Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18
ART NOTES.

There is now, and for the past week has
been. in the rooms devoted to the art
classes at the Western High School most
interesting exhibition of students work.
AS this is a public school its primary OBJ
ject is to give to each Of its pupils an all
round, practical education. and Its art
courses are arranged with view to utility
rather than aesthetics. This gives to the
work an entirely different character from
that found in an art school exhibition. and
lends it not only variety. but at the same
time an ethical interest The primary pur-
pose of the course in art which the high
schools require every student to take for
at least two years is to train the eye to see
color and form and to cultivate an appre-
citation for the tasteful and beautiful both
in the works of man and of Nature. With
this understood the visitor is ready to look
about and will straightway have his at
tention drawn to a section of the exhibit
which is somewhat misleadngly designated
as spot Work" This. in reality, is a col
lection of fresh, colorful flower studies
made from nature. rapidly and skillfully
by the average pupils in the single forty
five-minute period which Is allotted them
each week. They are impresslonistic. to be
sure, but they show a surprising apprecia-
ton of the value OF terse utterance and are
true both in color and value. Next comes
dates which are accurate, outline trans
scriptiOns of common things. A table.
trash basket and umbrella or a dishpan
and tea kettle or book and an lnkStand
such things and such skill as would be
required for the teaching of little children
Many of these are complicated compost
lions and Il number are extremely well
drawn. An interesting feature of the ex-
hbitiOn are the landscape sketches crudely
made either from nature or memory. No
effort toward picturemaliing is evinced, but
y-iyy
near as possible. at literal truth; with the
result that some fresh breezy and
really artistic. Some excellent wrok in the
making apd coloring of designs Is also
shown. and several studies in mat color
suitable for adapta ton in stained glass are
specially notable for their rich. harmonious
arrangement. Mr.. Edward Lind Morse's
nephews. the Rummell boys, Edward Jones.
a Saturday pupil of Miss Ferries. and Miss
| Ruth Ossood. exhibit work which Is I'M
usually promising. but the general excel
lence of all the work Is highly to be COM
mended. So much is said about the inartis-
tic temperament of the average American
that it is pleasure to find such substantial
| proof to the contrary; for while this ex-
| hibitOn does not pretend to be complete.
it Is sufficiently comprehensive to be taken
| as typical.
For those students who show special
| ability and desire more definite inStruc-
ton special course has been arranged
| which includes cast drawing in charcoal.
| This is meant to fit students for entrance
| to art SCHOOLS. and that II accOmpllSheS
| its purpose is evidenced by the fact that
| many of the students at the COrcOran
School have been former members of the
| Western High School. Miss Meta Craig
and Miss Ruth Darwin. the winners of
the Corcoran gold medal last year and
this. are, indeed. to be included in this
number. The work of these special pupils
is exhibited separately and is good and
| generally interesting. though more usual
| than the rest and less attractive indi-
vidually than that done by the regular
classes 1t is. however. strong and accu-
| rate and shows earnest purpose as we'll
as good training. Miss Guillaume. who
has the direction of this work. and her
| self instructs many of the classes. Is the
daughter of the well-known painter. who
| for many years held a prominent place
among the local artists. She and her as
sistant. Miss Chester are to be sincerely
congratulated upon the excellence of this
| exhibition.
| Much interest has been taken through
out the winter in the competition insti-
tuted by the Architectural Club for a
| travelling scholarship. This competition
! consisted of four subcompetitions consti-
tuted by the solutions of problems given
out by the scholarship jury. The first Of
| these problems was an orangery and the
| last grand staircase in a museum of
art to be erected by wealthy munich
pality Many excellent drawings were
submitted and the impression Is that the
competition has done much toward slim
ulating the work of the competitors The
highest average in the four competitions
| was made by Mr. II. Dercum, and to him.
therefore, was awarded the $3.50 which
represents the scholarship, but on ac-
count of the excellence of his work and
the almost equally high mark he had at
tanned. the club voted to Mr.. Fred "
Murphy special prize of 500. Mr.. Mil
ton Dana Morrill, was awarded third
place. and to the work of Mr.. Eugene T.
Parker was given honorable mention Mr.
| Dercum is graduate of the architectural
department of Cornell University and is
at present working with Messrs. Horn
blower & Marshall of this city He pur-
poses going abroad before the end of the
summer and will probably spend a year
in foreign travel and study. During the
portion of the time that he is using the
scholarship fund he will be expected to
send home for exhibition number of his
drawings and plans. The jury awarding
the scholarship and honors was COM
posed of the following welI-known arcbi
tects; Mr. Glenn Brown. Mr.. Arthur
Brown. Mr. r. Frere Champney Mr. Thee
W. Pietsch and Mr.. Percy Ash
At the regular June meeting of the Wash
ington Architectural Club held in the Octa-
gon House the annual election of officers
took place. the result Of which was to place
the control in the hands. of architects not
employed in the supervising architects
office. No dissatisfaction was felt with the
policy OF the club as administered by the
retiring officers. but for many reasons the
change was thought advisable. The Off
GERS elected for the ensuing year are Mr.
| c. l.. Harding. president: Mr.. P. c. Adams
vice president: Mr.. Arthur NJ. Burt secre-
tary. and Mr.. ]. Fl. Bohme treasurer and
for the board Of directors. Mr. Percy Ash
Mr.. J. ]. Bissegger and Mr.. Louis A.
| Simon.
| y welcome addition was made to the pub
| lie monuments in this city when on last
Saturday afternoon the statue of Benjamin
Rush unveiled. 1t is the gift of the
American Medical Association to the Ameri-