Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-27
The Open Art Gallery

1t was with great interest and apprecia-
ton that 1 read in your paper the "Plea
for an open art gallery" in Washington.
1t seems to me that upon the sole ob1ec-
tion,' namely, that the crowd attending
the Corcoran art exhibit would be COM
posed of the 'rabble,'' hinges the principal
question of the true progress of art For
what is art? What it's spiritual, esthetic
and educational significance IL it be not to
appeal to those classes who lack. not ap-
probation always, but opportunity? Art is
democratic. 1t knows not rich nor poor.
palace nor hovel, exclusively. Universally
it embraces them all. 1t should be brought,
then, within the reach Of all classes. that
they may learn to appreciate beauty, not
by it's theories. but by its possession, that
1t may become to them as the air they
breathe. In no other way can q nation or
city grow in art and beauty than by so
educating its masses that they will de-
mand the beautiful in all spheres Of ac-
tivity, and not by keeping it within the
limits of the exclusive. few, but by freely
passing 1t on to those who reach out and
long for 1t will results attain to the high
est.
We build reform schools and penitentiar-
les for the "rabble, which are better pa
troniZed by them than our sole DIRECTORS
would like our art galleries to be. We have
philanthropic societies who make 1t their
duty to try to elevate this so-called ''rab-
ble'' element. But do they not see that
the basic principles of reform have not
been reached when it is proposed to exclude
from the lives of the great masses of our
people all that would tend to make life less
hard, more beautiful? 1t Is daily contact
with things beautiful that makes all sem
sitive to it, and by SO absorbing it into
ones life creates reverence for it which
will develop the creative rather than the
destructive spirit. Is not this what is
needed in the lives Of our proletariats? Is
1t not this that exclusion is going to pre-
vent? F.
beautiful art museum that ON Sunday aft
ernoons little bands of Italians, families
with children clinging to their mothers
skirts, roam through the galleries, view
ing with more than an American interest
, the treasures spread out before them. 1t
is beautiful to see the reverence with which
they scan this that beautiful work OF
art. They are the most absorbed and hence
the most quiet of our visitors, and these
Italians. of the poorer classes. too. seem
to understand the beautiful in art, are
quick to appreciate the best Why? Be-
cause in their own country art is in the
very atmosphere. is a part Of the life Of
these people. has been created by and
through them.
An incident which occurred in the art
museum school shows how quickly the let
ter instead Of the spirit Of art is detected
by these Italians. A young girl was max
ing a drawing from one Of Michael Ange-
los figures She had noticed that for sew
eral mornings an Italian mechanic work.
ing around the building had stopped to
look at her work. Curious to know the
trend Of his thought. she asked him what
he thought Of it. With a little shrug OF
the shoulders and an expressive gesture
of the hands. he said: you have the out
line very good. but you no have the spirit
of the master" How many Of our Amer
lean mechanics would be capable of so in
teligent criticism? How many, indeed,
l.
the "rabble" are so filled with the spirit
of the beautiful that they could so easily
detect its absence? No. "Beuaty,'' some
one has said. will not come If one or a
il all the people demand it, for what we
most deeply long for that we sooner or
later have And all the people means
the great mass. proletariats and aristo-
never flourish. 1t is not an exotic. 1t is
rather a beautiful wild flower. whicn
thrives best in the pure free air of to,
open.
one of the poorer districts Of our city. On
the evening that 1 was there as attendant
noticed young men. who. perhaps, would
be classed as being Of the doubtful element.
come in, remove their hats. quietly pass
from picture to picture. and as quietly pass
out. No noise, no disorder, nothing but q
quiet difference. One old lady came to me
with tears in her eyes and said. you don't
KNOW WHAT IHlS LucdiiS 10 US pOOT peOQle.
Rich people can go where these beautiful
things are, but we poor people can't, and
this Is such treat to u.s.
Let, then, the doors Of our galleries be
freely opened to these people, giving them
something of that beauty which is their
birthright. and not only will art grow in
strength, beauty and purity-in no other
way can it grow-but with the outgiving
and the receiving Of the best we have to
offer our civilization win also grow
stronger, more beautiful, and purer.
81 am not pleading" said William Morris,
"for the production Of little more beauty
in the world. much as I love it and much
as would sacrifice for 1t. 1t is the lives
Of human beings that I am pleading for
or, IL you please, the reason for living
ADDIE s. WINNER.
BOSTON Mass