The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-26

A Prospect That the Receipts Will
Cover Expenses Of the
Exhibition.
The attendance for the opening week Of
the fourth annual exhibition of the Min
neapolis Societysof Fine Arts at the public
library has been gratifyingly large and
there Is a prospect that the receipts may
this year pay the expense OF the exhibit
ton They should do this for the import
ance and high standard of the exhibits
warrant such support This would enable
the society to devote all Of it's energies and
resources to offering greater inducements
in the shapes of prizes or guaranteed pic
ture purchases to artists to exhibit 1t
was necessary to provide guarantee
fund to, support the former exhibitions
and the society could not ask the sub
scribers to help pay for bringing the ex-
hibit here and also to give to picture
fund. Relieved of the necessity of making
UP deficit the society could and would
provide some means OF purchasing new
pictures for the permanent collection. NO
definite plan has yet been proposed for
the purchase of a picture but it Is the In
tention to make an effort to secure one by;
some means. sSeyeral artists who have
given loyal support to the Minneapolis ex-
hibition are represented by pictures that
could be secured for reasonable amounts
and would be great additions to, the per-
manent collection. Among these are Wil5
liam A. Chase who has an admirable
| still life, Childe Wassam, with strong ana
characteristic sunlit landscapes and ftg-,
lure In the sunshine. E. W. RedHeld'
Frank w. Benson, E. w. Coute, CHARLES
Warren Eaton, Birge Harrison, Waiter l..
Palmer. Based on merit alone there are
numerous pictures by others which the
society would also be glad to acquire or
to have remain in Minneapolis.
1t Is very unfortunate that people haV-
ing the money to buy paintings do not ap-
preciate. the opportunity afforded by these
! exhibitions where the pictures have the
guarantee OF competent critics as TO thelr
worth and where they can be bought FOR
| their actual value. Mr.. Koehler and the
exhibition committee are always willing
to place their artistic judgment at the
service of would-be purchasers and Will
endeavor. to make the best possible terms
! with the artists There is an impression
that exhibition pictures are expensive and
many who would like to buy pictures have
not the courage to ask the prices. fo1
their information it may be said that most
of the pictures suitable for house decora-
ton can be secured for not more than $2Ol
and some charming things for less than
II $500. There Is an exquisite small VOTE
picture that never should be allowed &c
return to New York from city where ne
has so many admirers. Last year little
/ Couse canvas that was "a gem was or
/ fered for SIS. Among the pictures wei
/ suited for homes Of modest proportions
| and average decorative schemes might pe
mentioned those of Clifford Beal, a. =
Schright, H. ;, N. Gausta, Gertrude )
| Barnes, Dwight Blaney, Hugh H. Brock
inridge, William A. Coffin, E. A.. Couse
Charles G. Curran, Charles w. Eaton
l. William Forsyth, Albert L. Groll Arthur
Parton, W. Merritt Post, William Sartam
George G. Smithe, and ]. Alden Weir. a,
An important acquisition of the Athen-
aeum board for the art room Of the public
library made this summer Is about READY
for use 1t IS colection"of Copley print:
"A of paintings by the leading American art
y lists of the day. 1t includes complete sets
of the Sargentand the Abbey Mural paint
ings in the Boston public library, Edward
Simmons Justice of the Law and "Th'
J. Muses." a half dozen La Fargo paintings
+. and fine examples Of the work Of! j. w
81 Alexander, Frank W. Benson;7 Edwin H
). Blashf1eld, Kenyon Cox, Daniel c. French
l., William Morris Hunt, Charles Spragu'
r Pearce, Frederic Remington, Augustus st
, Gaudens; Abbott Thayer,z Elihu Vedder
!, H. o. Walker James Mcneil Whistler
George Inness and George De Forres
t, Brush.
All of the prints are of large size ant
are being mounted in heavy beveled mats
that will permit them to+be hung on tn
walls of the new art room. They Will b.
hung in groups, that will be changed from
time to time. The plans for the new room
include more ample and satisfactor!
t means Of displaying the photographs
:, plates and illustrated books Of the Athen
! aeum collection.
Il 1t is hoped that the Importance ant
value Of the small collection of art photo
: graphs now in the library may impress 1t
. self upon the public when they are ade
: quately displayed, and that the public
t may be willing to cooperate in enlargint
the collections especially in American. II
: elegantly illustrated and portfolios Of en-
cravings the library is rich owing to tn
expanding of the Spencer fund largely OF
this class of publications and by thi!
means ample material is provided for thu
study of the art of the past and of Euro
pean art but American art has not ye
reached the estate of being. preserved ex'
tensively In monumental books and 1t Il
. necessary to depend on Photographic
prints for It's Illustration. Unfortunately
! it Is doubtful whether the Spencer fun6
| can be legally expended for photograph:
and the purchases that have been made
have been from very small general fund
Inere IS a me opportunity tIof pTlNdls
generosity to aid in rounding out the val
liable art study material for which Their,
is great demand. In order to satisfy tn,
s requests for present day American art TIL
new collection should be quadrupled an,
then gradually augmented rsas new sub
Ijects are reproduced. z.s !
4 Last year Miss Mcmillan. librarian Q
the Athenaeum purchased three or fou
specimen copies of Arundel prints, repro
auctions in color of many of the grea
masterpieces of the work published by a.
English culture society. No art librar
Tor collection is complete without then
and as the society has gone out of exist
, enee and they are no longer being issue
complete sets are. becoming rarer an
more expensive. The library wants an
needs a full set. This could be obtaine
now for something like a thousand dollar
and would be a superb gift Of CONSTANT
1 sing va 11Ie azaS sSa.E 5a}