The New York herald., 1921-10-16
Art Centre Arranges
For Novel Exhibition

For Novel Exhibition
The last day Of receiving exhibits for
the opening exhibition Of the Art Centre
Is on Monday. October II, and while this
event may not be attended with all the
curious and picturesque incidents that
attend the closing hours for receiving ex-
hibits at the Grand Palais In Paris 1t
will make an epoch in development OF
American art When the Art Centre is
opened the public will see clearly illus
trated the many points Of contact exist
ing between modern art and industry
and will have an opportunity to learn
the manifold methods by which design
and craftsmanship contribute to the
prosperity Of our great commonwealth.
Time and space will not permit a thor
ough resume Of the exhibits expected
from ell Of the seven constituent socie-
ties. but the vital quality Of the general
scheme Is we'll illustrated through the
exhibition planned by the Art Directors
Club. The profession OF art director
ship is such O very modern thing that
many people still ask What Is an art
director?" and inquire in a confused
fashion about the work such artists
might exhibit.
The exhibit which the Art Directors
Club will contribute as their part OF the
opening exhibition Of the Art Centre
Building will be something entirely new,
as unlike the ordinary art show as. any
thing can be both as to material or form
of presentation and also regarding real
vitality and definiteness of purpose.
1t will feature the work Of O new ex-
ecutive who plays an important part IN
modern life, a type OF man who only III
teen years ago began to assume his pres
ent commercial identity, and who to-day
guides the expenditure Of enormous sums
and is the strongest link between art and
Industry. For the first time the public
will have an opportunity to see how the
art director accomplishes his task
either in an advertising agency, on a
publication or wherever his type OF tai
ent is employed.
A glance at some of the figures relative
to the enormous yearly expenditure for
advertising, including the amount spent
for commercial art, reveals the great re-
sponsibility which rests upon the art
directors shoulders. 1t also emphasizes
the importance Of his close cooperation
with the illustrator and the printer. both
of whom are represented In the con-
stituent societies Of the Art Centre. ana
who are working together for the devei-
opment Of ever better standards In the
industriaL crafts and graphic arts.
According to Mr.. Suhr. himself an ex-
perienced art director, and one who has
had an opportunity to study the subject
in all its manifold details. there are four
hundred recognized advertising agencies
in the city OF New York and they aver
age about million dollars apiece yearly
for advertising space in magazines and
newspapers. This makes a yearly total
f1,,, hun n
figure can easily be multiplied by ten
to cover the entire country. A low
estimate places the average expenditure
for art at fifty thousand dollars annually
per agency or twenty million dollars In
the city Of New York. One leading ad-
vertislng agency bought twelve million
dollars worth Of space In advertising
mediums last year and purchased over
three hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars worth of art. Then there is what
is known as the mechanical production
Of the Observation-Disclosures make
up. eiectrotyping. This is generally
estimated at per cent. of the total for
space, which adds another twenty
millions for New York alone. The ad-
vertising art directors In this city super
wise the expenditure OF some five hum
dred millions annually. twenty millions
"
encouraging American art.
The exhibit of the Art Directors Club.
at the opening OF the Art Centre Build
ing, will show how. this Is carried out
and will inaugurate the most modern
OF methods In this constructive educa-
tional demonstration Of the application
Of art to industry.
Color prints and photographs OF ia
nous pictures suitable for decoration Of
schools and libraries have been brought
together by the American Federation OF
Arts and may be seen at the Sage Foun-
dalton Building from Oct IS to 30.
There are included fine reproductions OF
works by Inness. Thayer. Millet. st.
Gaudens. Blakelock. Abbey, Violet Oak
ley. Couse. Brush. Church. Bierstadt.
Whistler. Homer and others. as we'll as
examples from older masters such as
Reynolds Vandyck. Rembrandt. Rubens.
Raeburn. de Hooch. Raphael, Giorsione
and Titan. The prints vary in size
and color. depending on subject and
shape, but all are Of such dimensions and
character as to lend themselves readily
to schoolroom or library use---Reynolds's s
age Of Innocence" at the side OF Blake
lockss Moonlight" or Homer's NORTH
easter" There is in these prints ad-
mirable material to constitute the back
ground OF growing youth and to aid In
formulating those ideals and ambitions
which II Is the work OF schools and
libraries to foster. while at the same
time bringing into the life of youth O.
foretaste OF that shadowy thing called
culture.
This is one of fifty-five exhibitions
circulated from coast to coast by the
Federation IN its national work In favor
OF American art appreciation. These
exhibitions cover a long list of subjects
from oil paintings and landscape garden
ing ct tapestry and brocades. including
also table china and silverware, cur
tain laces and wall paper.
Edward Mcknight Kauffer. whose
posters for the London underground and
London buses have attracted so much
attention and praise there. is an Ameri-
can. He was born In Great Falls, Mont,
I'm 1890. This artist. who is said to have
raised the whcle standard of commercial
.. H. p