The Washington herald., 1913-07-21
NOTED SCULPTOR
TO Settle HERE
George julian zshay, For
merlb Of St Louis, VIII
Arrive This Week.
HAS PRAISE FOR CITY
Says Washinstsa b Dus 10 Bsesns
Artistic and IntsIlsctnal Csatpe
Il de United States.
HAS PRAISE FOR CITY

George Julian Zolnay, . sculptor Of
national fame, who has made his home
in st. Louis since the Worlds Fair Pc
riod. will arrive in Washington some
time this week to open q studio. He
will take up his permanent residence
here in November with his family.
The artist first planned to return to
New York. where he had kept up his
club and other connections. But the ma
terial advantage open to him in the Capt.
tai, and the highly Intellectual atmos-
phere created here by the present admin
istration. he has stated, will soon make
the District the great intellectual ana
artistic center Of the country. Therefore,
the selection Of Washington for his new
home.
In a recent interview in St Louis.
Zolnay stated:
There are several reasons for my re-
turning East. In the first. am begin
ming to feel need Eastern stimulus. and
that some Of the more important COM
missions have at present ! can do to
better advantage there.
''On the other hand. the fact that !
have been thus far able to. retain my
national clientele does not prove that II
would be wise further to ignore the ad-
SduldStB anu pICoti6C Shot SeSh ASSSo
nized art centers as New York, Boston.
Washington, &C., offer to an artist
Talks OF Monument Affair.
MY friends in the East insist that l
have done my little share in the develop
ment Of Western art. and 1t is time for
me to return East. l certainly have
tried hard enough, and nothing would be
more gratifying to me than to be able
to feel that my efforts here have not
been altogether in vain.
1T was not easy to make up my mind
to leave. because in these ten years
which have been most pleasant, as well
as highly profitable. both my wife and /
have grown very fond Of this city. ]
know my wife. who Is a Kentuckian, will
greatly miss the more or less Southern
atmosphere Of ST. Louis
did the German monument affair have
anything to do with your decision to
leave?' Zolnay was asked.
mo, II did not. 1t was Of too little
personal consequence to affect me one
way or the other. but since you mention
it. will say something that might be
of some benefit to my brother artists
who remain here.
Considered from any angle. this Ger
man monument farce of the Naked
lations of that basic principal upon
which the development of q city's art
conditions depend. The principal estab-
lishments in every community 10 that
in any competition whatsoever, be IT
sculpture painting. architecture or paw
ing streets, whenever all other things are
equal-that is to say. whenever one prop
osition is as good as the other-the
local competitors are entitled to first
consideration"
.'Of the seven models the four submit
ted by st. Louis sculptors were by far
the best in absolutely every respect, and
yet, in the face of the most scathing
criticism, the commission was given to an
outsider on a meaningless and very in
ferior model. Surely, such fragrant dis
against your own people is
not a good way to build up the city.
When / say this. / am not advo-
eating preference to local talent merely
because it Is local. but when the work
of the local people proves superior to
that of the outsider there can be no ar
gument as to what Is the right thing to
do.
There is absolutely nothing personal
in what I have said. for no artist has
ever had more loyal support from his
fellow citizens than / have had. which
1 most gratefully appreciate. 1t is a
principal am discussing.
Il only hope We shall be as happy
in Washington as we have been in ST.
Louis. where our children were born,
where We have dear friends, and for
which We shall always have a very warm
spot in our hearts"