit was made These affairs
always attract a large amount of attention
and are. indeed, very enjoyable, Offering
| perhaps the best opportunity for appreci-
| atng the work of the pupils, and display
| ing also great talent in some of TIE
highest and most artistic lines OF work.
The date for the holding of the public
! exhibitions, preparatory to the awarding
| of prizes, has been changed from June 80,
the date of closing the gallery, to the latter
| part of May or the beginning of June.
Last year for the first time in the his
| tory of the art school the main gallery
building was thrown open for the final ex-
ercises of the art school. The experiment
I