davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-01-25

the approval Of Mr.. MacLeish, Ii
brarian Of Congress, and David
Lynn, Architect Of the Capitol.
Their execution occupied the artist
six week.
That Portinari has talent, and
courage, and imagination, there can
be no doubt, and seen in some other
location even these murals might
appear to advantage, but as now
placed they are out of scale and out
of harmony with all their surround
ings, hence a Disagreement rather
than decoration. The Hispanic
reading room Is architecturally fine
in design, and its decorations, which
are very reticent in feeling, are ex-
quisite in color-to put such a
scheme In competition with any
thing as blatant as the Portinari
murals is cruel indeed, like drowning
opinion cannot only be allowed but
encouraged.
This, however, is not q matter of
modern art, nor traditional art, the
art of the United States nor that
Of Brazil, but art as a thing in it
self, revelation of beauty in form
and color, in spirit and In fact,
which, at its best, speaks to the
hearts of men in its own visual Ian
guage, bringing them Joy and cour-
age and peace, not alone for the
moment but for all time. Art for us
today is star in a very black and
threatening sky. To the majority
of the people who visit the Hispanic
Division of the Library of Congress
these new murals by Portinari will
not be found beautiful, and when
the sincerity of the artist and the
generosity of his government are
violin obbligato by the music Of
a brass band.
But there are some who find these
murals beautiful, among whom is
the Librarian Of Congress, and,
doubtless, others. In letter to the
President of Brazil, released in part
at the time of the dedication, Mr..
MacLeish said, these murals ARE
not only beautiful paintings that
illustrate the field of interest of the
Hispanic Foundation but also make
highly original and important con-
tribution to American art"
Such reactions differ with indi-
viduals, and it is true that from
time to time fashions change In
ladies' bonnets, what was thought
beautiful so years ago may seem
ridiculous today. But art is not
quite so superficial. Beneath the
changes on the surface in its field
Is that sound foundation Of immut-
able laws built up by the convictions
of generations of those who have
been best qualified to judge, and
because Of which, such freedom Of
considered-more is the pity. But
let every one Judge for himself.
Mexican Art.
At the Phillips Memorial Gallery
there opened on January IL, to con-
tinue until February l. an exhibi-
ton of works of modern Mexican
painters and printmakers, organ
ized by the Institute Of Modern Art,
Boston, where it was shown first,
and through the cooperation Of the
Phillips Memorial Gallery and the
art museums of Cleveland, Ohio;
Portland, Greg, and San Francisco
and Santa Barbara, Calf. to each Of
which it will 60 in turn.
1t consists entirely Of loans. the
majority Of which are from the col
lection of MacKinley Helm, assem-
bled during three years residence
Evening star., 1942-01-25
In Local Music Circles

Of Mrs. Irwin L. Clark, 300 Missis-
sippi avenue, Silver Spring, on
Wednesday at 10 am. Mrs. A. w.
Volkmer viii present a paper on Bra
lillian music and the choral group
will sing the Brazilian national an
them and several folksongs. Mrs.
E. B. Reid will accompany Mrs.
Mitchell.
William Collins will present his
Friendship House pupils in a piano
recital this afternoon at 4 o'clock.
Those taking part in the recital are: /:
Evelyn Arminger, Paul Arminger,
Shirley Boyer, Evelyn Cutshaw, 10
Ann Gilman, Paul Garrett, James
Leeman, Herbert Leeman and Dom
aid Vaughn. The public is cor
daily invited to attend this recital,
which will be held in the music
studio Of Friendship House. 619 D
street Sc.
The music division of the Y. w
G. A. announces two classes to be-
gin on Monday, February 2.
Introductory Harmony" under
May Eleanor Smith Is scheduled for
Is weeks, meeting from 8 to 8 on
Monday evenings. THE Art OF
Listening to Music" will be four
week course given by Helen Mid
dleton Smith, at the same hour. For
information on these and other
classes and music clubs call the
music office.
Evening star., 1942-01-25
Concert Schedule
TODAY.
TODAY.

