The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-24
COMMISSION WILL
IMPROVE ARTS
Censorship for American Arch
itecture and Sculpture
WILL ELEVATE WORK
Office of Commission Now Is to Review
and Select Plans offered for Cow
eminent Work, But Scope
May be Extended
WILL ELEVATE WORK
BY JONATHAN WINFIELD

BY JONATHAN WINFIELD
| Washington. July 2S.-(Special Amer
lean architecture and sculpture is on the
eve of rising to a higher standard if the
plans mapped out by the National Com
mission, of Fine Arts, recently created by
an act of Congress, materialize. The feas-
Utility of improving on the country's art
by allowing only the highest class of
work in the architectural and scuptural
cults to be accepted by the government in
Washington is thought practicable by all
government officials interested. The
work of the new commission will be to
pass particularly on statuary to be erect
ed in any part of the District of Column
ba- 1t has long been the contention of
the artists that many of the statues of
great men in the public buildings and
squares of the national capital are OBJ
noXious to the artistic eye. For years
art critics of the country have urged the
creation of a censorious commission to
pass upon such class of government
work.
Now that the commission has been ap-
pointed and $4,000 appropriated with
which it can carry on it's work. the art
world is waiting to see what effect it is
going to have on the carving of marble
and the moulding of bronzes erected to
! tell posterity of the men who made the
nation. Surely the commission will work
good for the city of Washington and for
the Identification of statuary in its parks
and elsewhere But this alone is not all
| it will do in the opinion of the men who
worked for its creation. 1t is believed by
all that the work of the commission will
be felt in every section of the country
where architecture or sculpture is car
ried on for the federal government.
And this, so artists say will cause the
architect and sculptor to work harder on
all private work done by him. Thus such
class of work will gradually rise to a
higher level and our architecture and
sculpture will be greatly enhanced by the
work of several men who work Without
pay, specifically to beautify the statuary
of the national capital
! Although the act of Congress which
created the new board did so that 1t
might pass specifically on the statues
used in this city, already the commits
sion has been asked to pass upon the
plans of a public building. This they did
after several days of consideration, MAX
ing practically no changes in the plans
The plans were for the new Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, which is to be
erection on the land adjoining the present
structure which houses the government
money-making plant.
This alone causes officials to think that
the commissions scope of work will
steadily grow until it covers all branches
of art. In this event the personnel of
the commission will very likely have
painters, sculptors, architects and proba-
bly, musicians. At present the commits
sion is comprised of three architects, one
landscape architect, one sculptor, one
artist and one layman
The plan of the commission is to censor
all statues presented to the government
and after reviewing all submitted to Sc
lect the best. Those works of art of such
a standard that merit other reward be-
sides pay, will be given place in the
Mall, which green sward runs from the
capitol to the Washington Monument.
| 1t is the ambition of the commission to
make the Mall to American sculptors
what the Salon of Paris is to French
painters, If only one statue in every
hundred is of such class as to warrant
! its erection in the Mall that statue will
be placed there regardless of the
time it will take to dot the parking with
such works of art.
| President Taft is among the most en-
| thusiastic over the future of the National
Commission of Fine Arts He has writ
ten the chairman of the commission re-
questing that the commission acquiesce to
being called upon at any time to approve
plans for public buildings in all cities in
the country. Chairman Burnham of the
commission has in turn notified the Pres
ident that the commission will be at his
service at any time to pass upon what
ever plans submitted by him.
| The men selected to act as members of
the commission were appointed by Pres
ident Taft after much consideration.
Daniel II. Burnham, chairman of the
board, is we'll known architect of Chi
cago. Thomas Hastings and Cass Gil
bert, also architects of New York. are
prominent In their professions while
Frederick Law Olmstead the landscape
architect of the commission, is one of the
best known men in his line in this section
of the country. Daniel Chester French,
the sculptor. was appointed member be-
cause of his fame at his craft Frank Mil
let, another member of the commission is
known to the country as an artist. Mr..
Milet is the only member of the body
who resides in Washington, with the ex-
ception of Col. Spencer Cosby, superin-.
who is secretary of the commission.
Charles Moore. another member, is
business man of Detroit, Mich.
| Washington statuary is now undergoing
! its first step toward Improvement Re-
Gently the superintendent of public build
ings and grounds ordered that the bases
of all the larger statues in the parks
should be cleaned. This done, and
the result was so satisfactory that the
superintendent has now given orders that
all the statues shall go through the same
process. Hence many of the bronze apd
marble figures of famous men are look
| ing newer today than they did so years
ago.
| More interest has been taken in the
architecture and statuary of the national
capital within the past few years than
heretofore. From all parts of the coun-
try criticisms and suggestions regarding
1T have been made. AS a result the in
terest taken by Americans has awak-
ened the administration to the fact that
the capital must be built to posterity,
and not as a temporary institution to
crumble and degenerate in short CEN