The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-21
CROWDS FLOCK TO
VIEW ART WORKS
State Society's Second Annual
- Exhibit Opened at State
Capitol


ly 1900 men and women to the new
capitol last night.
a. The big building was brilliantly
lighted, and like beacon set on a hill
attracted hundreds. The rooms on the
fourth. floor set apart for the exhibit
of the art society from until nearly
10 O'Clock were thronged with visitors
and in, the crush of humanity there
was little opportunity to view the art
treasures shown by the society. A re-
ceiying line of men and women sta
toned near the entrance to the rooms
was swept aside like So much chaff,
and formality was an impossibility.
The walls of the rooms, hidden behind
the display of paintings, were the only
portions that We're safe from the crush.
Statuary and sculpture, art photog-
raphy, art printing and binding, ar
tistic jewelry, everything that was ex-
posed, was in imminent danger of in
jury from the crush The room devoted
to the uses of the society was all too
small for the proper display of the
works of art, and when to the circum-
scribed space were added several hun
dred persons 1t was impossible for the
visitors to gain any adequate idea of
the value Of the paintings, sculpture
and other treasures displayed.
Halls Are Thronaed
The halls Of the big capitol building
were filed with the throngs of visitors.
The great dome, filed with light from
its central diffusing ball, was the
center of attraction, and hundreds of
electric light bulbs In the halls con-
tributedi to the brilliancy of the scene.
The offices were closed, but the arching
halls Of the capitol, with the big mar
bic and onyx columns shining through
the vistas, presented a scene that was
fairyland itself to the hundreds of Wis
itors
The guests Of the State Art society
were cosmopolitan. A former gov
ernor and his wife, men and women
distinguished in the state for their de-
votion to art, foreign diplomat and
his wife, state senators and their
wives, the button of the Loyal Legion,
a tall opera hat crushed beneath its
owners arm, women in evening dress,
these brushed the hem of the garment
or the young girl from the factory and
her young man who had come UP to see
the capitol, governor and incidentally
- S-N SONASNy
The number of people who RESPONDED
to the invitations was a revelation to
the patrons of the exhibit. They had
expected 200 or 800 men and women
who worship at the shrine of higher
things, but a guide in the capitol told
a distinguished woman with an air of
authority that at o'clock just 923 per-
sons had entered one door of the build
Ing There were eleven other doors at
the service of those who entered the
capitol, and conservative estimate of
the number who wandered through the
halls of the capitol and saw the art dis
play is 3,000
That the exhibit is to be placed in
the society's rooms for a week seemed
not to have weight with those who
struggled to gain an entrance to the
society's room. The room is at the end
of a narrow hall on the fourth floor.
For two hours this hall was packed.
Men and women entered, cool and
placid, TO reappear a half hour later
with clothing disheveled, hats awry
and faces flushed, but with triumph
written on their countenances. They
had seen the pictures and what did
they care for personal discomfort. That
the pictures will be there today and
every day for week awaiting pleas
ant and critical judgment made no diff
ference. They had gone with the crowd
and showed their genuine American
ism.
Visitors From Minneapolis
In addition to st. Paul people who
visited the exhibit last night were sew
eral, small parties from Minneapolis,
and the suburban places about the
Twin Cities.
The absence of Gov. and Mrs John
son, who were to have assisted in the
reception which formally opened the
second annual exhibit, was due to Mrs.
johnson having been called to ST. Pc
Ter by an urgent message. Mr.. and
Mrs. S. r. Van SAINT, Mrs. William E
Thompson, Miss Margaret ]. Evans. of
Northfield; Miss ]. c. Gautier Miss
M. M. Cheney, Robert Koehler and
Ernest Kennedy, officers and exhibit
commissioners of the society, received
Among the notable guests were Mr.
and Mrs. Hams Grunow. Mr.. Grunow
is the imperial German consul for the
Northwest, with headquarters at st.
Paul. Mrs. Grunow is contributor
to the exhibit showing a lace collar of
ancient weave and a beaded opera bag
more than 200 years old.
Fully $50 pictures in oils and water
colors are included in the exhibit.
These include a large number of the
works of Americas most eminent art
lists, in addition to the number which
are the product of Minnesota men and
women. One notable picture, distin-
guished for its soft shades and delicate
coloring. Is Spring in Berkshire"
painted by H. Bolton Jones, of New
York Another striking work, dark and
mystic, Is THE Mussel Gatherers,"
painted by William Norton, Of New
York. Moonlight" softly enchant-
ing painting by David Erickson, a for
mer Minnesotan, attracted much atten-
ton. Mr.. Erickson formerly lived in
Duluth, but is now studying and work.
ing in Italy. He is an artist of rare
promise. John H. Vanderpoel. director
of the Chicago Art institute, and Judge
at the Minnesota society's 1904 exhibit,
displays an oil painting. The Dairy
Maids" 1t is regarded as one OF the
cleverest things in the exhibit The
Rain Storm" and the Ballet Girl"
painted by Robert Henri, of New York.
are among the strong paintings in the
exhibit. In portraits. aside from the
work of Miss Grace McKinstry. of
Faribault, portrait by William M.
Chase. of New York, was a specimen
that appealed TO the artistic visitor.
A number of notable specimens of
the sculptor's art are included in the
exhibit. A relief of Cyrus Cornfeldt.
by Knut Akerberg, a former Minneso-
tan, and now of Naples, Italy, was a
center of attraction because the sculp-
tor in his head of Will Conway carried
off the society's $500 prize a year ago.
Mrs. George ]. Backus of MINNEAPOLIS