The age-herald., 1901-03-03
Miss Severance to Paint
 New EnQIand Coat of Arms

Many of the art set here will recall a charming and clever little Boston girl who spent a winter or two in Birming- ham several years ago. and who studied with Caroline c. Lowell. She was liar riet Severance, and came South to visit her aunt, Mrs. E. c. Stevens of Birming ham. She had lived abroad most of her life and had just returned from Europe when she visited Birmingham. She was a great favorite here and studied art with the interest and enthusiasm that she had acquired during her education abroad. When she was in Europe she resided with the family of a celebrated artist and she grew up in an art at mosphere, adorning the old masters and worshiping at the shrine of the new.
 She was imbued with ideals and ab- sorbed in her work. Tn America she studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Art, and her friends were among the great artists. In this country and abroad she enjoyed the charming advan- tages of being in close touch with the famous men and women whose position in the world of art made them interest ing to know and their studios something to be seen.
 Miss Severance has continued to study and although she is quite a .ioung wo- man she has received distinguished rec ognition at the Pan-American Exposi- tion to be held in Buffalo. Miss Sever ance has recently received the commis sion to paint the coat of arms of the State of Massachusetts, which will orna- ment the Massachusetts room in the New England building. The coat of arms will be designed in burnt wood and will have the place of honor directly above the k-I t,,A Af V, commission carries with 1t unusual dis tinction and the decision was made sole ly upon the recognized ability of the charming young artist.
 Throughout the South where she is known, and particularly here in Bir- mingham, much interest will be felt in the success of Miss Severance. and the announcement that she has been accord ed this honor will be received with much pleasure in the art set. They will be in terested too, in her approaching we'd ding to MT. Arthur Harlow of Boston. the son of Louis Harlow, one of the most celebrated water lcolorists in this coun- try. The marriage will take place on Easter Monday, and will be an event of great brilliancy in Boston. While Mss Severance Is receiving congratulations on the honor conferred by the New England commissioners, she Is the recipient of numerous congratulations on her ap- preaching wedding day.
 In writing of Miss Severance's work for the Massachusetts building it will be interesting to know that the entire New England States building was designed l by a woman, Josephine W. Chapman, the well known woman architect of Bos- ton.
 At the meeting of the New England l commissioners the past week a decision was reached formally accepting the plans which had been submitted by Miss Chap man. With the adoption of the plans l came her official appointment as super l visng architect for the commission. Miss Chapman Is said have already gained a very high position among the architects of Boston for the excellence and artistic qualities of her work. Craigie Hall Domitory in Cambridge, St. Marks church and the Worcester Womans Club building all being erected from her plans. An official of the Pan-American Exposi- tion Is quoted as saying that Miss Chap mans plans for the New England State building far. surpass in dignity and ar tstic merit those of any other state building The architecture is distinctly old colonial in character
 The success of Miss Chapman empha- sizes the statement often made In re- gard to woman's gifts in the knowledge of construction. That women have an
 
 mitted very generally since when women are permitted to have an opinion re- garding the plans of their homes the execution of these plans prove that wo- men are far more practical than they get credit for, and their ideas of interior con- struction are full of judgement and com- mon sense.
 The success of Miss Chapman seems to emphasize more convincingly the un- precedented recognition accorded the work of women in fields where their com- petitors are men. The woman whose work Is placed side by side with that of men and when the decision of the merits l of each Is left with committee of men. would probably feel that in the event | the decision went against her that 1t was due to prejudice. but on the other hand she would be quick to resent any insinuations that might suggest that sentiment had turned the tides in her | favor.
 But woman need not lose any beauty sleep over the possibility of decisions in her favor being brought about purely