Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-06
1T WOULD BE BETTER.

| We think it would be better to give
| more financial encouragement to Utah
artists, many of whom have already
won places of honor in this fine and
! unusual field OF professional endeavor.
1t would be better II organized clubs
and associations, or societies of all
kindc would strive to possess some
good works of art, preferably tho prod
ucts of homo talent and representations
of local scenes. events. or persons.
This is especially true of literary and
learned societies, fraternal organiza-
tions, and others that seek to pcrpetu-
ato tie memory of what is noble in HUI
man action or of what is beautiful at
home or afleld
1t would be better for each ancestral
head of every numerous or prominent
family to be portrayed upon canvas as
an heirloom. for the remembrance OF
all, than that his name and works
should be left merely to printing and
memory
1t would be better to educate public
taste with one beautiful portrayal of
local life or scenery than to makeshift
with a hundred chromos or cheap rep
resentations.
1t Is a matter for congratmlation
that the pictures OF several oil the Gov
ernors of this state are painted by
home artists.
hirfn orft tcfc n
from the state in order to prepare them
selves more thoroughly for their call
ing; of these. eight are said to have
found it necessary to live in other
states, in order to sell their paintings.
That this is true and that the work
Of local artists is not preferred to that
OF strangers, must be due mainly to tho
fact that the excellence of local talent
is not generally known.
Thus. when the people of Utah county
decided to have monument to com
memorate the services of the veterans
Of the Black Hawk war. they ordered
from an Eastern firm a conventional
design from the hundreds kept in stock
by commercial company-just such
one as may perhaps be found in hun
dreds OF other places and exactly the
same monument already used to repre-
sent the Southern soldier of the Civil
War.
Now, had a Utah sculptor been em-
ployed to do this work, there would
have been created something at least
original and, we have no doubt, some
thing quite as artistic and striking as
the conventional form bought ready
made.
When We erect a monument, it would
be better to have one of our own Such
piece OF work is part of the country
that produces it. a lasting memorial of
those whose deeds it glorihes, and a
mark by which the artist gains that
distinction in the minds of the people
generally, to which his genius may fair
ly entt1e him
We are told that tho highest cominis-
sion over given in tho United States,
was awarded to a Utah artist now resi-
dent OF another State. Many hundreds
OF pictures. including numerous paint
ings. are purchased each year in Utah
by those who have moro or less appre-
citation of such works. Very few of
these, however, are purchased from the
high-class artists at home, who do
work vastly superior In artistic merits.
real beauty. and local association, to
anything that is brought from afar
Ono local artist of prominence. after
a successful experience in Paris, has
home work he has sold scarcely $500
worth of his paintings.
Many artists are compelled to leave
the profession. because it is too un-
remunerative to live upon and this, not
because enough money Is not spent
upon things professedly artistic, but
because the expenditures are. as a rule
unwisely or even carelesSly made.
Those who buy expensive Christmas
presents. for example. usually let their
tastes run TO luxurious and easy chairs.
gold-headed canes, writing desks, or
sets of books in costly binding; but it
would be better to choose a fine OIL
painting of some home scene by some
home artist Such gift would be cher
ished. not only by the immediate re-
cipient. but by the family. the friends
and often by whole communities Each
year such a gift usually increases in
value and grows dearer to It's possessor
and to all beholders. 1t was Keats who
remarked that a thing of beauty cannot
pass into rothingness. but Is "a Joy
forever" whose loveliness increases
with it's years.
Finally We judge that it would be
better for the State to enlarge Its pur-
chases of such works of local artists as
depict home scenes; for city govern
mcnts to do likewise. and for legisla-
lures to extend the work of the Art
Institute by engaging local artists TO
work more at home and less in Paris.
Uncle Joe" Cannon is himself again,