The New York herald., 1922-08-12
Huntington Offers
Entire. City Block
for Art Exhibition
National Sculpture Society
Gets Use of Broadway Prop
erty at 156th Street.


billions of American sculpture ever col
lected Is being planned by the National
Sculpture Society as the result of an
OFFER OF Archer NJ. Huntington to place
at the disposal of the society the open
spaces OF the entire block at Broadway
ana looth street. occupied by the
Hispanic Society OF America and other
buildings.
The offer of Mr.. Huntington came as
q surprise to the members of the So
ciety. who. having been thwarted by the
attitude OF various civic societies in
their efforts to hold an exhibition in
Central Park this fall, were casting
about in vain for a suitable place in
winch to show examples Of American
garden sculpture
numerous sites were considered. but
IN each case negotiations failed through
one reason or another and the society
mad virtually abandoned the idea of an
outdoor exhibit when Mr.. Huntington's
oHer was made. 1t carries no restric-
ton or condition except that those In
charge of the exhibition will agree to
make 1t one of the most impressive and
representative ever offered to art dev-
otees. The exhibition is to be held in
the spring and continue for a month.
Offer Confirmed Yesterday.
Mr.. Huntington's intention to donate
the site was communicated to the COM
mittee in charge of the exhibition sew
eral DAYS ago, and yesterday an in
formal luncheon was given at his resi-
dence, 1889 Fifth avenue, at which the
offer was confirmed The members Of
the society are enthusiastic about the
new project. Although they still feel
that Central Park would have been an
appropriate place for the exhibit as
planned. they are now able to go ahead
with much more extensive schemes than
would have been possible in the limited
area Of the park space.
Originally planned merely as an ex-
hibition of the outdoor work Of some of
the representative American sculptors
and designed principally to stimulate
public interest In this form of decora-
tion. the acceptance of the Huntington
offer had made 1t possible for the society
to branch out into more ambitious plans
for collecting the best work Of all kinds
from sculptors throughout the country
and present 1t to the public under the
most favorable circumstances
The plot which will be used for the
exhibition is In the center Of an impos-
ing group of buildings upon the Hunt
ington property and forms a sort Of
court yard around which are grouped
the Hispanic Society Of America, the
American Numismatic Society the
American Geographical Society, the
Spanish Church of Our Lady of Hope
and the new building Of the American
Academy of Arts and Letters. designed
by McKinl. Mead & White and which
has only recently been completed.
Roughly the site will provide a space
of about 400 feet long by $50 feet deep,
with an architectural background ap-
propriate for the effective display Of
every kind of sculptural work. AL
though the details have not yet been
worked out, it Is probable that the So
ciety, with the consent OF Mr.. Hunting
ton, will transform part of the court
yard into formal garden. such as
would have been used in Central Park
to exhibit garden pieces to the best ad-
vantage.
The society has determined that the
exhibition shall have a liberal tone
that no restrictions shall be made as to
what particular schools shall be In
cluded and that the merit of the work
shall be the sole basis OF acceptance.
A selective committee composed of some
of the most prominent sculptors In the
country Is to be appointed to pass upon
the works submitted. and II is probable
that one of the representatives of the
so-called modern" school of sculpture
will have a place on the committee, so
that no favoritism can be charged by
the modelers of radical tendencies.
Invite U. s. sculptors.
I'VE arc going to invite all American
sculptors to participate" said Mr.. Emil
Fuchs. a member of the committee who
received Mr.. Huntington's offer. be
cause we feel that the location. space
and surroundings are of such charac-
ter that they will form a background
not only for garden scuIptors. but also
for monumental works. portraits. small
busts. sketches and even medallic work
and plaquettes. We are also going to
ask the sculptors to send In their con-
tributions to graphic art, Including PEN
ell sketches and small studies"
'The committee feels" continued Mr.
Fuchs. that in view of the success Mr.
Huntington made of the exhibitions of
Sorolla. Zuloaga. Prince Paul Troubet-
skoy and. more recently. Clare Sheri-
dan, II has been a great stroke OF good
fortune that he has come forward once
more I'm the cause OF art. His great
knowledge of organization and the sue
cess he has attained in this field would
be enough to warrant the success of
even smaller exhibition than the one
proposed.
I'VE feel that the park would have
been suitable place for the exhibit,
but although we obtained tho consent
and approval of Commissioner Gallatln
We felt the success OF the project would
be imperiled by the attitude of those
societies who believed the sanctity OF
the park was being invaded"
ME. Huntington has long been known
as patron Of the arts. He has taken n
special interest in Spanish art and il
the founder of the Hispanic Museum
which constituted the nucleus OF the
group of buildings on the One Hundred
and Fifty-sixth street plot He was for
many years head OF the American Geo.
graphical Society. and has been an IN !.
defatigable collector of rare books and
paintings.
The committee In charge OF the exhi-
bition Is composed OF A. a. weinman
chairman. Frank Purdy. Carl Paul Jan,
newein and Emil Fuchs.