National Symphony Orchestra,
DR.. Hans Kinder, conductor:
Benny Goodman and his orches-
ira assisting; Constitution Hall,
$50 pm.
Miksa Merson, piano recital,
Phillips Gallery, 4 pm.
Maxwell Galloway, soprano,
Women's City Club, 5 pm.
Sunday Music Hour, Margareta
Zilnacus, soprano; nellie H. I'm
lay, pianist; Y. w. C. A., S pm.
clifford Mccormick, piano re-
cital, King-Smith Playhouse,
8 pm.
TOMORROW.
Washington Music Teachers
Association, Marion Bauer, guest
speaker; Constance Russell, pi-
anist, assisting; Womens City
Club, $3.50 pm.
Evening With the victrola,"
Public Library, Eighth and z
streets NV; 7::30 pm.
TUESDAY.
Composers Club program, Arts
Club, $3.50 pm.
Navy Band Symphony Or
chestra, Marine Corps Audi
torium, 8:15 pm.
Marine Band, Marine Barracks,
1880 pm.
WEDNESDAY.
Chamber Music Guild, Frances
Nash Watson, pianist; Frank
Eney, contrabass; Abrasha Ro-
bofsky, baritone, assisting; Almas
Temple. S:45 pm.
Marine Band Symphony Or
chestra, Charles Owen. xylo-
phonist, soloist; Marine Barracks,
8:15 pm.
Jewish Folk Chorus, Abrasha
Robofsky, baritone soloist; Pierce
Hall, $3.50 pm.
Victrola concert, Musical Art
Center, $50 pm.
THURSDAY.
National Symphony Orchestra,
Juan Jose Castro, conductor;
Marisa Regules. pianist, soloist;
Pan-American Union, 9 pm.
Washington Sinfonietta, Van
Lier Lanning, conductor; Jew
ish Community Center, BIS pm.
FRIDAY.
Friday Morning Music Club,
Irene Lerch, pianist; Neva
Maaske, soprano; Walter Howe,
drum; Barker Hall, 1880 am.
SATURDAY.
Marine Band, Marine Bar
racks, 10 am. and 2 pm.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

IN Mexico, the greater part of which
was given to research and study
resulting in Modern Mexican
Painters" published last year, and
accepted by Mexicans as very COM
plete and authoritative.
The foreword to the catalogue Of
this exhibition, which fills four gal
leries in the Phillips Memorial Gal
lery, was written by Mr.. Helm and
gives an excellent idea of those char
acteristics which set the School of
Mexico City apart. Mexican art,
this artist claims, has an individual
ity all its own-something beneath
the surface which the casual observ-
er is apt to fail to see. Because
Rivera's art has been used for politi-
cal propaganda, the average person,
Mr.. Helm claims, is inclined to look
for this element in all Mexican
painting, whereas Rivera's painting
lent itself to such purpose merely
because of its exceptional artistic
excellence. Orozco, on the other
hand, while no less talented, turned
his attention to art for arts sake
and brought the younger artists back
to this broader conception.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

