Evening star., 1940-07-14

Cathedral OF Amiens was damaged.
No word has come concerning the
Cathedral and the Church Rouen.
May 1t not have been to save these
and others for generations yet un-
born which weighed In the balance
when France accepted the terms Of
armistice? Quite possibly. for to
every Frenchman, Of high or low
degree, they are beyond price
precious trust.
The American National Committee
OF Engraving, since It's organizatio
last year, has been very active.
When the Worlds Fair Of New York
reopened on May II Of this year,
the committees first exhibition went
on view. This was a collection Of
SO prints from Hawaii assembled
by The Honolulu Printmakers and
sent to the American National Com
mittee of Engraving in exchange
for an exhibition of Fifty Prints
From the Mainland" which will be
assembled and sent to Hawaii this
fall. The Hawaiian prints were on
exhibition in the Contemporary
Arts Building for month and
then were replaced by a second ex-
hibition arranged for by the COM
mittee, consisting Of prints from
Mexico. The latter includes 1T
exhibits. Both it and the Hawaiian
collection will be circulated later
| among the art museums of the
United States.
Also plans have been under way
for some time to bring here from
England and France prints by Brit
ish and French artists, so Of each,
to be shown and sold for the benefit
OF the families Of artists now doing
service in the war. These were to be
brought together through the CO.
operation Of the president Of the
Royal Society of Painter Etchers
and Engravers in England and a
representative of the Bibliotheque
Rationale In Paris. The initial
showing is scheduled for October in
the Grand Central Galleries, New
York, and because of the character
Of the exhibition no commission
here or elsewhere will be charged
against sales. This exhibition will
also be widely circulated.
Graphic Arts Activity.
Finally, the national committee is
reaching out to the countries OF
South and Central America with
the hope Of arranging an exchange
Of exhibitions. This Is good work
and thoroughly democratic. We
have long needed just such an Or
ganization to extend recognition OF
American art and to acquaint us
with that produced contemporane-
ously but beyond our boundaries.
The Executive Committee is es-
sentially national in its scope.
It is remarkable how much activ-
ity there is at present in the graphic
arts. In recent years quite a num-
ber of print societies have been
organized in different parts Of this
country, each Of which is upholding
high standard among its members
and doing much toward spreading
the knowledge and appreciation OF
fine prints. The Chicago Society OF
Printmakers and the Printmakers
Society Of California long have been
in the field and have done yeoman
service through their exhibitions,
publications and demonstrations
The Society OF American Etchers
was originally the Brooklyn Society
of Etchers, organized In 1915. In
1881 it moved to New York and
broadened both its scope and title
It holds not only an annual ex-
hibtion, essentially nation wide In
representation, but also, each Janu.
ary, q selection Of the hundred
! best" first in New York, then
throughout the country.
Among the newcomers are the
Southern Printmakers Society, five
years old but very active, with head
quarters at Mount Airy, Ga, and al
ready quite notable achievement tc
its credit; The Prairie Printmakers
Wichita, Kans., a bit older and
therefore better established and also
growing, and the Woodcut Society
Of Kansas City, which can boast
several feathers In its cap by way
Of members prints, to say nothing oi
the American College Society Of
Print Collectors, which aims through