Evening star., 1935-05-23
s85,0D0,0OO AID
ASKED FOR ART
Museum Equipment and
Buildings Urged in Plea
to President.

A plea for $85 600, 900 of Federal
funds to be used to purchase museum
equipment in the fields of art and
science and for additional buildings
has been laid before President RooSe-
welt by Paul J. Sachs, president of the
American Association of Museums, it
was learned today.
President Sachs, in his address be-
fore the thirtieth annual meeting OF
the American Association of Museums,
let 1t be known that he had taken
up the matter with the President.
Under auspices of the American As
sociation Of Museums, Nationwide
survey was made. showing that the
present investment in some 200 mu-
scum buildings. mostly in cities of
more than 100000 population, ex-
ceeds $l00,000,000 There are also
many smaller museum buildings in
smaller cities, Mr.. Sachs points out
to indicate the lines of desirable ex-
tension.
1000 Museums in Nation.
"a new museum has been organized
every fortnight for a decade" Mr..
SdCIlS StdleO III Ills plcSlutiIlidl dO-
dress. There are more than 1000
museums. all told in the Nation.
Under the plan. whereby the Gov
ernment would aid with Federal funds,
art museums would have buildings
comparable in size to the public
libraries in their communities" one
museum in each city or town.
In architecture the buildings
planned would not follow what Mr..
Sachs branded as "the outmoded
Greek temple and Renaissance palace
tradition. but would be functional in
design like some of the museum build
ings that have appeared recently"
Artists were told large art market
would be developed in America If the
Federal Government co-operateS in
the plan advanced by President Sachs.
This. because museums encourage pur-
chases for their temporary shows. Un-
der the plan some 500 historic houses
of America would be set up as mu-
seums.
Sachs said American museums are
developing best under an administra-
tive plan which is essentially a part
nerShip between city government
and a local association. the city pro-
viding the building and the association
building up collections. AS an added
attraction at todays meeting, John
Collier. United States commissioner
of Indian affairs. talked on Indian
Arts and Crafts" presenting the new
outlook in this field.
New Pigment Experiments.
Herbert E. Ives. noted expert of the
International Printing Ink Corp. New
York, told of recent experiments with
new pigments for the use of artists,
saving: The present artists palette
consists of an assemblage of pigments,
accumulated through centuries. of
miscellaneous hues and purities. hav-
ing no correlation with the science of
color, as developed through optical
research"
Often, Mr. Ives said. the best artists
have been noted for the few colors
they used. He cited a theory that
indicates the use of three fundamental
pigments-a yellow, bluegreen and
a purplish crimson. These are ideal
colors, the expert said, and recent
progress in chemistry has made it pos
sible to produce close approximations
to these colors.'
At the twenty-fourth annual meet
ing of the College Art Association,
also being held in the Willard, Emer-
son H. Swift of Columbia University
lectured this morning on THE LatinS
at Hagae Sophia" paying tribute to
the architectural genius Of the cathe-
dral builders of the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries. With slides, he il
lustrated the fine art of cathedral
building in the Middle Ages.
At the annual banquet of the fed
Grafton last night, $50 guests were
present representing all three societies
aforementioned.
Prehistoric and primitive art,
along with trends in education affect
ing art were the subjects up for dis
cussion at the banquet. Herbert j.
Spinden, curator of the Brooklyn
Museum.
Slight Seen. in Survey.
Henry w. Wriston, president of
Lawrence College. in telling of the
influence art has upon the individual,
deplored the fact that a. survey of
education fostered by the Govern
ment covered 4,500 pages with only
% of these pages devoted to art. In
these % pages, he said, only once
was spiritual quality mentioned. to
wit:
English is taught in colleges not
for spiritual qualities but as tool.
Emotional qualities are seldom men,
toned in connection with the value
Of subjects placed in college cur
ricula.''
The council of 80 members of the
museums group heard reports this
morning.