The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-07

1t is said of dorado Taft, the noted
American sculptor who is to lecture
in Topeka on the evening of May IS,
at MacVicar chapel, Washburn col
lege, that he is as interested in civic
betterment as he is in sculpture. He
is reported as saying to someone who
interviewed him on the subject: MY
charge for giving a lecture on sculp
ture is 5000, but would willingly talk
on civic betterment for no charge at
ALL"
The prime factor in bringing Taft to
Topeka is the national students col
lege art sorority known as Delta Phi
Delta. That sorority has a chapter at
the Kansas university, and also one
at Washburn college. The Washburn
chapter upon hearing that the K. U.
chapter was to bring the famous
sculptor to Lawrence, at once devoted
its energies to having him come to
Topeka also. The Washburn chapter.
| however, by reason of its small size
and limited financial resources felt
unable to handle the matter alone,
and asked for the cooperation of the
Topeka Art guild and other local
! bodies interested in art. This CO.
| operation was readily given.
The thing now hoped for is the CO.
| operation of the general public, which
| it can give, by turning out on the night
| of May IS, to hear this most delight
fully interesting speaker.
Maynard Walker, the highly gifted
| young Topeka artist, who recently re-
| turned from Colorado, where he lived
| for about a year, painting mountain
scenery in the vicinity of Longs Peak,
and whose picture, Battle Mountain,
| exhibited in Denver during the month
| of February last, was the subject of
! much favorable comment by several
artists of national reputation, is in re-
ceipt of an interesting letter from an
artist friend in Denver. AS the letter
| contains much news as to what is go
| ing on among artists in an important
| part of the middle west, a portion of
| it is quoted below.
Before beginning to quote the letter
| it might be we'll to tell something
| about the man who wrote it and Some
| of the people mentioned in it, The
writer of the letter is Dean Babcock,
| a well known Denver artist. He was
a former pupil of Robert Henri and
, of William H. Chase. and fellow stu
dent of George Bellows and Rockwell
Kent. He is now working chiefly in
black and white. He is an enthusI-
astic expert at block printing, having
! studied that work under Helen Hyde.
| Babcoek is a violinist of exceptional
ability in addition to being an artist,
and studied under the. noted violinist,
| Schra dieck.
Robert Reid is an artist of inter
national reputation. He is a member
of the faculty of Broadmoor Art acad-
envy at Colorado Springs, of which
institution John F. Carlson is the
head. Albert Olson is a native of
Denver, but received most of his
training in the Pennsylvania Academy
of Fine Arts at Philadelphia, and in
various European art galleries. His
speciality is mural decoration and he
is at present engaged in decorating
! the interiors of several Denver mu-
nicipal buildings His work has been
| exhibited in many American cities
! and he is quite well known turnout
the United States. The exhibition
| spoken of in the letter was held in
the Denver public library. The letter
| is as follows:
! 1--WE have had Robert Reid's Moon
| light Motifs at the gallery. These
are not only beautiful and imaginative,
| but genuinely big in design. OF the
work Reid has done out here, 1 be-
lieve I like his landscapes, including
these moonlights, better than his por-
trait and figure things; that is. think
they are more interesting and dis
! tinguishe1 among the general run of
landscapes, than his portraits are
among the general run of portraits.
But the big event is on now, two
man exhibition of Miss Spalding and