Evening star., 1936-08-22
ByLeila Mechin.

uncommonly lively. There
L have been many exhibitions at
which attendance has been good and
sales have shown an increase; va
rious festivities have been planned
and carried through with success,
such as the Rockport Artists ball and
the Gloucester carnival, both of which
have become as truly fixtures. and
as much looked forward to, annually,
as the Washington Arts Clubs Bal
Boheme.
There are two exhibiting societies
at Gloucester-the Gloucester Art
lists and the North Shore Arts As
sociation. The former sets forth two
shows of members works, the lat
ter one. AS the latter is, in large
part, selected exhibition, the stand
ard is somewhat higher. In this
show, comprising over three hundred
exhibits, several Washington artists
are especially well represented. To
the water-color section, Eleanor
Parke Gusts and Eliot O'Hara both
make notable contributions, and
among the oils are shown works by
Ellen Day Hale and Gabrielle de v.
Clements. Miss Custis contributes
SAILS" Windy Day" and New Eng
land Homestead" Mr.. O'Hara. Dead
Trees, Correntoso" and Sunday Mar
ket, Taxco." Miss Hale's chief con-
tribution is a portrait study of a lit
tie girl, "Bessy," very subtle and
distinguished piece OF painting, but
both she and Miss Clements. who
shows a charming still life in oils, en-
titled, Rose of the East" shows prints
as we'll.
Gordon Grant, whose exhibition of
paintings of The Sea and Ships" in
the Corcoran Gallery of Art last Win
ter attracted much attention, espe-
cially in naval circles. contributes
both paintings and prints to this ex-
hibition, as does Stanley Woodward,
whose marines were, it will be re-
membered, shown in the Arts Club
last season.
The president Of the North Shore
Arts Association Is Margaret Fitz-
hugh Browne, the well-known por-
trait painter of Boston, who has fire.
uuently exhibited in Washington, both
In the Corcoran biennials and else
where. She shows in this exhibition
a painting of blind man. "Blesse de
Guerre," with his dog, and also an
admirable still life of flowers. Miss
Browne has Summer studio at An
nisquam, in building erected as a
private boathouse overlooking the
Squam river, lively with little boats
coming and going. Here, earlier in
the season, she held one-man exhi-
bition which included several of heS
recent works executed as commissions
for public institutions, among which
was a portrait of Morse, artist and
inventor of the telegraph, interpreted
from his self-portrait belonging to
the National Academy Of Design.
"A s AN art colony, Rockport is be-
ginning to outstrip Gloucester, If
1t has not already done so. The con-
version Of sailing vessels into boats
propelled by motor power has changed
not only the fishing industry, but the
picturesque aspect of Gloucester,
which today is not as when Winslow
Homer and Childe Hassam painted
here, nor as when Kipling came here
TO write his Captains Courageous. I"
But, despite this. it still has charm
Of its own, and there are enough
artists and artists studios still on
Rocky Neck to satisfy the majority.
1t is on Rocky Neck that Eleanor
Parke Gusts, Gordon Grant, Hugh
Breckenridge and other well-known
artists have Summer studios. Miss
Gusts and her mother occupy suite
In a remodeled sail loft overlooking
the inner harbor, an ideal location and
perfectly adapted to studio purposes.
On one Of her walls Is Gloucester
scene, picturesque and colorful, paint
ed last year by Gordon Grant as
back-drop for a play written by him
self and put on by the Gloucester
Players for local charity. Miss Gus
tis is not only gifted painter and
illustrator, but also an accomplished
pictorial photographer. From photo
graphic associations in both Belgium
and Spain she has lately received
medals in recognition of achievement
in this field.
In Rockport the art colony is, for
Che most part, concentrated on Bear
skin Neck, piece of land jutting
Into the water at the end of the
main street and the turn of the road.
With its little houses, huddled to-
gether, its crooked lanes and gay lit
tie shops, to say nothing of engaging
views and vistaS, this place is unique
In this country. Easels are set up
here and there, and everywhere there
Is much passing and gossiping; in
the late afternoon and early evening
the appearance is that of a country
fair, but every one seems to be happy
and more than contented.
The Rockport Art Association has
Its own building and exhibition GAL
lery and its two Summer shows have
been held to high standard. Out
standing among the exhibitors are
Clifford and Reynolds Beal, Stanley
woodward, Anthony Theme, Aldro
+. Hibbard, Antonio Cirino, Marion
p. Sloane and Marjorie Garfield, all
well known in Washington.
Cape Ann has long been a resort
Tor sculptors. Charles Crafty had for
years a Summer home and studio
here at Lanesville; Anna Hyatt be-
fore her marriage to Archer Hunting
ton had studio at Annisquam. Mar
garet Cresson French, the daughter
Of the late Daniel Chester French
and widow of William Penn Cresson,
architect, diplomat and traveller, Of
washington, has a cottage this Sum-
mer on Eastern Point. In the North
Shore Arts Association are a portrait
bust Of the late Piatt Andrew, men,
ber Of Congress from this district, by
Richard Recchia. and one Of Booth
Harrington by Walker Hancock.
EARTFIER up the coast exception
ally notable exhibitions have been
held this season at Ogunquit, Goose