Evening star., 1925-01-29
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

HouncementS begin to come by mail
or Summer schools Of art and art
tours in Europe, reminding US that,
no matter how bleakly the north
wind blows, vacation days are ahead.
These announcements for the art
student and lover are like unto the
seedman's catalogue, which for the
garden-maker has always been the
first harbinger of Spring. They take
one out Of the workaday world and
into the land of dreams.
Say what one will, the artists are
happy people and know better than
almost any class how to have a good
time. Summer colonies of artists are
centers not merely Of art production,
but Of good fellowship, OF gayety,
and those who gather there accumu
late not merely a knowledge of their
art, but a valuable supply Of happy
memories. So popular are the resorts
where the artists gather that If one
wishes to squeeze in it is necessary to
plan long ahead. 1t Is partly for this
reason that the announcements go out
at this time.
The number of these Summer colo
nies for artists is rapaidly growing
Gloucester was one Of the first to be
established, then Provincetown and
ogunQuit. The last has a rival in
Maine In Boothbay Harbor. Lyme,
Conn, is an -year-round colony,
aS-draWing on our seven-league
boots and taking a long step across
the continents Carmel-by-th the-Sea
In California. There are the inland
colonies, one in the Berkshires, an
other at Woodstock, N Y, and there
Is second all-year-round colony at
New Hope, Pa. The Pennsylvania
nf Artu
ago established its Summer school at
Chester Springs, picturesque sec
tton of the country not very far a s
the crow flies from Philadelphia. The
Chicago artists who do not come East
cOngregate in the Summer at Oregon,
Ill. Then there is the famous colony
1t Taos, y. Mex, to which many Of
the Eastern painters make resort.
This year for the first time there is to
be a Summer school and colony at
Santa Fe, n. Mex, under the director
ship of the Denver School of Art.
There will be a Summer school Of art
at Colorado Springs, and, manned by
teachers from Pratt Institute, Brook
lyn, Summer school of art will be
conducted this year for the first time
in Portland, Greg. And so 1t goes.
*
Together with the announcements
of Summer schools come the pro-
spectuses OF travel tours. A number
Of the colleges are arranging special
tours for art students under the
leadership OF the heads Of art de-
partments or schools OF architecture.
These provide daily lectures on the
steamship in transit and discursive
talks en- route. Surely II one IS able
TO look and listen at the same time
one might in this way accumulate
great wisdom in brief space. One
series of these tours is sponsored by
an organization which has as its
chief object the increase Of friendly
international relationships.
Quite generally today art is being
recognized as medium Of common
understanding and as a means of pro-
noting peace among men of good
will" Largely with this object in
view the American School of Fine
Arts at Fontainebleau was establish
ed few years ago by the French
government. This was originally
started as an American school Of
music. News comes through our
American Academy in Rome that the
Italian government, following this
lead, is establishing this Summer
an American school of music in the
Villa d'Este at Tivoli. What a privi-
lege to spend a season In residence
in that rambling old villa and to be
able to wander at Will in those lovely
gardens, to watch the shadows
lensthen, twilight fall, and finally
the stars come out overhead to the
tinkling music of its fountains But
what a responsibility our American
students must assume not to disturb
tho romance Of the ages or to jostle
the ghosts that walk those stately
avenues! In opening the Villa d'Este
to American art students the Italian
government places in our hands
sacred trust and pays US the great
est Of compliments.
During the past fortnight or more
a radical change has taken place In
the personnel OF the management Of
two OF our great American art mu-
seums-the Museum of Fine Arts in
Boston and the Art Institute Of Chi
cago. Both of these institutions have
for some months been without
president OF the board Of trustees
In Boston, Morris Gray. not only one
of Boston's leading citizens, but a
writer of delightful poems and in
spring essays on art, retired from
the presidency of the museum a year
ago on account Of Ill health, after
several years of service. He was fol-
lowed by Thomas Allen, a painter
whose death occurred almost imme-
diately thereafter At a recent meet
ing Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, a
member of the distinguished Coolidge
family of Boston and a direct de-
scendant of Thomas Jefferson,
graduate of Harvard or the cyass Of
1915, was elected to the vacancy
Public announcement was made Of
the fact that the board of trustees
desired to place leadership in the
hands of one of the younger genera-
ton. In order to give the new re-
gime complete freedom, Arthur Fair
banks, director Of the museum for IS
years, and Benjamin Ives Gilman,
secretary for 80 years, resigned.
In Chicago, Potter Palmer has been
elected president Of the board of
trustees of the Art Institute to re-
place Charles L. Hutchinson, who
held that position from the time he
was young man until his death late
score years and ten. At the same
time the older members of the board,
who had served for many years with
Mr.. Hutchinson, were retired to an
honorary advisory board and their
places filled by men of the younger
generation,
To be sure, 1t is time that the
younger generation was stepping in,
and 1t is gratifying to know that
there are represent ntatives of this gem
GRAFTON willing to assume the mantle
of responsibility and carry on" The
question is, What will they do? Will
they introduce radicalism or, feeling
responsibility. be converted to con-
servatism? In any event, It seems
that the torch of art that lights the
way of life Is to be borne on, and its
chosen bearers are not the weak, but
the strong-those with youth and
courage and vision, those who will
not be satisfied with small achieve
ment