(their recording which was voted,
also In the Metronome poll, "the
best hot record Of the year,, Don't
Be That Way" "One O'Clock Jump"
Body and Soul" blues in the
Night" Lets Do 1t" and the drum
concerto, Sing, Sing, Sing"
Benny Goodman occupies q unique
position in American music. Al
most single handedly he lifted popu-
lar music out of the doldrums
Of symphonic" Jazz into the heady
realm of "le Jazz hot" and then,
acknowledged to be the greatest
hot clarinetist the world has ever
known, he went on to become the
only man in popular music to be
accepted on the concert stage. At
the same time. Goodman plays
chamber music for his own amuse-
ment and has appeared both IN
concert and on records with the
Budapest String Quartet, % In short,
this young man who was born in
Chicago's Ghetto 80 years ago and
had his union card at 13, has proved
that the unbridgeable gulf is not
between the classics and pure jazz,
but simply between good music and
bad.
During the second half OF to-
nights concert, Goodman will be
heard with his full band. For the
benefit of those who follow such
things, its present personnel is made
up of Jimmy Maxwell, Bernie Privin,
Irving Berger, trumpets; Lou Nc
Garity, Robert Guilty" Cutshan,
trombones; Sol Kane, first alto sax
ophone; Vido Musso, George Berg,
tenor saxophones; Charles Gentry,
baritone saxophone; Melvin Powell,
piano; Tommy Morganelli, guitar:
Ralph Collier, drums; Sid Weiss,
bass; Art London. Peggy Lee, vocal
lists, and the leader himself on
clarinet.
Evening star., 1942-01-25
Mccormick Recital

Clifford Mccormick, brilliant
young pianist, will play a modern
program this evening at o O'Clock
at the King-Smith Playhouse. In
connection with the recital, Mr.. Nc
Cormick will give brief resume of
the well-known painters and sculp-
tors working in the modern medium
of the musical composers of the
same era. Mr.. McCormick's pro-
gram will include "Sonatine, Bar.
tok; "Ipanema," Milhaud; "Mouve-
ments Perpetuels," Pouhec; Son
ate No. 4" F sharp major Scria-
bine, and six Piano Pieces Op. 49,"
Schonberg.
Evening star., 1942-01-25
By Florence s. Berryman.

Good craftsmanship is the feature
which impresses the observer most
forcibly In exhibitions of advertising
art, such as the national show now
on view in the handsome new art
gallery of Howard University, and
the first annual commercial art and
photo show of the Advertising Club
Of Washington, displayed last week
end (January II, Is and 19) at the
Raleigh Hotel.
The first mentioned, selected from
the goth Annual Of the Art Directors
Club, New York City, comprises
about IS items which are being cir
culated by the American Federation
Of Arts. The travelling exhibition
opened at the University of Mime
sofa early last fall, after which it
was taken over by the Office Of Co.
ordinator of Inter- American Affairs
and was sent to the Guatemala Ma
tional Fair Guatemala City, in No
vember. A cable from Guatemala
announced that the United States
section was a "hit"
It is easy to understand why ex-
hibitions Of Advertising Art impress
the public. Advertisers success or
failure is due entirely to whether
the public is interested in or in
different to their efforts, and art
directors for advertising agencies, in
consequence, have about as pene-
trating knowledge of public taste as
possible. There is variety in media,
styles, techniques, subject matter
and approaches. The exhibits run
q gamut from literal Illustration to
complete abstraction. But the COM
mon denominator Of all these ad-
vertisements is good craftsmanship;
there is nothing slipshod, fumbling
or immature. This is point which
some modern artists might ponder
to their profit.
The paintings, drawings, photo
graphs, prints and other works in
the exhibition at Howard University
were among less than 800 selected
from 1000 entries by unbiased and
competent judges Of advertising.
The selections had to be both artisti-
cally excellent and functional. Their
whole purpose was to sell" prod
uct or q service, by calling attention
to an advertisement. Fifteen Of the
II prize-winning works In the 20th
Annual, are included In the travelling
exhibition. In comprises illustra-
tions IA color and black end white,
Evening star., 1942-01-25
Fine Craftsmanship Noted
In Neav Commercial Art

