Evening star., 1938-08-14
By Leila Mechlin.
A CTIVITY has been greater and

A~NSs~ ANA
A CTIVITY has been greater and
~ more extensive in the field of
~ art this summer than is Gus
4 a tomary during this season.
In part this is due to the continuation
Of Government patronage, but the fact
that two great World Fairs, one in New
York, the other in San Francisco, are
in preparation, must also be taken into
account, to say nothing Of the increase
in production engendered by wide
spread appreciation of effort both
trained and unframed along these
lines
From the time Of its inception in
1885 to June 80 Of the current year,
429 commissions, the majority of which
were for mural paintings. were given
by and completed under the super
vision Of the Painting and Sculpture
Section of the Procurement Division
of the Treasury Department, of which
Edward Bruce is head Many more
are still in process under the same
auspices: besides which an even more
extensive activity along similar lines
is being conducted by the w. P. A..
the Art Projects of which are directed
by Holger Cahill.
The former, it will be remembered,
are commissions, presumable given on
merit, often as the result of compe-
titions. and paid for by appropriations
the United States. The latter comes
under the relief program financed
by public funds purposed to halt the
recession. In the July issue of the
Art Digest a list of 243 commissions
given by the Painting and Sculpture
Section of the Treasury Department,
which were completed between January
and June 1898, an official compilation.
was published. From 1t an excellent
idea can be obtained of the extraordi-
nary extent to which this work Is
carried.
EORTY- -one States from the east
to the west coast are listed, where
in new Federal buildings have been
erected and decorated" New York
has the longest list; California comes
next. Approximately 80 per cent Of
the works are mural paintings, the
remainder being sculptures. As far
as possible the artists employed seem
to have been local, and with but few
exceptions the names are not familiar
through precious achievement.
Among the exceptions are works
by such well-known painters as Luis
Mora, Ernest Peixotto, Dean Cornwell,
Eugene Higgins and John Foltnsbee.
But why, one wonders is the name OF
so distinguished mural painter as
Jules Guerin not on the list? 1t is
poor economy to neglect our best.
Among Washington artists Sheffield
Jameson and E. Dorsey Doniphan
have all received and executed COM
missions. Mr. Kagys were for murals
in the Waterloo post office, South
Carolina, and the Marine Hospital.
Seattle, Wash; Mr.. Bessemers for
the Winnsboro post ONCE in the same
State; Mr. Jamieson's for the post
office in Upper Marlboro, Md. and
Mr.. Doniphan's for the Marlinton
post office. West Virginia The last has
but just been completed and placed.
1t is a panel more than twice as wide
as it is high, showing broad view OF
the country in the vicinity of Mar
linton.
To the left is seen young farmer
standing beside team Of oxen,
hitched to a cart; to the right, in a
hollow, is an industrial plant; beyond
are the hills retreating fold on fold to
the distant horizon. There is some
thing very attractive in this composite
view OF the environs of Marlinton-
something also which seems to have
struck a responsive note in the peo-
pie who live there. The local paper
gives it high praise and with good
reason. 1t is objective and at the
same time we'll calculated to induce
esthetic reaction. If this is art"
those who see it will say, "let us have
more Of 1t, for 1t has opened our eyes
and extended our vision"
EOR the United States Government
building at the World Fair to be
held in Greater New York in 1899. the
Painting and Sculpture Section Of the
Treasury Department has instituted
two competitions of unusual char
acter-one FOR sculpture, the other for
mural paintings The first has been
awarded to Harry Poole Camden of
Parkersburg, w. Va, a former in
structor at Cornell University; the
second will be awarded shortly Mr..
Camden's commission is for models to
- avec,tAd on colossal scala Of