Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-12
DR.. FRANK PARSONS
SPEAKS At WOMAN's CLUB
Head Of New York School Discusses
Art, Industry and Edu-
cation.
is CREATIVE. NOT INITIATIVE
Declares Art to BE Identical With
Life in Places and Becomes Com
mcrciaIiZed Because Everything
Has "a Money Value.

art. Industry and Education" was
The subject of fascinating lecture
yesterday afternoon by DR.. Frank
Alvah Parsons. president Of tn" Nc"'
York School Of Fine and Applied Arts.
Or. Parsons is Il lecturer of intcrna-
,ional reputation. an author and dircc-
tor Of one of the largest art schools
in New York, and his addrcss was re-
plete with the broad culture Of the man
who made It. lie is very subtle in MS
humor and his illustrations of many
points in his lecture by the idiosyn-
CRASHES ard oddities Of tho fashions
Of the day were simply delightful.
DR.. Parsons began his lecture with
graceful tribute 10 Virginia and the
city oC Richmond. and especially th"
Woman's Club here. As nation, we
have less appreciation of art than We
should have. he said. and the speak
or discussed IN detail the power TO
rcsurrcct III our OWE minds the value
and meaning: OF art and how to make
II operative as a people.
There are ,hr"e distinct things to
consider said DR.. Parsons. Life is
the inward urge 20 growth: if we have
not this w" are out of line with iii"
and out of the realm OF art. The maxi
ing OF something which is creative is
tho end and aim OF life. Life is action,
and should be thought Of as distinct
" creative. II is SO curious how peo-
pie 10 what other people do, such a:
taking down lace curtains ut n certain
time. wearing uubccominC hate Just
because they arc the vogue. Art. then,
Is. first IF all. n state Of mind. quite
like measles or patriotism or religion.
DECLARES ART Is CREATIVE.
AND NOT SIMPLY INITIATIVE:
cart is creative. rather than imita-
tive Art ard life arc identical in
places. Even though we are con.id :
cred 4 material PEOPLE. we are moro
mind than body. The mind is made up
OF only Two things: what was there
what wc Inherited, not tina. we can
hold oar ancestors actually respcrsi-
bic for everything rwc are. but this
life is so snort ono must have some
thing 10 build an ard around-anl
what wc extract. When we take some
thing out NC must put something in
it's p!&cc. Art. then, IS = uuaiity Of
ones consciousness. and can only come
in when n place is made for it,
Or. Parsons SAID that he fo;IrL "a
tendency everywhere TO hclicvo that
at is something separate aud apart.
You must first make art a part Of vaur
consciousness. for 1t PLAYS Il par: in
every conceivable act o. lie. We must
he consistent IN Z. for We canno, he
artistic to-day and anything but that
Tomorrow. l.. cannot be applied a.
VIII. but is part of human conscious
ness. and acts automatically. Art ig
the answer to n need In i!fe.
There are three principles to know
First, man can express in art exactly
what he is. and not an iota more. it
IS as great thing to appreciate art
as TO create. We arc all born with n
divine right for love OF bcauty-ar
3scetic sense which demands beauty
y starved ascc,ic sense will take what
II can get. The three PRINCIPLES arr
then: man cannot express what he is
not: he must express what he i.; We
appreciate exactly what we are. and
no more.