Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04

n COLLECTION of etchingS and draw
N ings by Abbo Ostrowsky of New York
- ~ will be on exhibition in the Smith
sonian Building division of graphic
arts, from tomorrow January S, TO
February /.
Abbo Ostrowsky was born in Elizabethgrad,
Russia (Ukrainia) in 1889. He studied at the
imperial Art School in Odessa and was assistant
director of the Peoples Travelling Exhibit in
the Provinces of Kherson Poltava and Kiev.
This exhibit was shown in the remotest villages
and towns, in some of which it was on view
only single day, but during that time the
entire population visited 1t. The work was
supported by voluntary contributions on the
part Of the visitors-a unique and interesting
undertaking.
Mr. Ostrowsly came to the United States in
1893 continued his studies ut the National
Academy of Design and, as occasion offered,
Travelled abroad He founded the Educational
Alliance Art School, New York. in 1914, and
is ITS present director. This school had small
beginning two students meeting twice week
in the evenings At present the number of
registered students, however, exceeds 200. Day
and evening courses are offered in drawing and
sketching from life and antique, in painting
and etching, lithography. sculpture, modelling.
wood carving and design. The school is located
in the heart of New Yorks East Side, where
the inhabitants are for the most part poor and
largely of foreign origin, and its purpose is to
provide this element with facilities for the
study of the fine arts. A nominal fee Of one
dollar month is charged for attendance and
tuition. The director and his staff largely, if
not entirely. contribute their services.
N addition, the Educational Alliance Art
School tries to foster interest in the arts by
arranging frequent lectures and exhibits for
the general public. It maintains many activi-
tics of philanthropic character and has had
the support Of labor organizations, such as the
Garment Workers Union, the Workmen's
Circle, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America and others. From these organizations
scholarship committee has been formed which
makes awards enabling qualified students to
study abroad The work of the school is of
such superior character that a collection of it
has been circulated for the past two years
through art schools of the country by the
American Federation of Arts
OF the collection of IS works by Mr. Ostrow-
sky to be exhibited here all but three are
etchings, and these, with but one exception,
are Of buildings-city or town pictures For
the most part they are elaborate compositions
evidencing the artists extraordinary skill of
craftsmanship
Of peculiar interest to those who have been
impressed by the great engineering and build
ing enterprises Of the present day viii be found
Mr.. ostrowskys drawings and etchings of SUBJ
way excavations in New York-scenes which
the average person would designate as of extra
ordinary ugliness, but so interpreted that they
manifest to even the casual observer genuine
beauty. The apparent ease and simplicity with
which Mr. Ostrowsky has drawn and patterned
the excavations, with their supporting tiElbers
the upturned streets and grim many-windoWed
buildings. is amazing, and the beauty and
deiicacy Of his line cannot fail to delight and
charm.
III lighter vein and with touch Of natures
inherent beauty is his etching entitled Spring."
a woman and a child seated under still leaf
less but budding tree near small house, de-
lighting, apparently, in the warmth Of the pate
Spring sunlight-a subject rendered with sub
tlety as well as a light. sure touch. "Croton-
on-Hudson" is in somewhat similar vein, and
the two prints Of the harbor at Dovarenez have
pronounced pictnesqueness. Apparently Ne.