Evening star., 1923-03-29
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

The chief examiner OF the New
York customs house has lately been
quoted as stating that nearly fifty
million dollars worth Of works of art
passed through his department In the
last two years. OF this large sum
a bout thirty-five million dollars worth
were works more than a hundred
years old intended for private col
lections, museums or public galleries.
Included in this group were many
famous paintings-works renowned
throughout the world. whose coming
to America was widely heralded. And
to a much greater extent than many
are aware, private collectors have
purchased and are purchasing, have
brought and are bringing to this
country splendid examples of works
by the great painters Of Europe. 50
that it is now said that in the near
future any one desiring to make a
comprehensive study OF works oy
masters of European school-yes, even
the early Italian school and prinl-
itiveS-Will have to visit the galleries
of America. Obviously America is
rapidly collecting examples OF the
great art of the world.
X X X 4
This is interesting and occasion for
pride and satisfa ction. but 1t does not
necessarily show that Americans are
altogether as yet an artistic people
or even to any great extent an art
loving people, any more than, as
Granville Barker once said. the
throngs who attend concerts go to
show that the multitude is musical
1t does, however, indicate trend in
the right direction, for if we are not
much mistaken production follows
appreciation and is engendcred by
knowledge. Those who buy the works
by the great masters and live with
them learn to love them. They pass
on their enthusiasm to others. and, for
that matter, those who arc in d
particularly good position to know
estimate that practically nine-tenths
Of the great works of art brought to
this country by private individuals
eventually find their way into mu-
seums, and thus benefit the public.
X X X v
A nid-western artist, Birger Sand
zen, who has done more, perhaps. than
almost any other to increase love of
ton of the country in which he has
lived, wrote lately TO friend in this
city, saying: our country is getting
to be the great meeting place for
the whole worlds art and culture.
This is very stimulating. indeed. We
must, however, remember that no
place in the world becomes an art
center in the real sense of the term
until IL begins to produce great art
1t is not enough to collect. But we
are commencing to produce really
great art in our country now. The
all-important thing is to find the
creative artists while they are living
and working"
Mr.. Sandzen is an interesting per-
sonality, an outstanding figure in the
art world Of America today. He came
TO this country from Sweden when a
young man and took a position as
teacher IN Bethany College, Lindsborg,
Kan. Hundreds of students have pass
ed through his classes and gone out as
II teachers, spreading the knowledge they
gained through his instruction and
passing on to Others the enthusiasm for
art which his enthusiasm had enldndled.
He is not merely teacher, what is
more but a practicing artist. and he is
one who has a vision. Many will re-
member the exhibition OF his paintings
held couple of years ago at the Arts
Club here, which awakened much prof
but fnodernist of an extremely sane
type, and he has a message.
X X X
But to return to Lindsborg. It is a
little place. with less than two thousand
inhabitants, but 1t has become famous
through its musical festivals attended
| by thousands of persons from the ad-
| jacent district. At the time of the
festivals 1t is said that five or six
thousand automobiles are parked near
the concert hall The audience. fur
thernore. is critical. A couple OF years
ago one of the singers who came from
New York did not please, and the
| manager wrote the Metropolitan Opera
| Company that hereafter they must do
| better: second-r singers might do for
New York, but they would not do for
Iindsborg. 1t is this eagerness for the
best, this recepUyeneSs toward art,
| which has produced such rapid develop
ment in our western country, and which
! may be regarded as a most hopeful
! sign.
Until comparatively recently most OF
| the painting in the United States was
/ done east of the Alieghenies. Gradually
| the territory lying between the eastern
coast range and the Mississippi became
active, with the result that Chicago is
now reckoned among the chief art cen
ters of the United States. It's museum
has an attendance of over a million a
year and it's art colony is justly IA
nous Ohio can boast more art mu-
seums than any other state in the
Union except New York. More lately
still the tide has crept farther west
ward There is noted artists colony
! at Taos, y. NJ; there are others on the
Pacific coast THE Blue Boy" and
| Mrs Siddons as the Magic Muse" did
not tarry on the Atlantic scaooard Whe1l
| they came to this country recently, but
| iourneyed to the west coast and are
| making their permanent home In Cali
| fornia.
This winter exhibitions have been
coming east as we'll as going west
| With reference to one OF these, ]. Nil
! sen Laurvik, director OF the San Fran
/ cisco Museum of Art, writes: MANY
| signs point to the development of a
| great school of landscape painters
| here In the far west, whose achieve
ments / believe, are destined to epito-
mize the true spirit of America in q
manner hitherto unrealized. The pur-
pie contours of the hills bulging large
| against the blue vault, the sweeping
! arms of the bay. the big trees and
( great streams, the vast expanSe OF
| plains and the Pacific, upon which the
| westerner gazes from birth, give him
| a bigness of vision that visualizes
things and events in their entirety"
| X X X X
| Royal Cortissoz, lecturing at the