photographs in the same classes,
continuities, magazine covers, posters
and car cards.
Well-known contemporary artists
who are responsible for these works
include Stow Wengenroth, Dean
Cornwell, Robert Riggs, Peter Helck,
Edward Steichen, Pierre Roy and
Norman Rockwell. The advertisers
represented are even better known
to the average person, for they
offer products and services which
most of us use from time to time.
This exhibition, which should be
Of particular interest to CONNER
cial artists, will remain at Howard
University Art Gallery to the end
Of February.
The three-day exhibition of the
Advertising Club Of Washington,
although local in scope, had similar
characteristics to the national show.
The clubs purpose In assembling
the show was to exhibit the best of
art commercially used in Washing
ton advertising, to foster its con-
tinued improvement and to observe
the changing influences and trends
in advertising illustration and de-
sign. Any artist or photographer,
living in the District of Columbia
or within q 25-mile radius, who had
produced advertising art or photog-
raphy which had been commercially
executed in this city, was eligible
to submit work.
The club awarded a "first-place''
citation and three distinctive mer-
it" certificates in several divisions of
work. First place for posters de-
servedly went to Merwyn N. Nc
Night, jr., for his work for the
Greek War Relief Association. It
featured the winged victory, in q
cool gray-blue and white scheme.
Ralph Patterson's family Of tele-
phones done for the c. q p. Tele-
phone Co. received first place for
color Illustration, while Gene Hoo
ver's interesting pattern Of hands
(for Standard Engraving) fetched
the citation for black and white
illustration. First citations for pho
tographs were bestowed upon Louft
and Wolf pittsburgh Plate Glass
Coz and Ray BozHe (for the Hecht
Coz. Although 1t won no award,
Paul Hodmaster's Fresh Vege-
tables" q color illustration for In
dependent Food Stores, was out
standing as an original conception,
and was also one OF the most anus
ing works On view.
Evening star., 1942-01-25
Murals by Brazilian Artist
At Library of Congress
Art Project Sponsored by Two
Governments as Good Will Token
On View in Hispanic Division
By Leila MechIin.

For the past fortnight paintings
and prints by artists of Latin Amer
lea have held first place In the
field Of contemporary art in Wash
ington.
On the afternoon Of January IL,
IN the Hispanic Division of the Lii
brary Of Congress, were ceremoni-
ously dedicated, before a distin-
guished, invited audience, four mu-
raj paintings, done in fresco on dry
plaster, by Candido Portinari of Bra
iii, a project sponsored by the Bra
lillian and United States Govern
ments, as further token of mutual
good will.
The subjects Of these paintings,
which entirely cover the walls of
the small rooms opening out Of the
han and into the reading room, are,
briefly %, THE Discovery of the
Land" (O Pioneer Conquest Of the
Evening star., 1942-01-25

Forests and Domination Of the
Soil" GO Religious Teaching and
the Dawn of Culture" and "a Gold
Mining" again representative Of
life in q new-found country.
Portinari is said to have dis
covered" the common man, he whose
life is primarily physical rather than
intellectual, and brought him to
the attention of the world. It was
Gauguin, however, who years before
declared the ailment Of art to be
civilization and advocated, as a
cure, return to savagery. From that
day to this there has been in con-
temporary art a steady downward
trend. The art Of primitive man
Is OF enormous interest when studied
in the original, as Is that which
witnesses to his advancement in
civilization and culture, but when
merely revived and envisioned
imaginatively by those of a much
later era it has no value at all his
torically. Also the common man"
Is not a rare specimen, or in danger
Of extinction: in fact, he is always
with us, and only when, through
privilege of education or the possess
sion of rare qualities, he becomes
uncommon, does he deserve to be
placed with the immortals or given
the attention that today is his.
So much for subject matter. With
regard to technique, Portinari in
these murals on the walls Of the
Library Of Congress, which, by the
way, are on very large scale, the
figures being more than twice life
size, has run the gamut from the
realistic to the extreme impress
sionistic. This an advocate of the
works refers to as "the artists
evolution Of mural style toward the
dissolution of form and color;
likening the distortions, to which he
finally resorts, to "staccato notes"
In a musical composition.
The colors used are strong and
brilliant, the forms are roughly but
impressively indicated, the manner
OF painting Is broad but crude. In
the first of the series, 1.-THE Discov-
erers," the color scheme is high
keyed, white and blue, and Tapping
ropes, from the mast of a boat, cut
the composition vertically sin two
parts. In the fourth, Mining Gold"
there is greater variety of color and
a better arranged composition, but
the style Of treatment has under
gone a great change, extreme i'm
pressionis1n taking the place of
realism.
Seven figures here make up the
group. On the faces of the miners,
white triangles take the place of
noses, the heads are almost all fiat
tened, movement is exaggerated, all
is grotesque. Surely these are not
men in Gods image and endowed
with Godlike qualities and potenti-
alities. To the average visitor the
reason for such painting will be
far to seek.
The painter, Candido Portinari, was
born In 1908 In the interior of the
State Of Sac Paulo. He Is today
said to be the leading artist. of
Brazil. His first art training was in
the Academies in Rio de Janeiro.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

