Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-29
THE AWARDsUF PRIZES
EXERCISES LAST EVENING AT
coacoRAN GALLERY OF ART.
INSPECTION of the Work Of the Com
petitors-Names of the Prize
Winners,


In spite of the threatening skies and pre-
yailing showery weather, over five hundred
persons assembled in the Corcoran Gallery
of Art yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock,
at the invitation of the president and board
of trustees, to view the work done during
the past year in the Corcoran school, which
was on exhibition, and to witness the
award of medals and other honors.
About an hour was given for the inspec-
ton of the work, which was arranged on
the walls of the hemicycle and the upper
atrium, but long before that time had ex-
pired a large and expectant audience had
gathered in groups on and around the
broad marble stair where the announce
ments were to be made.
At a few minutes after o'clock Mr.. 8.
H. Kaufman, the president of the board
of trustees, with Gen. John M. Wilson and
Mr. Thomas Hyde, members of the board,
and Mr. Edmund Clarence Messer. Mr..
Richard N. Brooke. Mr.. James Henry
Moser and Miss Mathilde Mueden, the fac
ulty of the school, took his place on the
platform and called the audience to atten-
medately introduced. and with a few
words of greeting to his associates and the
assemblage he stepped forward and read
in a low clear voice brief address
cipaI of the school to give on these occa-
sions something in the nature of an adj
dress" he said, but what have to say at
this time will hardly attain the dignity of
such At first thought 1t seemed to me
that there was nothing in particular for
me to say; that it was work, not words,
which was required OF me; but words have
their uses and their time, and, since the
work of our school year closes today 1t
would seem to be the time for some ex-
preston of the aims, ambitions, and policy
of the school under the existing regime.
We entered upon the work of the past
school year with an increased corps of
teachers. necessitating a general reorgani-
cation of the class work. l should say,
however that it has been more In the ma
ture of revival than of reorganization, as all
the classes actively at work were organized
nv nv predecessor, Mr.. Andrews and had
fallen into inaction merely through the
lack of necessary instructors We found
the material, equipment and housing OF
the school complete and adequate. 1 know
what it is to build up a school of this char
acter from the beginning-to shape and per-
feet its equipment-to establish Its routine
of work. gradually to make Its equipment
and administration conform to a general
and well-ordered plan. Great credit is due
Mr.. Andrews for the admirable manner in
which this has been done. We have been
enabled to give our entire attention, there
fore to MANAGEMENT and instruction.
Associates Complimented.
IT is due to my associates in the class
work of the school to say gratefully that
they have worked with marked ability and
sustained enthusiasm during the past school
wear. 1t is also due the students of the
school that should bear witness to their
unremitting industry, faithfulness and
tractability. / can say in all sincerity that
in my experience of twenty years and more
as an instructor I have never known bet
ter school spirit to prevail; that l have
never known body OF students whose con-
duct in all respects could be more sattsfac-
tory to the instructor The, breaches of dis
cipline have been slight and infrequent. In
the elementary antique atsnight. the only
class that can be entered without examina-
ton the conditions have not been as salts
factory in all respects as in the upper
classes. In my opinion There should be
some change in the requirements Of admis
sion to this class that would tend to insure
the admission of serious students. During
the season there has fbeen la large waiting
list of applicants for admission to the night
antique. 49, - =
Some who have been admitted have been
dropped for non-attendance or non-atten-
ton to their work, and waiting students
have been called in to take their places OF
the entire body of applicants those having
talent and purpose should in some way be
separated from the general mass
"A word or two as to the avowed spirit
and purpose of the school under the present
management and you shall be relieved from
d
standing audience. Some of the most vital
and enduring phases of art have been in
open protest against the dictum and formu
la of the academy. Out of this has grown,
among the painters, natural distrust of
academic education This school is organic
ed on academic lines. Its management
recognizes that good art is based in trad-
ton of necessity. 1t takes generations to
perfect phase of art; precedent and ex-
perience cannot be ignored; but we aim
here, while holding fast to those perma-
nencfes of principle that make all great
schools of art akin, to avoid, as far as pos
siole, simple pedantry. the outward conven-
ton, the ifeless formula. To make the
school vitalizing and helpful influence we
must do two things, must take into &C
count the temperament of the student, aid
ing MIN, 30 lar as possible, on the lines of
MS natural impulse and we must remem-
per that we are living in the twentieth CEN
fury. The many freaks and alterations in
current art result from lack of profound
ana controlling impulse-they represent the
spirit or the time so far as they are Illus
trations OF the century's lack Of faith.
II is critical. and, therefore, doubling
age or period. We shall come to our own
again "nen we set ourselves to the serious
ana sincere consideration of nature and life,
Nature and life we have with us at all
liInes, and when we can give true ex-
preston to our most intimate knowledge Of
both we shall have painters and poets who
snail represent their period. In closing I
Mish 70 express my appreciation of the cor
uihi anu conSlderate support of the school
management by Mr.. Mcclure, the director
of the gallery"
Report Of Jury Of Award.
At the conclusion of Mr. Messer's re-
MARKS Gen. Wilson read the report OF the
jury or award, which was as follows:
The gold medal is awarded to the group
or drawings marked M the bronze medal
to the group marked X honorable men
ton to those marked 'P' and g. with
IN ADDITION. high commentator OF those
ldentihed by the letters T. and H
AFTER referring to the key it was announced
,nat the winner of the gold medal was Miss
Netta craig, fthe bronze medal Martin
=. HoH' or honorable mention James H.
Daugherty and John N. Perkins, and that
tne work of Miss Rachel Thompson and
MISS Sarah B. Hendricks. both of whom
mad previously won .honors and were not
therefore eligible for mention, had been
specially commended for merit
IL was then further announced that the
water-color prize Of sos 10 gold had been
awarded to Miss Helen Castle. and that
MISS r. Haney, Miss Clara Saunders and
MISS Francis Whiting of the, same class
expert jury
AS the names of theIwinners were called
each. amid the enthusiastic applause of
Students