El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-27

. GSStuLlallE a feminine GndEdELGA
istic, it was most fitting that the sub
ject of art should receive great at
I teEtlOn from the earliest beginning OF
! the women's club movement There is
| hardly d club on the rolls of the gen
| eral federation which has not in some
I manner contributed towards securing
( a higher standard of art for the ma
| ton. even though its efforts were con-
: fined entirely TO its own locality. One
| of the most popular publications or
! the federation is its Handbook OF Art
/ in Our own Country" which summar-
! ICES what has been accomplished for
| art in America. 1t has been compiled
/ through the united efforts of the CluD
/ women of the nation and contains
/ list of the most artistic buildings in all
1 Of the more important cities and all
of their notable works of art. 1t has
| been widely circulated, not only
/ through the clubs, but among the IL
| braries, museums, colleges and schools
| of the country. A companion volume,
| Outlines for the Study of Art" has
, been pronounced of equal practical
! value.
The federation as whole has
| worked primarily for two objects,
I namely: the placing Of all art objects
| imported from foreign countries upon
I the free list and the establishment OF
/ art commissions, both state and mu-
K nicipal, throughout the country In
I addition to this the clubs are working
/ continually for the establishment OF
I permanent art collections in each state
] Capital as well as in other large cities
The Woman'S club of st. Louis has
! established the nucleus Of perma-
nent art collection for that city when
/ viii be augmented every year through
Travelling Art Collections.
| Besides these general objects, the
! several state declarations and also the
/ individual clubs continually vie with
each other in initiating special actlY-
/ tiles for extending an interest IN art
! in their own localities. More than half
I of the state declarations now have traV-
cling art collections which are shipped
from one town to another, thus giving
many clubs a chance to study from pic
| lures which would otherwise be un-
obtainable in a small town Sometimes
states exchange their collections Dur
ing the past year Illinois has lent 70
Nebraska a collection of oil and water
colOrs by we'll known Chicago artists,
which have been widely circulated and
greatly appreciated by the clubs priv
! iliged to command their benefits: IN
st. Louis committee composed OF one
member from each of the city ana
suburban clubs has made number OF
collections of productions OF well
known paintings and pictures Of clas-
sic sculpture, together with art refer
ence books to assist in their intelli-
gent use. The first of these was sent
to the canal zone where it was much
appreciated by the American women
now living upon the lsthmus OF rama
the rural towns Of several surrounding
states with good results.
The art study classes taking the gen
eral federation courses are introduce
ing into their working plans subjects
of general and popular interest in
stead Of combining themselves to the
study of classic works OF art which ,
filled up their programs a few years
ago. Now such subjects as What can
the wOmens club do to raise the
standard Of faster what can De
done to improve dress and home dec
oratfon?" What can be done to lead to
a better appreciation of the work in the
arts and crafts2", What can the clubs
do to influence civic life in the direc-
ton of the beautiful, are among the
newer topics presented upon the club
False Standards Discarded.
With the realization of the fact that
true art lies only in a proper appreeia-
ton of beauty wherever it is found,
comes the discarding of many Of the
false and unnatural art standards
which constituted the earlier art work
in many clubs. Every community has
its objects Of natural beauty and the
art department OF the club should seek
to encourage the appreciation Of them
and to secure their proper preserva-
ton. Sometimes prizes are offered by
clubs for the best photograph OF me |
most distinctive trees of a town or OF
an artistic picture of some bit OF !
neighborhOOd scenery. These pictures |
may be eXllDlLeQ N the Town 4lDLdLE I
or in public school buildings and aIter-
wards preserved for future use.
Perhaps the most extensive and pop |
ular work of the art departments OF i
women's clubs has been the placing OF /
art objects upon the walls OF pubic |
schools and the formation of pubic |
school art leagues. In one territory |
where the distances are great and ed /
ucational facilities limited, every pub
lie school IN the territory received Two /
fine pictures from the club women OF 4
that territory. One large department. /
club in a western city has expended j
over $4,000 in school house decoration
The decoration of a school building as /
a memorial to some prominent Wom-
an is a custom originating with the |
Civic club, of Philadelphia, which raised /
sufficient money to decorate a school
in such manner as to make it model 4
and then induced the board Of educa-
ton to rename it as memorial to a
Woman who, up to the time of her
death, had been devoted 10 the i'm
prOvement of the civic condition OF her
city.
The art department Of the Alabama
Federation of WOmen's clubs arranged
to award a plaster cast Of the Winged
Victory of Samothrace" to the first high
school in the state which would raise
half of its cost. 1t went to the new
Sydney Lanier school, in Montgomery,
where it is receiving so much admira-
ton that other schools in the state
are endeaYOring to secure similar deco
rations. Many of the clubs are now
holding travelling art exhibitions and
using tn proceeds to purchase pic
lures for the decoration of public
schools.
Work is Recognized.
The value of the work women are
doing for the artistic improvement or |
the country is being generally recog-
nized. In Minnesota, the art commit
tee OF the Federation of Women's clubs !
has been made an associate with the |
state art commission which it was in
strumentaI in founding. In Kansas the
club women have Deen asked to provide
an advisory committee for Identifying I
the grounds of the state capitol.
The Missouri club women have taken I
for their motto Art in the Market
place" and have arranged innumerable
exhibitions for the bentfit Of the peo-
pie who ordinarily have little oppor-
tunity for such pleasures. In Mis-
sissippi free travelling art exhibitions
under the auspices Of the clubs are en-
Enthusiastically received. In Nebraska,
three travelling galleries of original
paintings and a box of pottery have |
been provided by the state federation |
10 be loaned only to federated clubs, !
and this one induCemnt has added a
number of clubs to the membership