Evening star., 1939-11-05

sntatiUe selection OF the ~ design
IS.
fulfill this purpose they should be
decorative, well designed and pos
sess structural beauty. These quail
ties many of the works which merely
reflect contemporary life and labor
lack. And may We not at times
forget that ours Is not the only life
worth recording? Whence have we
come and to what are we doing?
Civilization Is a running river, not
a still pool, and when 1t stops 1t
dries up.
Murals Wear Well.
Much has been said in derision of
the mural paintings Of the past,
often allegorical In theme, but say
what one will, they wear well, partly
because they are appropriate to the
places they fill and in accord with
the architecture of the edifice of
which they have become a part; and
partly because they open vistas of
knowledge which have come down
through many generations and other
lands. They form in some instances
. link with the art of the great past
against which our present-day cul-
ture must be tried and evalued. In
this particular one misses among
these many studies for mural paint
ings in public buildings, much vis-
tied by the public, such thought
provoking works as those by Jules
Guerin in the Lincoln Memorial,
Ezra Winters representing the
Canterbury Pilgrims-in the Library
OF Congress Annex, and Thornton
Oakley's lately completed panels In
the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia.
BY all means, let us have the Ameri-
can scene and rediscover Its beauty
and interest, but why should we not
have also with the talent and the
setup at our disposaD murals
which will serve the double purpose
to charm and to teach. What
service they would render! How
they might even change the Ameri-
can scene!
To do even half justice to so ex-
tensive an exhibition as this in q
single. limited review would be i'm
possible. The sculpture section has
been scarcely touched upon. There
is much else to be studied and con-
sidered. That 1t evokes thoughts
and creates visions Is evidence of
vitality. The amount accomplished
by the Section of Fine Arts under
Mr.. Bruce and his efficient, but ex-
ceedingly small, staff is remarkable.
Much seed has undoubtedly been
sown which has not yet sprung into
life. There should in time be .
great harvest.
That not only those with free day.
light hours may see this exhibition
but workers as well, arrangements
have been made to hold 1t open on
two evenings, November 8 and Is.
free to the public, from 7:30 to 10
o'clock. Upon these occasions Ed
ward B. Rowan, assistant director
OF the Section Of Fine Arts, will be
In attendance and give gallery talks.
The closing date has been moved
forward, however, from the 30th to
the 21st. Plans were under way to
show this exhibition In London and
Paris under distinguished auspices
when the war began; there Is, how
ever, still possibility Of its being
circulated in this country.
Corcoran Alumni Exhibition.
One hundred and six paintings
and prints and IL works In sculpture
are included in the Corcoran Schools
alumni exhibition, which also
opened in the the Corcoran Gallery
on November 2, and will continue to
the 23d. This collection by the
younger painters of Washington, not
merely alumni but also advanced
students of the Corcoran School, Is
set forth in the gallery Of special ex-
hibits, to the left Of the stairs, on
the second floor, and makes an ex-
cellent appearance as . whole. In
the first place, it is exceptionally
well hung, and great skill has been
shown in the combination Of works
In various media.
The jury Of selection consisted Of
G. Powell Minnigerode, director Of
the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and
G. G. Glover, jr., representing the
board OF trustees; Mathilde M.
Leisenring and Kenneth Stubbs, rep
resenting the faculty Of the school,
and Robert Miller and Suzanne
Mullett, representing the alumni and
student body. Every effort was made
to uphold q high standard-but no
picture is shown which Is priced at
over $50. In fact, the range is from
$50 to $3 In order to suit every ones
pocketbook.
Among the alumni exhibiting are
the names Of several who have al
ready attained to very considerable
success, such as Mitchell JaInie9on,
Suzanne Mullett. who, by the way, is
holding q one-man exhibition In
the Public Library at this same time;
Alexander Clayton and Paul r. Arlt.
But there are also newcomers who
give more than usual promise Of &C.
complishment among whom special
mention may be made of Clara w.
Leavitt. Evelyn Lloyd. Bruce Connor,
Genevieve Jular and Josephine +.
Danforth.
There are some excellent still-Nfe
studies, among which "Ihe Camp
Table" by Clara w. Leavitt, Is espe-
cially notable for painter like han
ding. The work Of william Ruther-
ford 10 outstanding for sunny quality
the transcription Of glowing light.
Emile L. Arts painting of 'sPerce" 10
striking IN eompedtou and carries