Evening star., 1937-05-15
!IE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON G., SATURDAY,

ae1ue the Natlonal Gallery Of Art,
which will be for all the people, why
should not some Of the fine. small
private collections 60 to cities In the
West and South where no examples
OF really great art are still to be seen?
Ihe little museum has many adyan-
tages, but not, it would seem, in the
great city.
"The Fine Arts and
Philanthropy," a Guide Book
To Giving.
A PROPOS Of gifts of works OF art
to the public, little book has
been published by the Central Hanover
Bank & Trust Co. of New York en-
titled THE Fine Arts and Philan-
thfopy," which, while primarily in
tended for prospective donors, Is full
OF enlightening facts It is the re-
suit OF survey made by this COM
pany's Department of Philanthropic
Information" the services of which
are open to any one interested In
wise public giving. After establishing
the Importance and place of the fine
| arts In life, brief account is given
OF vast sums donated In recent years
to art museums and institutions de-
voted to education in the arts. In
six cities these donations, it states.
in 1885, amounted to over seven mil
lion dollars William r. Nelson's Gift
TO the Art Museum in Kansas City |
is estimated at ,0OO,oO0-that OF
Frank Munsey's to the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, $10O0O,OO0. But of
all, Mr.. Melons to the National Gal
lery of Art is most princely.
These activities, 1t is shown, ex-
tend over wide field, and include |
the Coolidge gift to music In the
Library of Congress; the Cranbrook
Foundation for teaching in Michigan,
endowed by George G. Booth, an
other newspaper man; besides the
activities and benefcences OF the
several foundations. The public art |
collections of this country are ap-
praised as worth over $4,000 900, 900. |
and the museum buildings alone as |
representing expenditures of upward |
of S75,000.000. What is more-the |
yearly attendance at the Metropolitan
Museum in New York and the Art |
Institute Of Chicago approximates |
1000 ,000-which evidences a graft |
flying appreciation.
Excellent advice IS given In con- |
clusion in regard to further giving,
especially with reference to stability |
and service. The issuance OF such |
a book by bank and trust company |
Is In itself significant.
A Washington Film Society
Formed as Branch of Film
Library, Ne1U York.
FURTHER quickening of interest in
art in Washington is evidenced |
by the formation of film society |
here, as announced at meeting held |
late last week at the Suigrave Club. |
under the aegis of the Museum of
Modern Art, New York At this
meeting John E. Abbott, director of |
the Film Library of this museum, told |
how it had been upbuilt and to what |
uses it was being put; and Iris Barry,
curator gave interesting account OF |
the founding of the first Film Library
In London with some of the leading |
British artists and playWrights CO.
operating.
A book by Vachel Lindsay on "The
Moving Picture as an Art" lent i'm
petus to the establishment Of the Film |
Library in New York, funds for which |
were supplied by the Rockefeller
Foundation. This library, it should be !
understood, comprises not merely /
books and articles about moving pic
lures, but the actual films, and the
collection now available through this
source goes back to the infancy of |
the art and brings the record up to
within two years Of the present day.
These films are lent to affiliated |
societies for educational use which,
however, must not conflict with the
commercial.
In outlining the purposes and pro-
posed activities Of the Washington
Film Society, Mr.. Robert Lincoln
O'Brien, chairman, especially stressed
the possibility of cooperation with
the diplomatic representatives Of for
eign countries and of obtaining
through them films made in other
lands which would evidence original
development. Obviously the intent
is to regard the moving pictures as
an art and to better realize its DO
tentiality. But strangely enough when
the word art is applied to the cinema.
in almost every instance, it refers to
the drama rather than DECENTRALIZATION.
For some reason or other the compost !
ton of these pictures, their design,
and visual merit, even as background
for specific action, has so far been
taken little into account as artistic
expression. Yet what other picture
maker calls the fundamentals OF art
more constantly into use or creates
for so wide and particular an audi
ence? II the newly formed Film
Society will lead attention in this
direction and stress the duality Of
this art 1t will be rendering valuable
service.
Architectural League of NeD
York Sho1DS Notable Exhibition
And Especially Honors Charles
Moore, Chairman OF the
Commission of Fine Arts.
MANY Of the mural paintings pur-
posed for placement in public
buildings and executed under Gov
ernment auspices have been shown
recently, full size or by scale designs,
in the Architectural Leagues annual
exhibition in the American Fine Arts
Building, New York, which closes to-
day. In fact these, with works In
sculpture and handicrafts, dominated
the show. The Gold Medal Of Honor
in architecture was awarded to the
architects of Rockefeller Center-three
groups, Reinhardt and Hofmeister:
Corbett, Harrison and MacMurray; and
Hood and Foulihoux Otto Eggers won
the Long Memorial Prize for an archi-
tectural rendering by rendering of
the Archives Building, designed by his
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