Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-14
THE PROBLEM SOLVED.
How to Reach the Right Decision in
Art Competitions.

81 believe / can suggest remedy for
some of the evils you fellows complain OF
with regard to awards in art competitions"
said a travelling man at the Shoreham
the other day to a couple Of artist friends
who were discussing what they termed
the "crazy and unfair decision" of the
judges in recent art competition. Each
artist disagreed with the other respecting
the picture which should have won the
prize, and both disagreed emphatically with
the judges who had made the awards
1.-The remedy was first suggested to me
by an award I witnessed out west several
years ago." continued the drummer, and
ever since that time 1 have been COM
WINGED of the fairness Of the manner in
which the award was made.
II had been working pretty hard for
about two weeks and was day or two
ahead on my trip, when 1 happened TO
strike small county seat where the peo-
pie were holding their first county fair.
I was unable to finish up my business
with the merchants in the small town
when I arrived because of the increased
trade owing to the large number of peo-
pie in town from the surrounding coun-
try, so 1 decided to lay over and enjoy
myself. AS a piece of good fortune I sue
ceeded in persuading another drummer to
remain over with me.
There were several horse races on the
program for each day, and my friend and
1 played the races right and left and had
a risky time. We took in the ball game,
foot races and other sports, threw base
balls at the rag babies, took chances on
the wheel of fortune and drank red lemon
ade until we got pink complexion. The
day of the awarding of prizes We went
with the crowd to watch the judges tie the
ribbons the ears of the prize porkers.
colts, cows, etc, and then we all repaired
to the floral hail. large barn of an af-
fair. where there was immense dis
play of agricultural products. y..s
In a 0f hal VIZ
also a small exhibition of fancy work en-
broidery and a bunch Of paintings I can
frankly admit that l have never seen any
thing like that art display. There were
several small canvases' with all sorts OF
daubs on them. There were landscape
views in which the cows stood as high as
roses and honeysuckle blooming in the
front yard, there were sunsets that would
make Mary McLane's ideal sunsets seem
pale pink, and home scenes in which the
people stood in awkward attitudes with dis
!! torted faces. The exhibition of paintings
attracted not little attention and the
expressions heard on all sides were en-
thusiastic and gushing. However, in re-
gard to the best picture in the lot opinion
was divided among those people who knew
nothing at all about technical art, just
the same as 1t is divided among you fell
lows who have made painting and drawing
your life study. s-lv ..s
ut seems that the lady who had been
selected to decide the winner of the art
competition, from the fact that she taught
rudimentary drawing from copy books in
the school, had been called away from
town, and there was no one in town con-
sidered competent to take her. place as
Judge Three of the leading farmers, who
seemed to be running the fair, and who
had decided upon the merits of a bunch OF
sheep and several pens of porkers, got
their heads together and tried to decide
upon some person to judge the pictures.
They evidently were unable to think Of
any one competent to act, and in order to
be absolutely fair In the matter they hit
upon a plan.
1.-The numbers on each of the pictures
were written slips Of paper and placed
in a hat and the three farmers took the
center of the hall with the crowd about
them. One of the men was blindfolded, and
with great deliberation he picked out a
| slip of paper bearing a number. The first
number drawn was awarded the first prize,
and the second number out of the hat
was given the second prize.
1.-The result was greeted with loud cheers
of approval and everybody seemed per-
fectly satisfied with the manner of award
and with the fairness of the proceeding.
Why don't you fellows inaugurate the sys-
| tenn of drawing for prizes and then quit
| kicking about the unfairness OF judges?'