Evening star., 1932-05-12
CAPITAL PROGRAM
is |SCOMMENDEDBY
ARTS FEDERATION
Resolutions Urge Completion
of Development Now
Under Way.
CLARK Is ELECTED
TO SUCCEED DELANO
Elihu Root Resigns as Director.
Other Officers Renamed at
Closing Session.

der way for development of the Ma
tional Capital, the American Federation
of Arts at the closing business session
OF its annual convention at the May
flower Hotel yesterday strongly urged
tnat there be no cessation in prosecu-
ton OF the work until its completion
shall have been achieved"
No appropriation to that end by Con-
gress will be questioned either as un-
timely or undesirable" declared the
resolution adopted by delegates from all
parts OF the country.
The federation recognized with pro-
found appreciation and gratitude the
marked advance that has been made
In recent years toward the realization
OF the inspired conception of LEnfant,
washington and Jefferson for the lay
ing out and development of the Capital
City OF the United States, and which
Is now steadily progressing through the
wise and constructive cooperation and
action OF the executive and legislative
branches of our Government. The
federation commended accomplishments
OF those in charge of the project, and
their obvious understanding of the re-
sponsibilities resting on them to seek
the counsel and aid of the ablest of our
American structural and landscape ar
ch1tects as well as our most capable
painters and sculptors, in the attain
ment Of the highest ideals of beauty
and practically in the fulfllment OF
their important task"
Referred to Directors.
Resolutions adopted by the Bicenten-
NAL Conference on the Nations Capt.
tai, which generally proclaimed the
principle that "our National Capital
should express in its physical planning
and development the highest ideals and
accomplishments of American art"
were referred by the federation to its
board Of directors with power to act.
A proposal by H. K. Bush Brown
looking toward the establishment of a
National Art Center here was likewise
referred to the board of directors with
power to act. The committee on reso-
lut1ons was headed by John r. Van
Derlip of Minneapolis.
Frederic A. Delano of this city re-
signed as treasurer and Dwight Clark,
also Of Washington, was elected to sue
ceed him. Elihu Root resigned as a
director. Other officers of the fedora
ton were reelected as follows: F. A.
Whiting. president; F. P. Keppel, first
vice president; George D. Pratt. second
vice president; C. c. Zantzinger, third
vice president, and Miss Leila Mechlin,
secretary.
Directors, nominated by the commit
tee of which Mrs. John w. Alexander
was chairman, were unanimously elect
ed as follows: Herbert Adams. Arthur
w. Page and David H. Stevens of New
York; George G. Booth of Detroit;
Dwight Clark and Miss Leila Mechlin
OF Washington; c. C.. ZantZinger of
Philadelphia, and Everett v. Meeks of
New Haven. Shelby NJ Harrison was
elected for one year to fill a vacancy.
An amendment to the constitution pro-
vides for several new classes Of mem
bership.
Essential to Normal Life.
In his annual address, President
Whiting stressed "the feet that the arts
are really essential in any normal life.
such as the people of this country
should expect to be interested in" The
federation, he explained. is the only
national organization devoted to the
development of all of the arts, and has
now nearly 500 affiliated organizations
He hoped that the federation might do
some research work in the field of art
in education, maintaining agents to
visit the preparatory schools and de-
velop definite exhibition and lecture
service to fit their needs.
1t would be his plan also to develop
as rapidly as possible a series Of re-
gional offices roughly dividing the
country into six to eight regional sec
ton, with representative in each, from
which center exhibits could be circu-
lated to minimize expense charges and
to assure frequent inspection
At the closing dinner last night, Of
ficers of the federation delivered brief
addresses, during which Elihu Root, re-
tiring director, was highly praised
Thomas Wilfred, president of the Art
Institute of Light. delivered lecture
'Lumia, the Eighth Fine Art" and
demonstrated by playing a group of 81
lent visual compositions on the clavilux
This was the first time the instrument
had been played in the National Cap
1tal, and evoked much interest and dis
cussion by its display of form, move
ment and color" of light over a screen.
Philip N. Youtz, curator of the
Sixty-ninth street branch of the Penn
sylvania Museum of Art, created a stir
yesterday with his discussion of Fine
Art and Adult Education" during which
he took the contemporary artist" to
task as ''an anti-social being and an
enemy Of modern culture" Mr.. Youtz
charged the modern artist Longs for
the restoration of the good old days Of
the Renaissance, when the wealthy aris-
tocrat acted as bounteous patron for
the impecunious artist, and when there
were no machine made products to
compete with his creations The mod
ern artist" he said, sis embittered
against the times and feels that his
talerts would have been better appre-
ciated in a bygone age"
Re-education Required.
'The general public does not like or
understand contemporary art" de-
duces it is too often out of sympathy
with modern life, and recent painting,
both in subject matter and in aim, Is
out Of line with current interests.
"The central problem in adult edu-
cation in fine art" he said, "is to stim-
ulate an interest in contemporary art.
This seems to require the re-education
of the artist as well as of the public.
Difhcult as such task may be, its
achievement holds out the promise Of
bringing to modern life the emotional
and imaginative satisfaction which 1t
now lacks We need artists who can
show us the beauty of modern life. and
a public which has caught the spell Of
that beauty. 1t lies in the power OF the
educator to bring the artist once more
into harmony with his times and to
bring the public into sympathy with
modern art"
The Phillips Memorial Gallery in
Washington was praised by Grant H.
Code of the federation. The welcome
afforded painter-students there, he said,
suggests a means that might be gen.
orally employed to enhance the value