Evening star., 1923-05-10
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

ure-giving than this unique art mu-
time opened it's doors to the public?
Once upon time. as the old story
tellers were wont to say, museums
were far from being playthings. for the
main idea of those who admins
tered them was to preserve their con-
tents, and in order to do so they kept
them in glass cases and fenced them
off They We're. in fact. mere store
houses. and they We're rather dull
and dead affairs; but an amazing
change has come over these institu-
tiOns within the last twenty years,
and today. instead of having the
chilly atmosphere of cold-storage
plants, they dispense, in most in
stances, the warmest kind Of hospi-
tality. Their attitude TO the public.
in fact. is not only cordial, but win
ming, and everything that can be
thought Of is done to make the ex-
hibits both enjoyable and Of educa-
tional value.
\ writer in the Bulletin of the
Rhode Island School of Design has
lately called attention to the legend
inscribed on the north gate Of the
old city of Sienna, which, being freely
translated, reads: More than her
gates, Sienna opens her heart to YOU"
and says: ut is a great temptation
to engraVe raraphraSe of the in
scription over the entrance Of the art
museum-'More than her doors the
art museum opens her heart TO you "
such statement" this writer de-
clares, would define at once the
spirit which actuateS all American
museums Of art that justify their ex-
iStence. for the storage days are long
past and the modern spirit of help
fulness, efficiency, usefulness and
.i..f.. s.f
course, rs with Sienna, SO with the
art museum. There are many who
blindly spend hours within its walls
who seek 1t out of curiosity or be-
cause it is the thing 10 do, and they
have their reward. The heart of the
museum Is incomprehensible to them.
But there are others in everin
creasirG numbers who seek beauty
and inspiration, who love color and
pattern. who appreciate beauty Of
design. To those the heart OF the
museum is indeed open and to them
ton"
An Interesting illustration OF the
old and new methods Of setting forth
exhibits is to be found in a small
museum in southern city, where
two beautiful groups of native birds
are shown with consummate art. the
siulieu blTdS DelHS eAnlbiltu win
landscape setting, as in their native
environment, and the landscape work
being by an artist of distinction Ad-
Ja"cnt to these very beautiful ex-
hihits is a case of stuffed birds shown
In the old manner each on it's perch
with its label beside it-very stuffed,
very dead, very unengaging. In our
National Museum excellent illustra-
tion. is given of the progress in the
art Of display through the medium of
the group exhibits. the Roosevelt ami
mails and the Indian tribes, the latter
designed and set up under the super
vision of the bureau of enthnology.
To be sure these do not come within
the category of the art museum, but
the! illustrate the change in the
spirit of the museums generally.
The art museums are equally awake
To the requirements Of the times. and
do what they can TO relate their ex-
hibitS 70 prtSe Seat-day life. TIL" direc-
tor of one Of the smaller museums of
the middle west. writing an acquaint-
anCe in Washington. has said that
his museum has included Sma IL
local feature. Here is the way they
have gone about it: This spring they
have had a flower show in their gar
denS. They have set forth an exhibit
ton by local etchers, an exhibition
month they are TO have an exhibition
of nine old ma Sters. and they are Civ
ing a series of appreciation lectures
on the old masters at the same time.
They are having an exhibition of fne
small home architecture. laying
stress on suburban homes and sub
urban gardens, and in this they are
having the cooperation OF the local
chapter of the American Institute of
Architects. Says the director: Hand =
woven counterpanes and hover shows
may not be strictly classified as be-
longing TO the fine arts, but they have
made IL possible TO bring the men
from the street into the gallery. and
this is what we are trying to do.
Almost without exception. all the
museums OF the country are trying TO
do the same thing-woo the public,
educate by amusing. The great
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
which has reputati ton for SeclusIve-
ness. has within the past year done
away with all entrance fees. estab-
lished the custom of having free con-
certs beneath its roof. and for years
this museum has kept on its stan a
in explaining its exhibits ana has
spent much energy in bringing 70
the museum the children. not or the
rich, but of the poor. On saturdays
and during the summer 'dcailoi Shi
loads and busloads Of the children
from the settlement districts are
brought to the museum. told stories
about the exhibits, taken around and
shown the things that are most in
teresting and most lovely in an init
mate way. and later on these little
children bring their parents to the
museum, leading them eagerly by the
hand. The Art Institute of Chicago.
which has an attendance of over a
million year, belongs to the people
and is used as a great community
center. a hive of activity.
There are those occasionally VINO
murmur that there is danger or
cheapening art by attemptlng TO to
really hurt art if it is of fine quality,
and though all may not get the mes
sage or catch the vision. some do,
and they in turn will hand II on to
others.
For many years the Corcoran Gal
lerv of Art was fortunate in having
as its doorkeeper one who had grown
up with the institution ana mao
great reverence for its collections.
Because of the delightful way in
which he welcomed the visitor the
writer. when little girl. thought
that the gallery belonged 10 him and
was immensely impressed by the way
in which he dispensed hospitality.
welcoming those who came. bidding
adieu to the departing visitor, with
an appreciative word about the charm
Of the collection, the joy of seeing
the gallery. Every art museum should
have such a host, but if 1t has not, IL
can at least demonstrate the same
spirit through the medium of its other
employees. This is the spirit of the
modern art museum. The old idea
that art is only for the elite is very
nearly obsolete in America, and,
though there are still a few who
maintain that the masses should not
be considered in such matters. the
democracy Of art is pretty we'll es-
tabliShed.