Evening star., 1922-01-08
PUBLIC TO BALLOT
ON ART RATINGS
Referendum on Merits of Pic
lures Comprising Corcoran
GaIIery'S Biennial Exhibit.

The popular referendum on the re-
spective merits Of the pictures compos-
ing the Corcoran Gallery Of Arts eighth
biennial exhibit Of contemporary Amer
lean oil paintings will begin tomorrow
morning. The art-loving public will
have chance all during the week to
register its approval or disapproval Of
the ratings given by the professional
jury of award which distributed the
william Clark cash prizes and medals.
Every visitor to the exhibition during
the present week Oh entering the gall
lery will be handed a ballot, on which
ne or She may indicate a choice as the
best picture in the exhibit No picture
Is barred; even those placed on display
but ineligible for one Of the four Clark
prizes may be voted for in this refer
endum.
Ballot Box to Be Installed.
ballot box will be installed bota up
may be slipped up to and including next
Sunday afternoon. AS soon thereafter
as possible the ballots will be counted
by an outside committee appointed by
gallery officials and the result published.
visitors are asked to consider their
votes seriously and carefully. for on the
result thereof two important results de-
pend. One is an approximation of public
opinion In regard to art matters. The
other is the award Of a generous prize
of 5000 donated by the gallery itself to
the artist whose picture gets the great
est number Of votes.
That the public will take the matter
seriously is almost certain, in view of
the past success of similar voting con-
tests held by the Corcoran Gallery, con-
tests which proved so valuable to the
world of art and so interesting to the
art-loving public that they have been
initiated by galleries and museums in
other large art centers.
First Test Made in 1916.
The first occasion of this sort came
in connection with the biennial ex-
thibition Of 1916. On that occasion SO
widely divergent were the verdicts
Of the jury of award and Of gallery
visitors generally, including connois-
seurs, art critics. collectors and others
whose knowledge Of art was by no
means limited. that the idea of pub
successfully carried out. Not only was
it shown at that time that the public
disagreed pretty generally with the
professional jury, but that the public
and especially the Washington pub
lic-knows good art when it sees it.
The group of paintings receiving the
most votes were all Of them good.
The fact that the public invariably
fixes on good picture as its first
choice was further emphasized by the
seventh biennial exhibit. which was
held in 1919 and which was also fea-
tured by a referendum. Although at
that time &. Powell Minnigerode. di-
rector of the gallery and one Of the
oIiginators Of the plan for indication
of popular choice, had several thou
sand ballots printed, these proved
insufficient and extra ballots had to
be fmprovised from the gallery's stock
Of stationery.
Get ytsitors' Viewpoint.
Although there is but the one prize
Of 5000. it is customary to announce
the several pictures ranking near the
top in public esteem. 1t is always
Interesting to obtain the public's
viewpoint as compared with that of
the professional artists. Seldom do
the two coincide as to actual prize
winners. but 1T has usually been the
case. both here and elsewhere, that q
painting highly esteemed by fellow
artists carries&a general appeal. while
the public votes for pictures of .genu-
inc merit.
Many visitors. it is learned, have
already inspected the exhibit several
times preliminary to the exercise Of
this franchise. indicating that the
matter is taken seriously by them
The previous record of ballots cast is
about 10000. and 1T is hoped by gall
lery officials that this number NAV
be surpassed this week.