The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
NEGRO ARTIST TO EXHIBIT.
SAM o.. COLLINS, FURNACE TEN
DER, CAN PAINT.
TO Show what He Has Dene While strug.
giing to Advance In Ills Art in Room
IN Gay Street Kouse-Mr. MOwbray
and Others Int crest ed In His Work

In . Gay Street Kouse-Mr. MOwbray
and Others Int crested in His Work.
A unique art exhibition will open In New
York tomorrow afternoon and continue
for five days. In 1t Ia involved the history
Of plucky endeavor by young man who
happened to be born with a black skin to
raise himself by the talent Of which he found
himself possessed from the rank OF house
hold man Of all work to place In the world
Of art.
The place Of the exhibition is in itself in
keeping with the unique character Of the
show, for 1t is one Of the small red brick
houses OF old Greenwich Village at II Gay
street, that quiet little street, just one block
long, which, with an angular turn like the
comfortable bend OF an elbow, connects
Christopher street with Waverey place,
just few steps west Of Sixth avenue. The
small front parlor has been turned into a
picture gallery, upon whose walls paintings
are not more crowded than they appear at
many Of the large exhibitions.
The young negro who has at last chosen
TO bring himself forward in the way artists
often do has worked industriously and
modestly in New York for four years past
at the humble tasks Of attending to furnaces
and cleaning windows, while he used his
spare time at painting and studying art
as we'll ss we was able to do. But he had
been painting for several years before he
came to New York. and had been an ex-
hbitor at shows Of the Society Of Wash
ington Artists at his home in the Capital
City, although only a struggling tyro.
His mans is Sam o. Collins. He is not yet
"a years old, and whom he left Washington
to come to New York he did not realize
that he would be 80 far away from the
fresh fields where he had spent all his spare
time from boyhood. and that he would find
1t 30 difficult to get into the country, where
he could enjoy nature and 60 on trying to
express what he found there through the
medium Of his paints.
So he saved all the money he could save,
though he worked at first for $40 month,
and then in the summer time, when the
furnaces needed no more care, and the
people for whom he washed windows had
gone from the city. he went back to Wash
ington or to Maryland or Virginia. where
he had friends and could live pretty cheap"
as he says. and there he spent his whole
time In the woods and fields and in the
quarters where he was able to set up his
strikingly incomplete studio. His purse
wouldn't always buy even paints enough
for summers work.
Sam got work after time caring for the
furnace of H. Siddons Mowbray, the painter,
and he did Whatever he was told to do 30
satisfactorily that Mr.. Mowbray one day
eng aged him for the additional work Of
keeping his studio In order. After having
been at this for some time, Sam confessed
10 Mr hat he no a
trying to do some painting himself.
The artist took enough interest in the
announcement to tell the colored boy to
bring some OF his work to the studio that
he might see what It amounted to. Collins
did 10. and Mr.. Mowbray was so much
impressed by the sincerity and talent which
IL betokened that he offered to instruct
Collins on Sundays and to aid him in any
way he could 20 get chance to bring out
what was In him.
Mowbray went away last fall to do some
studying at Rome for some decorative
work which he had been commissioned
to do, he wrote to Sam, suggesting that he
get into the Art Students' League il he
when breaking up for the summer, the
artist gave to his furnace man enough paint
and canvas to last him all through the
summer.
That was pretty good. i was a good
like that to give me chance to do some
thing myself is all have ever wanted"
Mr.. Mowbray suggested that Collins take
some OF his work 10 some OF the other artists
to see what they had to say about 1t and
they too; encouaaiged the SEGnng man,
color in his landscapes. In the winter
Sam gained entrance to the antique class
at the league, but he was not able all the
time to stand even the 50 month which that
cost him, so his studying was interrupted.
Sam was regretful, but not, discouraged. !
His family needed some help down in Wash
ington, and he had to give it whether it
delayed his art studies or not
"Inever had q real course Of instruction."
he said, "but have had to go ahead by my
never yet painted picture that suited me.
but I'm working over them "a much Of the
time as I can. / never have been near q
dealer or tried to cell a picture, but maybe
! will do ore sometime that l will think |
worth o fs,bns for hsTgs s1hibiGn
look at the paintings in the Fifth avenue
windows and then remember what have
here. But another thought often comes /,
to me at those times. The pictures give I!
II to me. They have been painted to sell;
have not felt az have felt in looking at
nature. OF course do not mean this OF all
t he pictures, but some Of them suggest
the thought to me, and l wonder when I |
shall be able to express my feeling about |
nature in a painting"
One day Collins was washing windows
for a woman who lives a couple of doors |
from Fifth avenue In one Of the fashionable |
streets. She and her husband admire !
paintings very much and there are naturally
a number OF them in the house. including
some portraits The fashionable matron
pays not tho slightest attention to the or
binary servants OF the household leaving
hat supervision to her housekeeper
Being II Southerr.er II is possible that she
"a az barelv COZ scious of the existence OF the
negro window cleaner In her home ard il
did seen, little later as II she could scarcely
force upon her cor sciouei ess the idea that
he wash boy could Ike. or even aspire to be.
an artist.
She was certainly estonished when he
addressed her to remark the number of
pictures there were in the house, and was
more 40 when he informed her that he was
very deeply interested in pail ting. He was
Obliged to hasten on ard explain his work
for Mr. Mowbray in order to make things
clear. Wien he had once done this ard
had shown some Of his own paintings his
fashionable employer became ore Of his
most kind supporters, aiding. him in his
ambition ard giving him chance to do
some work for her In his art az well as in
his lovly calling OF furnace man and wir-
With the arrival Of warm weather and
the discontinuance OF furnaces and the
approaching closing Of city houses, Collins