Evening star., 1928-04-01
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

~ Newark Museum. said In public
address that the department
stores of our great cities were rapidly
becoming the peoples art museums. He
meant that In the selection and display
OF purehasablc things these stores were
eultivating public taste and demand
for that which was fine. Furthermore
he recognized that for one person who
visited an art museum at least one mum
ered paused before shop windows.
At the time that Mr.. Dana made this
remark department stores had not, save
I'm rare instances, undertaken to set
forth exhibitions Of art, but within the
last year or two quite number have
undertaken such enterprise. In New
York at the present time an exhibition
Of modern Frenth decorative art is on
display at Iori e. Tavlor'S: second
exhibition Of modern decorative art is
TO be seen at Macy's. Both of these
exhibitions are being held under distin-
euished auspices and are attracting a
large number of visitors, In Boston
there has lately opened an even more
comprehensive exhibition Of modern In
dustrial and decorative art at Jordan
Marsh's. which has been visited by mu-
eeum executives from all over the coun-
try. and at the opening of which the
principal speaker was Prof. Sachs OF
The Fosg Museum Of Harvard Univer-
atty
In this city at the present time the
Fecht Co. is taking the lead In this d.
rection. having placed on view in a
series Of eight galleries on the fourth
floor of their establishment. OH the cor
ner Of Seventh and F streets, a collec-
ton of more than hundred paintings
and sculpture by Washington artists.
Gallery A is entirely devoted to works
IN water color. and shown therein are
23 excellent pictures in this medium;
the remaining galleries contain paint
ings in OIL Each gallery Is arranged as
O room, with certain amount OF furnt-
ture and accessories The lighting Is
not the best, but the paintings show
20 fairly good advantage.
A cataiog has been printed and Is
distributed free. No prices are given.
no effort is made to sell. but a note
appears In the catalog to the effect
that the name and address OF any OF
the artists viii be cheerfully given by
an attendant should the visitor be
interested In the purchase OF any OF
the exhibits.
Apparently this is no.jury exhibit
ton. The artists were invited to send
and what they have sent has been
put on view.
As an introduction to the display
and bait to the window shopper
very excellent selection Of available
works has been arranged In one OF the
Seventh street windows with a card
announcing the exhibition and inviting
inspection. In the window display Is
o large painting OF The Coast Of
Maine" by John y. Perkins. above
which Is shown charming portrait
OF boy The Young Shipbuilder." by
Ellen Day Hale. To the left is a
picturesque interior, Grandmother S
Corner" admirably painted by Lillian
Moore Abbott. and Still Life" by
Dorothy Gatcheli, besides which there
are here shown decorative paintings
by Mrs. Macdonald Marsh. japanese
Lanterns" by Alice L. Ferguson,
Gloucester" by Lucia B. Holierith.
when the Sun Sets Red" by Lewis
Painter Ciephane. "Pergola at Amalfi.
Italy" and by Alma Bostick.
Mariana" Altogether an attractive
The exhibit on the fourth fioor in
cludes excellent figure paintings by Eben
r. Comins. Charles Dunn. Hattie Z.
Burdette and others Catherine Carter
Critcfer shows one OF her fine Indian
subjects. Mr. Weisz is represented by
his powerful mountain picture. Rocky
Heights: Gabrielle de v. Clements by
. charmingiy intimate stiIl life study.
Lilies Of the Field" while Marguerite
G. Mum shows spirited picture OF
the New England coast entitled Sail.
Ing Weather" and Eleanor parke
Curtis Is well represented by a
Madonna del Easso" Among the
ether artists well represented by paint
ings In oils are Jessie T. Baker. Mathilde
-. LEisenring, Marguerite Eeuhauser,
Elizabeth 6awtelie. Garnett w. Jex, 8.
Peter Wagner, Ruth Osgood and A. II.
o. Role.
The water coior group Ia good from
nrst 70 last and includes a large ex-
by Lesley Jackson: "A BoothbAy Street
hy Gertrude g. Brown: q charming
Wooded Road" by Mary X. Porter :
q decorative and essentially amusing
atudy entitled Christmas in the
Eighties" by Iris D. johnson: 0 welt
render6 Evening on the Rocks" by
Marian Lane: and charming flower and
sssl~iifs studies by Annie ID. Kelly.
Henrietta EilI Arthur, Mrs. NJ. M
Chapman. Emma deuel. Rice and Elsie
George Erwin. somewhat sn the
moceTntstsc manner but st the ~ me
tanss traditional Is q painting NJ a
houhe of Spanish architecture BY q T.
CoDeH&sg6
Adjacent 10 the lttie galleries In
wfaen nsas exhibition il shown, there
are ~ the s1resssas time OH display ~.
angplss Of furniture of the usoss egtfens
naodeTn.stic style. and sn d wautow IN
Seventh street adjacent 90 that in
which the pictures are shown II Ar
entire bedroom suite sn this styls
Ths SUITE painted pink. shows na
G1F*e6 Af*s It's amt ~ ceKsgn IA
Q pyramid 3ts Lines ARE sepse4 eyi
hgntnfng, TIE examples ON fsae uDss4s
noof are slightly more conservative Lagi
sc1sAy amazing, and the impression slas
visitor receives III either that of Gtk.
fostk6 Vision or distorted nalnc WEsE
inquiry NaA MADE ~ nE attendant salss.
man concerning demand, the reply wsa
10 fae Misunderstanding evidence os
fne fact that whether our American
pubic h lsaStaacslyely artistic o. moi, il
u not ready 70 accept mere Goyeits if
TIE place of beauty. And after ell. Il
"a the people the purchasing sgllslie
Nfao viii decide the tate N se~eslIs1
%nrodernisEn
Ths ln0fpencent Artists of Wash
tngten are holding ltei4 second anHas
tEs1fbattoE at this time. opening MareI
n and continuing 70 ApFI n al ths
Club ~. MARKS al tne Ia Barry room
and Ia rooms OF sn appeFmaost f0or
There are 0FfT three hundred exhibits
works IN water cgasT, oil abd pastel ans
sculpture
IN a foTsyefe 10 tgf estalog. Pep.
xitsaG MSNafs Y4l4 a3fegtgF ~ setG aygttss
ton, ssge The no~ Jury. n9~DrizA sgg,
tenn of exhibition has won he sdnnjfa,
tion of the artists srd public, gained
their conGoeneA and stEeBgi ibe0cd tiasil
belief that democracy ia sfG leads a
tlas road VI persistent progress ADO
Ing The directors of the Washington
Independent Artists Exhibition aim 0nis
st broadening the IDEAS in art and en-
Go0TGRInR the creative artists F." Til.