Evening star., 1919-02-23

The Society of Washington Artists
exhibition. now on view in the Veer-
hoff galleries, calls to mind similar
exhibits by the same organization
held during the past twenty eight
years in Washington. Those among
the "old inhabitants who have been
following art matters in this city for
so long . time will recall the exhibit
tions held by the society in the as
sembly room of the Cosmos Club. ad-
mirable shows charmingly set forth
and under limited conditions open to
the public. When this hall became in
adequate for the society's displays,
gallery at Woodward e Lothrops was
utilized for a season or two. Then
for a while the society had its own
gallery on the west side of Connecti-
cut avenue.
After the Corcoran Gallery moved
into its present building it's great
hemicycle became available and the
society, under the presidency of Rich
ard N Brooke, set forth a series of
exhibitions comprising the best works
not merely of Washingtonians. but OF
American artists which are memora-
BILE for merit. 1t was, in fact these
exhibitions which led in time to the
institution of the Corcoran Gallerys s
great biennial exhibitions, pointing
the way and showing the possibilities
of activity along these lines
with the esta blishment of the Cor
coran Galiery's biennial exhibitions
the Society of Washington Artists
the works of artists outside of Wash
ington, and its displays, like the pres
ent. have been limited. therefore. to
the output of local studios. The part
the society has played, however. in
the development of art in Washing
should the names of those who have
contributed to the success of the
yearly displays, even If no longer con-
tributing. be completely overlooked.
did not include works by E. G. Messer,
Richard n. Brooke. Max Weyl, Z. H
Miller, Lucien Powell, Harold McDon-
aid and r. LIE Grand Johnston would,
to those who have long been familiar
with exhibitions in this city, be want
say accustomed favor. 1t is the works
of these and such younger artists AS
Hobart and Spencer Nichols, Everett
L. Warner, Bertha Perrie. Mr.. and
Mrs Robert Coleman Child, George
Gibbs. Aline Solomons, Juliet Thomp-
son and others that have gone far to
make these exhibitions in the past
noteworthy and commendableI
Mr.. Brooke, Mr.. Messer and Mr.. LIE
Grand Johnston are represented in
very important canvases such as all
three have contributed in the past to
similar shows. Everett Warner sends
to the present exhibition an extremely
attractive painting of Winter in Gem
tral Park: Miss Perrie is admirably
represented by two paintings of boats
and a bowl of flowers.
But where are the young painters
who are to come forward and take
the places Of those who have passed?
Some, it is true, have gone to other
cities and are making names for
themselves. A few are coming for
ward into prominence here. But on
the whole it must be confessed that
the "old order changeti" and the
future prospect is not as good as it
should be. It ia hard TO tell why
this should be, here in the National
the best for art and where instruc-
tion of an admirable quality is to be
obtained. But the condition is not
one which is peculiar to Washington.
the men and women who have made
American art noteworthy are rapidly
passing and the younger generation
or generations do not as yet give
promise of supplying others as talent
ed to take their places. But this is
in all probability an "iu-between
time; the whole face of life is
changing, the trend of art today is
in new and. perhaps. better direc-
tion; it may be that we are at the
turn of the tide and that an era of
larger and finer Accomplishment is
already close at hand.
4
In rearranging its collections and
setting apart an entire new gallery
for modern sculpture the Corcoran
Gallery has not merely made i'm
provement, but has broadened its ac-
tivities, for in this new gallery will
be held continuous changing ex-
hibition of cotemporary work by
American sculptors, something which
no other museum in this country ex-
cept the Metropolitan Museum, New
York, has as yet attained. In TAX
ing this step the Corcoran Gallery
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