Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-01
WINNERS OF MEDALS
Gold and Silver Mementoes Of
Excellence in Art.
CORCORAN SCHOOL AWARDS
Closing Exercises Are Held at the
Corcoran Gallery.
ADDRESS BY PRINCIPAL MESSER
"Uses of the Academy" His Theme.
Presentation Address by Gen.
John NJ. Wilson.
ADDRESS BY PRINCIPAL MESSER

ing when the presentation of the gold
medal and other awards Of merit for the
season OF 1911-1912 were made to the
pupils Of the -Corcoran School of Art
Almost as soon as the doors were opened.
at $50 o'clock. every available seat on
the grand staircase. was occupied and
half an hour later the lower atrium also
was filled.
At Q o'clock the director Of the gallery.
Mr.. F. B. Mcclure; representative OF
the board Of trustees, Gen. John NJ Will
son, and the faculty Of the school, COM
prising Mr.. Messer, Mr.. Brooke Mr..
Moser, Miss Critcher, Miss Messer and
Mr.. Tolman. took their places on the
platform, and bugle sounded announc
ing the opening OF the ceremonies
Mr. Mcclure was the first speaker. ex-
planning that the excellence of the work
entered in competition for the gold medal
was so great and the average attained by
the seven competitors so even that the
members of the faculty and art commit
tee of the board which usually consti-
tute the jury found it impossible to arrive
at decision and were finally obliged to
| call in an outside jury to make the award.
This jury was composed of w. II. Holmes.
| curator of the National Gallery of Art;
Mrs. Mathilde Mueden Leisenring. for
merly a member of the faculty of the
Corcoran School,, and Miss Clara Hill, a
| sculptor. all local artists.
Jury's Award Announced.
| Later the announcement OF the judg-
ments Of this jury was made by Mr. Nc
| CURE as follows: In the life and antique
| classes. gold medal to Miss Felicie Wal
do Howell: bronze medal to Miss Alice L.
Howe. and honorable mention to Miss
Bertha D. Gersdorff. In the portrait
| class, silver medal to Miss Louisa Hunt
! ington and honorable mention to Miss
Mary Murray Lockwood. In the draped
/ life class, silver medal to Miss Edith
Maude Harris and honorable mention to
Mrs. Myron D. Smith In the still life
| class. silver medal to Miss Lucy Lee Of
| futt and honorable mention to Miss Grace
e. Harding. In the composition class,
silver medal to Miss Ruth Osgood and
honorable mention to Miss Marie Ellis
| medal to Miss Mary Patten Godding and
| honorable mention to Mrs. Arthur II.
Brice.
| As each name was called the winner
| stepped forward and. amid enthusiastic
applause. received from Gen. Wilson the
medal and diploma AS even the recipi-
ents of honors were unaware Of their
| success until public announcement was
| made, there was considerable excitement,
interest. confusion and enthusiasm.
|
| tation of medals Gen. Wilson spoke feel
| ingly and with profound appreciation of
| the generosity and public spirit Of the
late William w. Corcoran. who had made
| the Gallery of Art and the school possible
| He also paid tribute to the devoted serv-
| ices of Mr. MCGUIRE and to the skill and
zeal of the faculty. With ready wit and
his habitual gallantry. Gen. Wilson told
an anecdote or two appropriate to the
| occasion. and paid to the ladies present
graceful compliments. concluding his short
speech with a verse Of poetry expressive
to all of good wishes.
Principal Address.
The chief speaker OF the evening was
E. c. Messer. the principal Of the school.
who took as his subject THE Uses Of the
Academy" Mr.. Messer said:
1T is now commonly conceded that the
American painter holds his own with the
| painters of his day. To pass through
galleries of an all-American exhibition is
| to be surprised at the extraordinary ad-
| vance in the craft of painting within the
past few years AS q technician the
American is well to the front: he has
| learned how to paint. and he has as
| much to say, perhaps, as the painters OF
| other nations at this time. We find that
| he has developed clear and vivid percep-
| tons Of natural facts and phenomena.
How far this power of perception and
power Of expression have beccme fused
| into that expressive and inevitable out
put which we may call great or adequate
art Is an open question. 1t is only by
| fusion that this duality Of idea-percep-
| ton and its expression-becomes the
single indivisible idea that stands for q
great art.
I'm a current exhibition we are more
often moved to use the word clever than
| a more comprehensive and convincing ad-
| jective in our characterization OF the
| work.
range for sound and permanent judg-
merts; at any rate. our provincialism has
worn off, We are at least sophisticated
| The amateur spirit OF the Hudson river
school has given place to an advanced
often true and intelligent work OF this
earlier period appealed to generation
that had not been awakened to the more
advanced and ADEQUATE ideals which APP
peal to us now. 1 believe. however. that
| the painters have moved faster than the
public; that public comprehension and ap-
probation lag behind the advanced ideals
Of the painters.
| tendency toward what we may call stu
dio professionalism. The painters are
apt to be overimpressed with those prob
| lens of craft that tax the resources OF
the painters art without being IN close
touch with the thoughts, emotions or as
pirations of the intelligent layman. Now
| the layman has q right to be, and should
be, interested In what the painters have
to say, and 1t can hardly be expected OF
him that he shall have acquired an expert
knowledge OF the processes of the work
| which is ostensibly produced for him. He
is beginning to understand, however, that
| a painting to be OF permanent value must
| be In the best sense professional In itS
methods and ideals.
Based on Sound Traditions.
1.-THE American painter bases his meth
DDS on sound traditions Of the past. rec
ognizes In his ideals (and methods) the
limitations of art. separating It. as art.
from philosophy or literature which have
often invaded the province of the paint
ers art, distinctly to its disadvantage
Certain things are most adequately ex-
pressed in words-that makes literature;
other things find a true expression In
| form and color, and that makes art. In
| losophy OVERRIDE and practically de-
stroyed art in Germany. At times the
storytellers have taken possession OF the
| field Of art. and art, as art, has Ian
| guished.
"Our painter avoid these pitfalls. They
have good understanding of technical limi-
tations, which prevents them from vast
| ing too much time in experimentation.
| and they are little disposed to invade the
Of subject matter. As / have already in
timated. they are in some danger of I'M
derestimating the part the public has to
play in the development OF q national
art. It is In the expression OF general
thought and emotion that We must look