Evening star., 1921-06-11
ARTISTS WILL AID
NATIONAL GALLERY
Commission Created by
Smithsonian Institution
Holds Meeting Here.

A national gallery of art commission
has been created by the regents Of the
Smithsonian Institution to promote
the development Of the gallery. to as
sist in securing acquisitions and ad-
wise in the matter Of administration.
This commission. which held its first
meeting here. consists Of five public
men interested in art, five experts,
five artists and the Secretary Of the
Smithsonian Institution, who will be
ex-ofi1cio a member of the commits
sion. The five public men are W. X.
Bixby OF St Louis. president OF the
st. Louis Art Museum and we'll known
as a collector: ]. H. Gest. director of
the Art Museum Of Cincinnati and
James Parmelee of Cleveland and this
city. a trustee Of the Corcoran Gal
lery Of Art, and Herbert L. Pratt of
New York. secretary of the National
Art Commission. which has lately ac-
quired for the National Portrait Gal
leaders in the great war recently
shown here in the National Museum
and now making a circuit of the
museums Of this country.
List Of the Experts.
The five experts are John E. Lodge.
now director of the F'reer Gallery,
formerly on the stan of the Boston
Museum Of Fine Arts. son of Senator
LODGE. Frank Jewett Mather. jr, Of
critic and one Of the foremost au-
thorities on European art in this
country; Charles A. Platt Of New
York, the architect of the Freer CAL
lery and equally well known as an
etcher and connoisseur; E. W. Red
AA11 ,f d. Ito
tinguished Landscape painter. and
Denman w. Rose of Harvard Univer-
sity and the Boston Museum of Fine
Arts. a recognized authority on tex
tiles and designs. The five artists
are Herbert Adams. sculptor of the
Macmillan fountain in this city: Dan.
iel Chester French. the sculptor Of
the Lincoln statue in the Lincoln me-
mortal, Of the Dupont fountain and the
Gallaudet memorial; William H.
Holmes. director of the National Gal
lery Of Art and president of the So
ciety of Washington Artists and the
Water Color Club. and
mouth. Va. painter of figure pictures
and portraits
Omeers Selected.
At the initial meeting of the COM
mittee. June 8. Mr.. French was
elected chairman, Mr.. Mather vice
chairman and Mr.. Holmes secretary
Special committees on American, mod
ern and ancient European painting,
oriental art, sculpture, architecture.
mural painting. ceramics, textiles,
prints and national portrait gallery
were organized and chairmen ap-
pointed. An advisory committee to re-
port on works of art submitted for
the National Gallery Of Art also was
This puts the National Gallery of
Art on a vigorous working basis and
assures it the best adyice possible
in matters pertaining to it's develop
ment and upkeep.
The great, need today is for suit
able building. The present collec-
tions, valued at over a million dollars.
are temporarily housed in impro-
vised quarters in the natural history
building. Suitable housing in build
ing designed for the purpose is en-
sential to continued growth.
Value Of National Gallery.
Eevery other great nation has its
national gallery Of art. A gallery
Of art worthy of our nation here
at the nations capital would prove
not only Of educational and recre-
ational value to the people Of the
but a possession in which
all the people might justly feel
and pride. From a purely
viewpoint it would be-
come a valuable national asset.
The rapidity with which valuable
have come to the gal
lery in the past few years indicates
the interest taken in 1t by public
spirited citizens. The lately appoint
pensation.