Evening star., 1936-03-21
which the contracts will be given out

which the contracts will be given out
right.
The jury. which will act in an lad
visory capacity" to the section OF
painting and sculpture for this COM
petition, will comprise Edward Bruce,
Olin Dows, Leon Kroll, Ernest Peix-
otto, Henry Schnakenberg, Jonas Lie,
Bancel La Fargo and Eugene Speicher,
none of whom, unless Mr.. Peixotto be
excepted, is a mural painter. Juries
as a rule are judicial bodies, render
ing judgment, making awards. Under
any other circumstances they are mis-
named and without authority. But
that is perhaps neither here nor there
in the present instance.
The subject matter, according to the
program for this competition, must
deal with some phase of the admin
istration of justice in relation to con-
temporary American life-and in order
that these panels may accord with
others already under construction, the
following themes are suggested: 1.
Man-Justice toward labor. 2. Wom-
an-Emancipation of woman through
suffrage. 3. Child-Protection of the
child by child labor laws and old
versus contemporary juvenile courts.
What the competing artists will make
out Of these suggestions remains to
be seen.
Nowhere in the program of COM
petition is the suggestion made that
a mural painting must, in the first
place, be decoration. But possibly
that is so obvious that 1t is taken for
granted. Also there is another rule
that seems to have been overlooked,
and that is that which is for all time
permanent placement-must be
conditioned on universal truth II its
interest is to endure as well as its
significance. After all, why waste
time and money recording contempo-
rary progress which will soon be out
dated? Why not rather look to the
future, and foreshadow our dreams
then would art lead us on to greater
and finer achievement.
Six painters have already been
commissioned to execute murals for
the Justice Department Building, and
some of these panels are we'll under
way. The names of the painters and
the subjects that they are interpreting
are given with the program of the
new competition, as follows: George
Biddle. Tenement and sweat shop
conditions versus society planned with
Justice; John Steuart Curry, "The
movement of the population westward
across the country, and the freeing of
the slaves; Leon Kroll, THE defeat
Of justice and the victory Of Justice;
Henry Varnum Poor, Bureaus of
prisons, pardons, customs, land Of Jus
tice Department" and famous legal
cases.; Boardman Robinson, "The
great codifiers of the law, ancient,
medieval and modern; Maurice
Sterne, 1.-THE search for truth and the
history Of justice" Sections of Mr..
Biddle's murals, which are in true
fresco and will. it is said, be finished
during the coming Summer, have been
quite widely published in reproduction.
Paintings of Washington
At Studio House.
THE exhibition of water colors by
Robert Franklin Gates and Of
paintings and prints by Alice Ache
son, which opened at Studio House
with private view on March Il, Is
strong, vital and subjectively interest
ing. Nearly all Of Mrs. Acheson's
works, and number Of Mr.. Gates,
are views Of Washington and vicinity.
Mr.. Gates shows river and land
capes and street scenes, painted gen
orally In clear water color. dominated