Helen Spilmen inaugurated her
Wednesday evening victrola concerts
last Wednesday at the Musical Art
Center, 1925 G street NV. Miss
Spilman, who possesses one of the
largest private collections Of VIC
trola music in the city, has ar
ranged these concerts to bring to-
gether music lovers In an informal,
friendly atmosphere. All theory and
technical discussions will be avoided
but Miss Spilman will preface each
group Of works with entertaining
anecdotes concerning the, lives Of
composers and artists. A nominal
admission fee will be charged.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

The third Of the big trio repre-
sented in this exhibition Is David AL
faro Siqueriros, an tnnovator in
techniQues and media, notably with
spray gun and Duco-in connection
with the painting Of murals on out
side walls-who, for political reasons,
Is now an exile'in Chile.
He was q member of the interna-
tional jury for paintings at the great
Olympic exhibition In Los Angeles
In 1882. When asked at that time
what influence he thought the art
Of the United States would have
upon that Of Mexico, his reply was,
with . shrug, None" 1t was the
other way round, he thought, as
Mexican art had already made, and
would continue to make, q deep i'm
preston upon the art Of the United
States Of America. This was true
then and more true now.
Antonio Luna Exhibit.
While the collective exhibition Of
paintings and prints by Mexican art
lists Is on view in the Philips Memo
rial Gallery, q one-man exhibition OF
the work Of another Mexican artist,
Antonio Rodriguez Luna, Is to be
seen in the foyer Of the National
Museum (Tenth street and Consti-
tuition avenue) under the patronage
Of the Ambassador Of Mexico to the
United States and Nine. Castillo Ma
jera.
Born in Spain in 1910. Luna stu
died first at Seville and then In Ma
drid. He has exhibited In Madrid,
Barcelona and Paris as well as Mex
leo. In q national competition held
In Spain he was awarded first prize,
and he now holds Guggenheim
Fellowship. The majority Of the Is
pictures he shows are Of groups Of
people-united by some common in
terest or special happening. In these
he Is at his best. Also his still-life
studies-quite elaborate compost
tions. gravely rendered-are Of in
teresting quality. Least impressive
are his portraits, which seem rather
devitalized and ghostly.
Most engaging of all. however, are
his prints, elaborate in subject and
exceptionally well rendered-the
groups depicted being well delin-
eated and the effect as a whole
dramatic and provocative Of interest.
IN two or three instances he has
rendered these in color. This exhibi-
ton will also continue through the
present month.
Red Gross Competition.
The Red Cross has announced the
intention Of buying works Of art by
artists Of the United States through
a competition set up and conducted
by the section of fine arts. Public
Buildings Administration. The art
lists are asked to send In paintings
in oil and water colors, posters,
drawings and prints, which in design
and treatment will be suitable when
displayed or reproduced to make
known the activities Of the American
Red Cross. Prices paid will be from
$500 down to $40 and the copyright
will be vested in the Red Cross.
The jury of award will consist of
Olin Dows, Charles Coiner, Edward
B. Rowan, Holger Cahill, G. Stewart
Brown and Forbes Watson. Works
entered must be delivered to the
section Of fine arts, marked For the
Red Cross Competition" on or be-
fore March 10. 1912. Further in
formation may be secured from the
section of fine arts.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

m u S ! c o o glst,
lecturer, COM
poser and out
standing author
tty on I n e
subject Of mod
ern m u sic, in
q lie c ture on
American music
at the regular
monthly meet
ing to be held
at the Women's
City Club, 736
Jackson place
NV, tomorrow
at $3.50 pm.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

