Evening star., 1944-12-24
Washington Artists
Exhibit Opens Today
In Corcoran Gallery
By LEILA MECHIIN.

ny LILA MECnLlN.
The Society of Washington Artist
will open its 54th annual ex
hibition this afternoon in the Cor
coran Gallery of Art. It will consis
Of So oil paintings and Is works IL
sculpture by artists Of Washington
and vicinity, selected by a jury com
posed Of the officers of the society
together with members Of the Ex
ecutive Committee.
The prize awards, announced IL
The Star last Wednesday, were, OF
the other hand, chosen by com
mittee Of three art experts from
out Of town, Maj. Leslie Cheek, di
rector Of the Baltimore Museum
Comdr. William F. Draper, painter
OF Boston, and Joseph Steppat
sculptor, formerly OF Vienna, VIII,
has lately exhibited in the Whyt,
Gallery here. This jury awarded
three cash prizes, four bronz,
medals and eight honorable men.
tions. Topping the list is the prize
of 500 donated by The Star fol
the painting adjudged best in the
entire number on display. This went
to Omar r. Darlington, member oi
the Executive Committee, for q
painting entitled "Harper's Ferry
Nocturne"-a Closeup" of a night
scene.
Reflects Current Trends.
As a whole the exhibition will be
found interesting progressively
modern but at the same time dis
tinctly conservative, and rejecting
very accurately current trends
Landscapes, portraits and still life
dominate, but there are, it will be
found, some excellent figure COM
positions. There is practically moth
ing reminding of war, with its sad
ness and horrors.
The gallery of current exhibitions
Is given over to this show, which
however, overf1ows into cases in
the hall of the upper atrium. The
hanging and arrangement are very
pleasing-there is no crowding, and
the placement is very harmonious
Works rather radical do not quarre!
with those which hold to tradition
nor are abashed by them. By both
Of the juries, and those who have
had the privilege of preview, this
54th annual exhibition, composed
exclusively of local works, has been
declared an engaging and COM
mendable show.
Tho Cn1io&u NF ochir Ar
lists came into existence in 1890, the
outcome of an Art Club organized
some years earlier with Mr.. W. w
Coreoran as president and Mr.. S
H. Kaufman of The Star as
chairman of the Executive Commit
tee. It's first two annual exhibitions
were held in a gallery placed at the
society's disposal in Woodward &
Lothrop's new building, standing just
where it does today. Then came
several in a little gallery on Con-
necticut avenue, made available by
the owner, and, later still, one OF
two were held in the Cosmos Club
which consented for these occasions
to set aside its fixed rule of not
admitting ladies to its precincts.
From 1900 to Present.
From 1900 to the present time all
three of these exhibitions have been
held in the Corcoran Gallery of
Art, which by the turn of the CEN
tury had taken possession of Its
handsome new quarters at Seven
teenth and New York avenue
Meanwhile the connection between
the local organization of artists, the
gallery dedicated to the advance
ment of American art, and "The
Star" through it's personnel con.
tinued. Mr.. S. H. Kaufman be.
came president of the gallery,
board of trustees, to be followed or
the board by his son and his grand.
son. The late Crosby S. Noyes wa:
also an art devotee and supporter
of worthy art projects-all of which
made for progress.
Summing up the contribution
made to this end by those so deeply
concerned, the late William H.
Holmes, artist and art executive once
said: "The fruitage of efforts of
the Society of Washington Artists
and other kindred societies will be
that our Capital city shall lead all
others in richness of its treasures
and the splendor of its housing of
art" This prophecy is today full
filed.
The present officers of the So
ciety of Washington Artists are
Rowland Lyon, president; Kenneth
5tubbs, vice president; Eleanor Null
iken, treasurer, and Garnet w. Jex,
secretary.