The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-24

cities and many small towns through
out the country. Yet, in spite of this
activity, the public has not yet felt
the need Of owning original art to
eEjoy on their own walls. Our Ameri-
can Artists have had the interest
hut not the buying support Of the
people, without which they cannot
survive. Frances Henry Taylor, the
director of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art in New York, who is Nation
al Chairman of Art Week, says:
During the past ten years of de-
preston it has become more and
more clear that the practice of art
is a marginal occupation" Compe-
tent authorities believe that there
are barely n hundred and fifty
artists in the United States today
who earn from their art alone more
than two thousand dollars a year.
The rest are forced to exc out a
living by teaching or engaging in a
variety of commercial pursuits. Fur
thermore, changing tastes in archi-
lecture have driven into destitute a
vast army of decorator craftsmen,
plaster molders, woodworkers, and
so forth, who formerly were en-
ployed on a weekly wage. Radio ad-
vertising and photography have cut
in half the opportunities for the
commercial artists. But above all
else the economic crisis of the art
lists has been caused by lack of
direct patronage and purchase. In a
population of more than $780, 00, 900,
the gross annual sales of contempor-
airy American art average probably
less than half a million dollars for
the entire country (the current mar
ket price of a single Titian.) The
well-to-do middle class leaves the
entire burden to the rich, and the
rich are n 10 longer as rich as they
once were"
The President of the United States
has set aside the week of Novem-
Der 25-December 1 to be observed as
"a National Art Week. The purpose of
this observance is to stimulate sales
and exhibitions of the work of liv-
ing American artists and craftsmen
throughout the nation. A National
Council for Art Week has been ap.
pointed at the request of the Presi-
dent with local councils in every
state, county and city. The councils
are composed of persons from all
walks of life who are willing to
put aside partisan beliefs for the
~furtherance of American art. 1t is
their hope that through this nation
wide effort the people at large NAV
be made to realize that ownership
of works of art is not limited to the
few but that it may come within
the reach of the most modest in
come.
No art a flourish in a
nor can the ultimate responsibility
for keeping art alive in this coun-
try be placed, as it has been DUR
ing the past seven years, upon the
government alone. If American art
is to survive, the people who look
at art and talk about it must be
willing to support it,
The Wilmington Museum of Art
is planning a sales exhibition of
local painters work. It's frank pur-
pose is to move art from the exhibit
walls into the homes. When the
sign "sold" goes up on a picture that
is the one evidence of success. The
pictures will all be very reasonable,
priced within the reach of almost
everyone. We have in Wilmington
some very good painters-in fact, l
have had several people in other
parts of North Carolina tell me that
they considered the best and most
alive painting being done in the
state is being done in Wilmington.
We believe the Wilmington public
Will show their interest in Whining
ton painters in the concrete way of
actually buying their pictures. Please
oear IN mind that Art Week is a
effort. We are asked to
ouy art n pay only for value re-
ceived. We hope that many of you