Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-04
ART CLUBS To MEET
Proposed to Hold a Convention
Here in May.
Federation IS SUGGESTED
Aim to Encourage the Study and
Cultivation of Taste.
SCOPE OF THE SMITHSONIAN
Beginnings Of National Gallery.
Plans Drafted for a New Build
ing Of Noble Proportions.
Federation IS SUGGESTED
SCOPE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

1t is proposed to call a mass cOnven-
ton in Washington of delegates from
all art associations. municipal art So
cieties. art institutes and schools, viz
lage Improvement associations, and
| other organizations in the United
States whose purpose is to promote the
study of art, the cultivation CT the
public taste. and the Improvement of
appearances. for the purpose Of form
ing a federation to promote the inter-
ests represented.
This is the age of concentration, CO.
operation and combination, and 1t is not
| necessary to explain the advantage of
team work over individual effort. All
of the leading professions except the
| various branches of the fine arts have
| national organizations. The lawyers
have the American Bar Association, the
| doctors the American Medical Associa-
| ton, the historians the American His
| torical Association. the architects the
American Institute of Architects, and
the scientists the American Association
for the Advancement of Science. And It
is proposed to organize all the societies
that are interested In the fine arts in a
similar manner under the auspices of
the Smithsonian Institution.
The Initial Step.
The National Society of the Fine Arts
of Washington through its council, has
taken the initiative and has appointed
a comittee consisting Of Mr.. Charles M.
Ffoulke, president Of that organization,
chairman; President Needham of George
Washington University. DR.. Charles
Doolfttle Walcott, secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution; DR.. Robert S.
Woodward, president Of the Carnegie
Institution; Mr.. Joseph c. Hornblower
of the American Institute of Architects;
Mr.. Charles J. Bell, president of the
American Security and Trust Company;
MIR. Hennen Jennings, Prof. William H.
of the Smithsonian Institution. and
director of the bureau of ethnology;
Mr.. Edward Parker and Mr.. Bailey Will
liss of the geological survey, and Mr..
Congress, with Mr.. Glenn Brown as
secretary. to prepare a plan and issue q
call for the convention.
Authorized by Congress-.
Such federation as described can be
organized under an act of Congress. ap-
proved July %, 1892, to authorize the
establishment of an academy and gallery
of art in the District of Columbia. This
legislation was secured by the late Kate
Field, who was very much interested in
list prominent people throughout the
country in the movement. 1t names as
incorporators Mrs. Levi P. Morton,
Charles Stewart Smith, John Armstrong
Chanler and Charles ]. Singer of New
York; Phoebe A. Hearst of San Francis
CO; Charles M. Ffoulke, Francis Cotton
and e. Frank Riggs of Washington;
James J. Hill of ST. Paul, Mrs. Thomas
er of Cincinnati. and several other per-
| sons who are no longer living, as the
| board Of regents, with power to fill va
cancies in their own number, to perfect
their own organization, to make such
essary. with authority to hold real estate
and other property. establish academies
and museums, to issue publications and
to do everything else that might be de-
sired in such an association. 1t is en-
tirely appropriate and sufficient for the
purpose of a national federation, and 1t
Is only necessary for the incorporators
to meet and organize and fill the vacan-
cies among their number.
Aims Of the Federation.
The object of the proposed federation,
generally speaking, is, to encourage the
study of art and the cultivation Of the
| public taste:
| 1. The organization of art clubs and
| societies.
| local art galleries.
3. To encourage American artists: to Sc
| cure their recognition and to increase
their compensation.
| 4. To secure the removal OF the duty
| on works Of art and books and other pub
| locations devoted to the fine arts.
| 5. To improve national, state, municipal
and private architecture.
8. To extend public parks and play
grounds and to encourage individuals to
beautify their own property.
Z. To promote all movements for village
| Improvement and plans for identifying
cities.
8. To assist in preserving natural seem
| cry from destruction and dissertation and
to extend the national park system.
0. To assist in the protection of the for
ests and streams; to encourage the plant
ing of trees. the planting of flower gar
dens and decoration of door yards and
everything that will embellish the public
| streets of our cities towns and villages.
10. To assist in the publication OF a
magazine devoted to news concerning
art and kindred topics. The proposed mag
azine Is to be the organ and exponent of
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science and the Geographic
Magazine is the organ Of the National
Geographic Society.
III. To support and advance the inter-
ests of national gallery of art which
has already been established under the
Smithsonian Institution, by requests Of
important collections from the late Har-
riet Lane Johnston Of Washington, Mr..
Evans Of New York and Mr.. Freer of De-
troit.
H. To assist in securing the erection Of
an appropriate building for the national
gallery at Washington corresponding to
| the Congressional Library and the new
National Museum.
L. Finally, to make Washington the art
center of the United States, as it is al
ready the political center and Is rapidly
becoming the scientific and educational
center OF the country.
In Scope Of the Smithsonian.
The founder of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition intended that it should comprehend
art as well as science and promote the
| diffusion Of knowledge concerning both.
and he SO provided in his benefaction.
Congress. recognized this In 1916, and dur
ing the early history of, the institution
rooms for gallery Of art were especially
designed In the building. valuable col
| lection Of prints. engravings and casts
was secured abroad, and loan collections
| Of paintings and sculpture were placed
there on exhibition. In 1893, however, the
prints were removed to the Library of
Congress-: and in 1874. and again In 1879,
various art objects belonging to the insti-
| tuition were deposited In the Corcoran
Gallery. Suitable fireproof' quarters were
subsequently provided for these collec-
| tions under a special appropriation by
| Congress. but their recall was deferred
until 1895 when formal action In the mat
| ter was taken by the board Of regents.
L ID tbn fnta NO ofa In r 4