Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-02
At GALLERY OF ART
WORK DONE BY STUDENTS OF
CoRCoRAN SCHOOL.
Prizes Awarded by Board of Judges
Address by the Principal Of
the School,

year by the students of the Corcoran
School and to witness the award of medals
and other honorS. The drawings were
placed on exhibition in the upper atrium
and the paintings In che hemicycle hall,
but the entire gallery was thrown open 10
the students and their friends. Music was
furnished by Green's orchestra and. with the
brilliant illumination. lent to the occasion q
specially festive air. The halls of the gal
lery are seen to best advantage al highland
when thronged with such an assemblage
become vastly picturesque and no less i'm
posing.
AT o O'Clock bugle was sounded calling
all to the grand staircase. on the landing
of which members of the board of trustees,
the directors and vice directors of the gal
lery, and members of the faculty of the
school had already taken their places. Long
before this signal. however, the audience
had been assembling; seats of vantage on
the side of the lower flight had been pre-
empted and above, as far as the balus-
trade reached. there was not gap in the
sea of faces. Both above and below every
avenue was thronged when Mr.. Messer the
principal of the school, stepped forward to
make his address, and but for the hush of
attention hearing would have been quite
impossible.
Principals Address.
The school, Mr.. Messer said, was twenty
eight years Old but for only three years
had been under the present management.
Since 1902, besides the classes in black and
white and the water color classes, which
had then been for a considerable period in
session. classes in composition, perspective
and for the study of the draped model have
been instituted. In addition to these
monthly art talk open to the students and
their friends has been given during the
past two seasons by members of the fac
ulty. and twice n month the principal has
talked informally to the student body, dis
GUESSING matters having practical bearing
on their work; and. as later addition to
the curriculum, the school has secured the
services of DIR. Frank Baker, who has de-
livered a course of lectures on artistic
anatomy during the past season. and ID
now regular enrolled member of the fac
ulty.
Passing from a general survey of the
scheme of the school. Mr.. MeSser spoke at
some length upon its aims and methods.
1--WE are guarding" he said, constantly
against the academic tendency to mold the
students to a common or prescribed stand
ard, in spite of the fact that there Is APP
parent strength in unanimity, and that an
imposed manner will result in more eff
feCtive technique.
but what is technique? 1t seems to be
looked upon by many up-to-date painters
as an independent attribute of painting.
Now. my idea of technique is that it Is
way of saying something. and in that case
we must first have some hing to say. There
fore II will be inferred quite naturally that
/ place perception before expression.
THE greatest art stands inevitably for
the best expression of the idea. That
which | would insist upon is that the idea
must shape the expression; that technique
cannot stand alone. Our business. then.
seems plain. We must first OF all cultivate
the perception. not forgetting that recog-
milton of truth alone will not result IN art,
but that right ideas. adequa lely expressed
in normal art language, Will so result. Nor
are we to be misled by facile use OF art
speech. mere cleverness-which, while more
or less plausible. covers multitude of sins.
We shall place more emphasis on certain
truths. less on others, later on, according
TO our temperamental differences; but our
first business is to become familiar Wl,h
facts. to comprehend their relations: to
know form, To perceive values, to compre-
bend the working structure of The human
FORM and to master its mechanics.
1T is sound. reasonable. practical knowl-
edge that we want first: sentiment IS
wreath of smoke, glimmer of flame. an
unsustained abstraction. We therefore be-
lieve in a close. painstaking and not 200
emotional study of the cast and OF the
human figure. Not too emotional, 1 sad.
for there must be an emotional clement in
the most vital kind of study. Wnen we
come to pass from the student stage 10
the professional we shall find our way diff
ficult. unless we have anticipated In some
degree our ultimate needs. We should look
upon the work in the class as stages in
our complete evolution. constant move
ment toward an ultimate goal
Outlines Conditions.
After emphasizing strongly the value and
Importance OF academic study Mr.. Messer
outlined the conditions pertaining to the
Corcoran school, comparing it with the
older and more famous schools of New
York and Philadelphia
Il believe" he continued that we are
working on the right lines We need
weightier material. We naturally crave a
larger professional element No school can
create talent; 1t does well if 1T wisely d.
reefs it. The spirit of the school has been
al that l could desire"
In conclusion Mr.. Messer paid high
tribute to the devotion and skill If his fell
low-instructOrs. expressing at the same
time his grateful appreciation of the direc-
tors interest and support, and his recogni-
ton of the several employees patient ser
vice.
Awards Announced.
As Mr.. Messer returned to his seat. Mr. F
3. Mcclure. the director of the gallery.
representing the board of trustees, stepped
forward and announced the awards which
were as follows: For life and antique
drawings. a gold medal to Miss Anna
Louise Sewell. and a bronze medal to Mrs.
Gertrude G. Grey; for a draped-life paint
Ing. SILVER mccall 10 MT Ruel +. Toll
man. and mention to Miss Helen Coolidge
Handley; for portrait class work. a silver
medal to Miss Helen Coolidge Handlcy, and
mention to Miss Isabel l.. Johnson. a paint
ing by Miss May Godell also being COM
mended. in the water color class a silver
medal To Miss Mamie Kelley. and mention
TO Miss Helen II. Halstead: in the still life
class. no award but cOmmendatiOn for the
work of T. b. Macutcheon and Miss Sarah
Wright; and In the composition class a
prize of $50 in gold. generously donated by
the local chapter of the Federation of
WOmen's Clubs awarded to Miss Ruth
Clements. Each announcement was greeted
with hearty applause.
The priZe-giving jury was composed of
Messrs. G. y. Turner, George W. Maynard
and +. ID. Millet, three Out-of-town artists
OF distinction. In rendering its repol this
committee noted the fact that it had OBJ
served with satisfaction conspicuous evil
dence OF taste and artistic aptitude and
proofs Of earnest and serious effort which
are In the highest degree encouraging"
Silver Medals an Innovation.
The three silver medals and the compo-
sition class prize were innovations this
year. but will. In all probability. hereafter
become an established custom. There were