Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-27
ART STUDENTS WORK
AWARD OF MEDALS AND HoNoRs
LAST EVENING.
Corcoran School Exhibit Draws Large
Audience-Address by Principal
e. O. Messer.

Nearly one thousand persons assembled
at the Corcoran Gallery last evening to ex-
anime the work done by the students of the
Corcoran School during the past year and
to witness the annual award of medals and
other honors. The drawings were placed
on exhibition in the upper atrium and the
paintings in the hemicycle hall, but the en-
tire gallery was thrown open to the stu
dents and their friends. Music was fur
nished by Green's orchestra. which, with
the brilliant illumination, gave an air of
special festivity to the occasion, made pic
turesque by the ladies' dainty summer
gowns and charming by the spirit of good
will manifested.
At a few minutes after o o'clock a bugle
was sounded calling all to the grand stair
case, on the landing of which members of
the board of trustees, the director and as
sistant director of the gallery, and the In
structors of the school had already taken
their places, and when Mr.. E. c. Messer,
the principal of the school, stepped forward
to make his address he looked both above
and below into veritable sea of faces
Mr.. Messer had neither written nor pre-
pared a set speech. The evening, he de-
clared. was too warm to make long listen
ing enjoyable, but there were few things
which he wished to bring to the attention
of the public, and of these he spoke infor-
mally to his audience as to a single indi-
vdual.
Acknowledging the valuable cooperation
he had received in his work from the d.
rector of the gallery, he passed on to speak
with enthusiasm of the untiring labors of
his co-workers, and dwelt at some length
upon the unselfish devotion of Mr.. Richard
N. Brooke, who was, at his request last
fall, made vice principal. To the students
also he paid high tribute, telling of their
earnest purpose and conscientious study,
and assuring his listeners that while those
who had competed for the medal had spared
no pains, those who had had no alluring
honors to spur them on had in their study
been none the less faithful AS an example
of the seriousness of the students he told
how the Jolly Fakirs'' purposed, through
the proceeds of this and next years exhibit
ton, to establish a free scholarship In one
of the leading New York schools, and how,
with this object in view, they had briefly
turned their backs on reveling and opened
a bank account.
Speaking directly to the winners of the
prizes, but, as they were still unannounced.
addressing all, he babe them not to mistake
the beginning for the end. to remember in
stead that medals were milestones. not
goals; that their bestowal meant progress,
not arrival" In conclusion, in few
terse sentences, Mr.. Messer set before the
public the aims of the school, explaining
what every school of art should be and
what this school meant to be. Academies,
he said, could and should teach but one
thing-the fundamental principles upon
which all art was built. Between the work
of Monet and Raphael, between the art of
f1OlldUO anu tHo arr VI Japan Is Tic WiuSoI
difference yet he pointed out that even
these were built upon similar principles
and had many things in common. And 1t
is these common things, this structural
work alone that, he told his hearers, the
Corcoran School is endeavoriing to teach its
pupils
Report of Jury of Awards.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Messer's adj
dress, Mr.. F. B. Mcclure, the director of
the gallery, representing the board of trus-
tees, stepped forward and read the follow
ing letter from the jury of awards, COM
posed this year, as formerly, of three dis
tirguished, out-of-town artists:
ITO the Board of Trustees of the Corcoran
Gallery.
Gentlemen: The undersigned committee,
appointed by the Corcoran School of Art,
takes pleasure in commenting upon the
serious character of the work displayed in
the department of drawing, and especially
commends the technical qualities of the
water-color work. The committee has the
honor to report it's unanimous decision in
the matter of awards, follows: Gold
medal to the series of drawings marked
L. bronze medal to the series of draw
ings marked k first honorable mention
to the series marked g. second honorable
mention to the series marked b. and
third honorable mention to the series
marked e The prize of s25 for the best
work submitted by any student in the wa
ter-color class to Miss Clara Saunders hon.
orable mention to be made of the work of
Miss Halstead, Miss Thorp and Miss Tay-
lor."
The report was signed by Johannes A
Oertel, Francis c. Jones and Douglas Volk
List Of the Winners.
In order to prevent any possibility OF per-
sCnal interest or prejudice, the drawings of
these competing for the gold and bronze
medals are lettered, rather than signed, and
the identity of their authors unknown, ex-
cept to the maker of the key. The ap-
pleuse that would naturally have followed
the reading of this letter was, therefore,
postponed until, by referring to the key, 1t
was discovered that Miss Ruth Darwin was
the winner of the gold medal; Mr.. Ruel
Pardee Tolman, the bronze medal and Mr..
Otto Bruch, Miss Isabelle Johnson and Mrs.
Gertrude G. Gray, respectively, winning
honorable mention. From among the au-
dierce, above and below the landing the
recipients of these and the water-cOlor class |
honors were called to receive their prizes |
and diplomas and later the congratulations |
Of their many friends, after which the exer-
cises were concluded and the exhibition be- |
eme the object of general interest.
There were this year twelve competitors |
for the medals. each of whom complied |
with the requirement of two consecutive |
years study in the school and had submit |
ted to the jury three life and three cast |
drs wings. These were hung on the east |
wall of the atrium, in which were also to |
and non-competing students. The color |
work is shown exclusively in the hemicycle, |
where 1t makes truly a surprising display. |
There are on view In this hall over two |
hundred water colors and at least half as |
many still life and portrait studies in Oil, |
many of which, 1t Is understood, are far |
above the usual average of student work. |
These and the drawings constituting the |
school exhibition may be seen by the pub |
Ii. in accordance with the ordinary regula- |
of gallery until Thursday. |