The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-10-02
RICHMOND ART EXHIBITION ElCELS ONE OF NEW YORK
Academy Tells New Workers.
Not Abreast With .Times-Pases Richmond


New York has learned. through the
efforts Of L. NJ. Emmons that this city
II the Home Of Fashion" New York
II informed by . New York artist that
Richmond sxcells II ~ an art center.
The followins Is from the New York
Times:
Mr.. John w. Alexander, president
Of the National Academy, portrait
painter. mural decorator. and In sener'
al ~ near the top OF the country's
register OF artists a. any man who
Yields brush today. ID OF tho opinion
that New York II behind all other
large cities and many small ones OF
America In art matters. He tempers
his judgment by saying that the coun.
try general leads the world. but In re-
gard 10 New York he Is emphatic.
Mr.. Alexander has just returned
from q lengthy trip through Europe.
chiefly for the purpose Of studying ex.
hibition buildings In Europe and of
getting suggestions for the new struc-
ture the National Academy Is to put
ND In this city. He comes back i'm.
pressed with the importance Of Amer.
teas contribution to the art Of today
but gloomy over the condition OF af.
fairs In New York.
Have you ever been to Richmond,
lud.?" no asked. mo? Never heard
of Il even? A good many persons
don't know the name. but all artists
do. Richmond has one Of the best
exhibitions In this country. wish
New York could compare with II.
have come back from Europe depress
ed 1t the prospects for art In New
York. We have the artists, We have
the good intentions. but We seem ia
be up against an almost insoluble
problem.
New York has the best Of music;
no European city has better. It has
too, appreciativc audiences for both
music and art. Not only IL the Am
erican part Of the population inter
ested, but we have Italians and Ger
mans and Hebrews In great numbers
and everybody knows their interest In
such matters. But the art center oi
this country 10 Pittsburg. with Buff
falo and Chicago In second and third
places, and New York far down the
jist.
AT the same time. my trip to Eu
rope has brought homo to me more
wildly than before the importance oil
American art. I do not think ! Car
BE- accused Of . provincial point oi
view. am an honorary member Of
many societies Of artists In Europe
they are my friends Of years stand
Ing. and I think I am free from any
prejudice In the matter. But during
my journey through Europe 1t waa
brought home to me that the leading
place In art today belongs to Ameri
CO. And this makes the condition Of
affairs In the country's greatest city
even more deplorable.
wherever you 90 In Europe you
find q school. In England. In France
and In Germany there IL q sameness
IN the work Of the national artists
Any one with an ordinarily percep
tive eye could be dropped down sud
denly In any modern gallery OF Europe
and be able TO say In what country hi
found himself. The result does not
favor originality. the development o.
. personal point OF view. like the Am
srican system. Here We have examples
Of the best Of every country's art
and our students grow familiar with
every phase OF the worlds genius. W.
have not the most important canvases
perhaps, but we have splendid exam
pies OF every style and period. Thu
collection at the Metropolitan com
pares favorably with any In Europe
Of that am more than ever convinc
"a.
Moreover. there 10 q tremendoui
awakening all over the country In re
gard to such matters. Al president o
the Academy I get-I was going Il
nay hundreds Of letters. and It 10 al
most literally that. from towns all ov
Or the country asking for advice o
some sort In regard to the establish
uaeAt Of building for exhibition pur
poses. Only today got . letter from
. small town In Nebraska saying tina
they had begun n fireproof building
70 hold pictures ut an annual exhibit
ton. In hundreds Of small towns the!
have begun to show canvases ever!
year. The wellto-do men Of the towI
buy pictures In surprising numbers
and often present them to the towl
to form the nucleus OF q permanent
collection. We are beginning really Il
care about art.
In spite of Indifference In the pas
our artists have come to the frs
place. What We can do when their
10 sympathetic encouragement opens ,
field for wonderful speculation. Never
again can happen what did happen II
the case Of picture like whistler,
portrait OF his mother. for instance.
suppose this may b called the great
Get modern picture. II was done b,
an American. IL could have beer
bought here for q few hundred dollar,
and II was lost to France. In few
years II viii hang In the Louvre be
eide the great paintings Of all time
We might have had II here, but W,
didn't know ~ much then as we d,
now. In future we won't let the mas
terpieces OF n country slip through oul
fingers.
But to come hack to New York ant
the distressing state Of affairs here
AZ our exhibitions at the Academy ",
show some 800 pictures. They ar,
~pAurAcA eN~~Hhav hO~w - AtwA