The Composers Club of Washing
ton will present the program at the
Arts Club on Tuesday evening at
$3.50. The composers represented
will be r. Deane Shure, Dorothy
Radde Emery, La Sale Spier,
Mary Howe, Emerson Meyers, Alden
Finckel and Parker Bailey. The
program will consist of q string
quartet with piano and voice, instru-
mental, trios, a group of madrigal
singers from Mount Vernon Church,
Harlan Randall, head of the music
department of Maryland University,
and Maxwell Galloway, soprano,
will sing several compositions of
members of the club.
Iva Loughlen Guy presents pupils
of her piano class in recital this
afternoon at in the Recital Hall
at 1842 Mintwood place NV. Those
on the program are Mary Abbe,
Nancy Barker, Robert Basart, Betsie,
Kimbrough and Susan Bassett; Bar
bara and Peggy 10 Brown, Joanne
Dillon, Ann Flagg. Barbara Harter,
Frank Henderson, Marlene Jacob
son, Martha MCDOWELL Lane, Mary
Lee McCausland, Johnny McKeever,
Barbara Miller, Ann Myers, June
Ney, Charles Quigley, Mary Ann
Robb, Ira Tice, Jane Tremearne,
Mary Van Veen and Teddy Yoos.
Halle Mae Reed, soprano, who has
been studying at the Juilliard School
of Music In New York, viii return
to her home on Mason avenue,
Alexandria, Va, for stort stay the
first week in February, during which
time she viii sing at several musical
events,
The music section Of the Takoma
Park Womenb Club viii hear Hem
- e
Evening star., 1942-01-25

MISS B
will be assisted by Constance Rus
sell, pianist, in the following pro-
gram: Folk and popular influences
prelude No. q" Gershwin; Ar
kansas Traveller" (old f1ddlers'
breakdown, Guion, Impressionism
The Fountain of the Aqua
Paolo," Critics (from Roman
Sketches. Op. 7"): "The Tide, Op.
10, No. u; "A Fancy" Prelude in
r Minor, Op. 16, No. g." Marion
Bauer. Contemporary influences
prelude No. T." Crawford; "The
Cat and. the Mouse" ("Scherzo HUI
moristiqueC, COPELAND.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

and Schumann and will include the
latter's Fantasy in G Major"
"Toccata in C Major" and "Carna-
VAL; Haydn's Sonata in E Flat"
and Mozart's "Rondo in A Minor"
A list of distinguished patronesses
will sponsor the concert.
Evening star., 1942-01-25

Y - = . "a WI AAOOAA
at 4 pm. at
Phillips Memo
rial Gallery. Mr..
Merson was for
merly actively
identified with
music In this
city and has re-
turned after an
absence to re-
sumo his public
playing.
The program
t his afternoon
will be devoted
to works of
HadYn. Mozart,
Evening star., 1942-01-25

John Howard Faust, the composer
taxicab driver, who has achieved
considerable success with his patri-
otic song, Allegiance" has writ
ten another entitled "Will You
Agree" dedicated 70 President
Rooeeyelt.
Evening star., 1942-01-25
MersOn in Recital

Miksa Merson, Hungarian pianist,
will give the first of series of re-
citals on masterworks of the piano
Evening star., 1942-01-25
Marion BauerLecture

The Washington Music Teachers
Association, Inc. will present
Marion Bauer, nationally known
Evening star., 1942-01-25

The music section Of the Takoma
Park Womenb Club viii hear Hem
rietta Mitchell, lyric soprano, IN .
program Of bird songs ct ths home