Evening star., 1926-05-02
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

lTOMORROW, May 8. the voting
contest to decide the most pop
ular picture in the current
Il exhibition of cotemporary
American painting at the Cor
coran Gallery of Art will begin. All
Of this week. including Sunday, May
8, visitors to the Corcoran Gallery of
Art will be invited to cast a ballot for
the picture they consider best. TIE
artist whose picture receives the great
est number of votes will be awarded
prize Of 5000, known as the popular
prize and given by the gallery. Every
picture in the exhibition is eligible for
this award. Thus the public Is given
an opportunity to express an opinion.
Invariably the findings of prize
Juries connected with exhibitions Of
art are unsatisfactory to the public.
Such findings are based as a rule on
technical achievement. The public
| cares little for process and much for
result, hence the popular prize rarely
goes to one who has been honored
by the professional art jury.
1t should be noted that the Corcoran
Gallery asks each visitor to vote for
the picture that he or she considers
best. Perhaps 1t would be as we'll If
1t were stated 'the picture you like
BEST" for, after all. it Is on liking
rather than merit that this choice
must be made. Every trained critic
Will agree that ofttimes paintings
which make distinct appeal are not
those which. artistically considered,
are most meritorious. 1t Is difficult
thing to eliminate liking and to Judge
| work on Its merit, but this the critic
| is expected to do. Herein lies the diff
ference between purchasing a work Of
hnr,nn vo1 hoe "a, f1
public collection. In the one. per-
onal liking should dominate; in the
! other, artistic merit primarily. To be
sure, all other things being equal the
greater the merit the stronger should
be the appeal. A painting which Is well
painted. which ranks high as a work
of art, is bound TO wear better than
one which merely appeals through
charm of color or subjective interest.
There are some who instinctively
like the best: there are others who
have to acquire this liking through
study and acquaintance.
1t is extremely wise of the Corcoran
Gallery Of Art to set the time for this
contest after the exhibition has been
open to the public for several weeks
In this way those who are interested
have opportunity to become familiar
. with the paintings shown and to de-
liberately arrive at a decision Often
a picture which appeals on first ac-
quaintance ceases to interest when
seen for third or fourth time.
1t is sometimes said that the artists
are Indifferent TO the opinion of the
public, but it Is likewise true that the
public determines the character Of art
which shall prevail, for art is produced
in response TO demand, and that art
for which there is no demand will not
survive.
1t IS earnestly to be hoped that the
competition for the popular prize in
stituted by the Corcoran Gallery of
Art will be taken seriously by the local
public and that all who can will visit
the exhibition this week and vote.
= X
THE last exhibition of the present
season has lately opened in the
Dunthorne Gallery, 1906 Connecticut
avenue. This consists of collection
Of etchings by Roi Partridge and a
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