The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-02

Is AMERICAN I'M
E8 By Frederl'
ie5saonsss1s1sos; sE1cs1s9soss,sce:
The United states Is just now be
ing awakened 10 realization OF the
dependence of many lines OF Industry
upon art The effectiveness of the
gown a woman wears, Of the furn1-
ture that nils her house. the china
upon her table, rests largely upon the
artistic ability that was the basis OF
its creation A piece of clay may
have been worth penny shaped
With a certain degree of skin into a
dish II took on a value of twenty
five cents. In the hands of a better
artist it may have become a vase
worth FIVE dollars. With the design
of the master back of it and the skill
OF rhe ~ell-trained workmen in its
execution. it. may have taken on a
value a hundred times as great he
increase in value has, in each case.
depended upon art It has demon
strated the dollars and cents value 9.
art as basis for certain industries
1t Is true OF the United States that
II certain of the industries that re-
appreciation combined with inechan-
ical skill. 1t has leaned heavily upon
the older countries Of Europe The
making of pottery. for instance. re-
quires rare combination of art and
skill. The designer must be an arts.
and more He must know all the pro-
cesses of pottery manufacture that
he may judge the possibilities in his
design He and the skilled potter.
~
must have grown into an effective
working team through long associa-
ton.
Along the border of Germany and
France, in the region now devastated
by war. have dwe1t a people many Of
whom have been makers of pottery
for centuries. The art and craft OF It
have been handled down from one
generation to another There IS
complete understanding between de-
signer and workman The result is a
very superior product which it is diff
ficult for the same industry in a new
country to equal Similar conditions
! exist in many other industries
In the face of this situation
American manufacturers have quite
generally depended on Europe, par
ticularly for their designs The
value of textiles depends materially
upon the artistic merits of their pat
terms. American textile manufactur-
ers have, instead Of making their own
designs. sent men abroad to select
from those that might be purchased
from European Industrial artists.
The opportunity to get satisfactory
results IN this way has interfered
with the development of competent
designers in America. 1t is still
claimed that the American designer.
, while he may be artistica1ly compe-
tent. does not know enough OF the
mechanical end Of manufacture to
make himself effective
/ The present condition of chaos in
! Europe has interfered with the ac-
tiyi1ies of its industrial artists
America is being thrown on its own
resources While the situation e1-
! lists, the American Federation OF Art
| is making the most of it to emphasize
!! the need of a greater development OF
industrial art training and at the
I same time to show that Worthwhile
work is already being done indepen-
] IDENTIFY in America The annual con-
tvention of this association held in
!! May was largely given over to a dis
! cussion of Industrial art AS re-
suit of the activity of the American
j Federation of Art, an imposing exhl-
/! bition of the products of American
firms has been placed on display at
| the National Museum IN Washing
! ton.
| AS a result of the discussion that
has been called forth by the indus
| trial art situation. 1t is interesting
Ito note that figures have been COM
! piled which show the relative atten-
/ ton that is given to industrial art
and academic art respectively in this
/ country. and the relative results that
are derived from each. 1t is shown
| that there are 100 schools of academ-
ic art in the United States. with an
| enrolment of more than 5000 pu-
| pills, the object OF which is to train
/ them to be painters sculptors and
1 illustrators. From figures furnished
! by the directors of those schools 1t
! was estimated that not more than one
per cent OF these students followed
are as a profession after leaving
1 school.
/ There are a very few industrial art
! schools in the United States, the Dig
Sest of all these being located IN
I Philadelphia Figures from TINS
| school show that seyen1y-hye per
i cent OF its graduates during the last
ten years have found lucrative en-
/ pIoyment along the lines OF their
I training. There is one night school
/! in the United States that teaches IN
! dustrial art. and this is the only pub
/! lie school that has such course
In the public schools of Europe
vast amount of attention is given to
4 industrial art training. France has
| long had her industrial art schools
/ and thew are to be found in every
I town. They are as common as are
] high schools in America 1t is held
/ that the precedence that France has
| gained in the production of materials