The Washington times., 1924-03-15
POSTER ART IS
TAUGHT To 80
DISABLED
Work Now on View Shows
They Have Become Capable
Commercial Artists.
By MARGERY REX.

1 ~ Ss~AAAOAA1ASA ANASsAs
Written for Cosmopolitan News Service.
| NEW YORK, March 15.-The
/ fruit OF an amazing experiment
hangs where all can see.
Ninety disabled veterans Of the
world war have been made into
ninety artists.
garrets or cramped bathrooms. And
not into the type Of artist who
! respects his art 80 much and him.
self so little that he will not sell
his talent In order to support his
| genius.
Disabled soldiers through the ef-
forts Of the Veterans Bureau and
the still further efforts OF the So
ciety Of Illustrators, have become
| capable commercial artists.
Work L. On View.
The third annual exhibition Of
the Society Of Illustrators Doncol
for Disabled Soldiers now en- be
seen at the Art Center here.
Posters car ads, illustrations.
book plates. linoleum prints cata'
logue covers and fashion drawings
all show a remarkable knowledge
of drawing color, composition, -
well as excellent handling of pen
and brush.
Remarkable, since many Of these
artists were not even amateurs
three years ago, but possessed OF
only the wish. to draw ana 70
paint. Remarkable. because many
- wk4 or ho wing 1nQf a TfRhe
hand or right arm in the war had
to learn to use the left hand. And
to use it in the simplest ways be"
fore attempting the complexities
/ Of artistic endeavor.
Because this exhibit bears thu
unmistakable imprint Of the pro-
| fessional, merchant - wholesalers
and retailers-and other advertis-
ers have been invited to inspect
| the work with a view to engaging
| the services Of these artists. u
Because academic training, al
| though thorough, was secondary.
| and used as an aid to applied art,
the work shown at the Art Center
actually is that Of professionals
instead Of amateurs.
Difference Is Vital.
Often the difference between
academic and applied art is for
the artist who must Immediately
support himself, all the differ
ence between poverty and self-re-
spect. Too much academic train
ing is apt to create the profess
sional student type, the aesthetic
enob who thinks that all worthy
| art-including his own-should
hang in museums, and VINO Is
content to let the car'ads remain
unbeautiful, so that the general
level Of taste may not be I'M
proved.
But academic training as
groundwork, and not an END IN
itself, is necessary. And IN the
three years these students nave
that usually takes from five to ten
wears under less intensive systems.
And in addition have acquired an
education in applied arts from
the best men in these lines.
On the walls Of the Art Center
are revealed many interesting per-
sonalities, many futures, many po-
tential fortunes.
AT present thirty Of the students
are eager to do what Is called
shou work. Eleven feel they will
succeed best as free lances. Four
teen have devoted themselves to
illustration. All want paying Jobs
by the time the school closes for
| ever on June 80.
Poster Is Brilliant.
The poster. which advertises the
exhibit at the Art Center, has q
brilliant simplicity and a symbol
ism which seems to express the
hopes of this courageous and
talented group-a ship coming In.
Particular gratitude is expressed
by students toward G. B. Falls
and Ray Greenleaf. well-known
artists, for, asking the Veterans
Bureau to establish a Government
school Mr.. Greenleaf went to
Washington, and so great was his
enthusiasm for the project, that the
Government in January, 1921. equip
ped the institution. seventh flc r
Of the Grand Central Palace, with
a dozen or SO artists giving their
services free as instructors.