The Washington times., 1923-03-11

the proportion in which Mr.. Ma
hony finds the psychological APP
peal. This means that Americans
really prefer beauty to utility,
and when you have the conbina-
ton in the right proportion. then
you have the irresistible 100 per
cent, which means successful pro-
duction.
NOMINATING HINT.
In furnishing a house, a woman
should not make her surroundings
detract from herself. OF course.
but rather enhance her beauty
and character, make her environ
ment the setting for the jewel.
This is what many society women
are seeking. and Mr.. Mahony
finds his student body drawn
from all classes of society. A
wide variety of needs and in
terests are brought to his school.
Along with establishing his art
school, Mr.. Mahony. has been at
the same time very active in
founding and developing the Arts
Club OF Washington. While build
ing up what has become here
prototype of the National Arts
Club OF New York, Mahony was
conducting his art school in a
studio apartment at the top OF
the old Riggs National Bank
building, now demolished to
make way for a grander struc-
ture. Two years ago the school
! outgrew it's first quarters, and
moved with the tide of artistic
commercial enterprises to Con-
necticut avenue, at NJ street
northwest. an ideal situation.
It was time of new activities
in Washington, brought about by
the beginning of the world war.
into which America had not yet
hurled herself, though she felt
already the stimulus of stirring
thought and emotion. During
that period Washington nearly
doubled in population. New art
and literary interests here de-
veloped apace.
RISE OF SOCIETIES.
The Washington Society of the
Fine Arts, of which Miss Leila
Mechlin is secretary. grew to
$500 membership. and is said to
number now nearly 1000. The
League of American Pen Women.
founded about that time. also
rose by leaps and bounds. The
Arts Club began at the psyche
logical moment, and has some
700 members, including both resi-
dent and nonresident.
The Art and Archaeology
League. though at first more con-
servative, was steadily growing,
too. The Women's City Club,
started at the close of the war.
jumped to 1000. George Wash
ington University at length num-
bered 5000 students, now over
5000.
The trials and tribulations OF
founding a new art movement,
even in ones own home city.
are manifold Some men would
have gone down under them.
Two or more other praiseworthy
efforts in the past had failed.
But Mahony stuck to his idea
and he succeeded. Incidentally
he feels that he has grown along
with his school. that life IL
richer and deeper and fuller for
the struggle.
Associated with Felix Mahony
are a number of successful men
and women artists, some Of them
of international reputation. like
Paul Wayland Bartlett, leading
American sculptor, and Charles
w. Hawthorne, N. A, famous as
a portrait painter and for his e
school at Provincetown.
STAFF IS LARGE.
Among his advisory and visiting
critics, Mr.. Mahony counts, be-
sides the two named. DR.. William
H. Holmes, Charles E. Pellew,
president of the New York Society
of Craftsmen and recently come
into the title of Viscount Of
Exmouth with seat in the
House of Lords. London; Miss
Leila Mechlin, secretary OF the
American Federation of Art:
Richard F. Bach, associate in in.
dustrial art at the Metropolitan
Museum, New York; Louis Ped
Ter, art councillor of New York;
J. III. de Sibour. an architect of
Washington and designer of
Keiths Theater; Harry r. Cum
ningham, an architect formerly
with the United States Govern
ment; Mrs. Elsie Cobb Wilson, in
terror decorator and her assistant.
Miss MadeIain McCandless; besides
Wells Sawyer, a painter, formerly
a Washington man. @
The faculty includes two of
those already named. and a dozeA