Evening star., 1948-11-14
! Art
Metropolitan State
Contest Is Lacking
In Variation of
Traditional Themes
By Florence S. Berymon

What Washington art circles seem
10 need this month is happy medi-
um between the extremely harsh
Jury that rejected all but 10 of near
ly 1000 entries for the Corcoran
Ganery's third exhibition of work by
artists of Washington and vicinity
ito open next Sunday and the ex-
tremely lenient jury that accepted
about half Of some 750 entries in the
ilth Metropolitan State Art Contest,
now on view IN the foyer of the
National History Building, National
Museum. (As reported in the Star
November 6, the Corcoran has aug
mented Its exhibition by accepting
one work from each contributor. in
addition to the jurys choices)
Since the Metropolitan state show
n limited to works Of the past two
years, not previously exhibited. it Is
entirely new. Yet I had the feeling
that I had seen 1t last year and the
year before that. 1t has the same
failing that previous editions Of the
contest have had: Too much medi-
ocre work. Paintings with too sweet
color and too many details handled
In q niggling and labored way. not
TO mention other kindred failings,
detract from the general effect.
Show Is Conservative
As heretofore, the exhibition Is
very largely conservative; but has
enough modern paintings to indicate
that there was no barrier TO them.
As it is much easier for the average
person to spot bad conservative than
to pick out bad modern paintings
(since to many persons, all modern
works appear "wrong"D, the con-
servative works that fall below q
comfortable level of competence are
more conspicuous. However, medi-
ocrity is the major failing. There is
nothing repulsive in the subject
matter. It is obvious that practical
ly all the artists were looking for
beauty or picturesqueness in some
form.
A curious aspect of the Metro
politan state art contest is that to
q large extent its drs'us work from
artists who exhibit nowhere else IN
Washington. It is natural to Won
der why so small a proportion OF
active local artists submits work.
But this mystery probably will not
be solved.
The awards and mentions in most
instances went to technically COM
petent and generally pleasing works.
Alice Fitzgerald'S New Harbor,
depicting in fresh color a scene
appealing per Sc, which received
The Evening Star prize of S100 for
water color, was reproduced in The
Star last Sunday, with the list OF
first awards anG artists N other
media, and additional information
about the contest.
Lyrical and Delicate
First award winner in oil. Minor
Jameson's Spring Landscape ;"
lyrical and delicate in color, is typ
ical of his work, which is well
known in Washington. The second
award in this class went to Harry
lie Roy Jones for his still life,
white Pitcher" broader in ham
ding and more insistent in color.
Lillian Bricker's "Cornfield," an epit-
ONE of autumn with its golden
tonality, won first honorable men,
ton. Second mention went to Re-
becca Pollard Guggenheim's portrait
Of a young woman, which rlakes no
effort to probe below her surface
appearance.
E. J. Almquist's wood bas relief
portrait, which won the sculpture
award, is a captivating Likeness of
a young boy. Polly Wayne Kittelle's
hfe-size portrait head of a girl re-
ceived mention in sculpture.
Katherine S. Dawson and Mrs.
Charles II. Stratton, who received
mentions for jewelry and silver, are
consistently good, year after year.
Honorable mentions in water color
and pastel went. respectively. to
Vernon Nye's somber little gouache,
Sugar Shanty," and to Mona
Jordan's portrait of japanese
oboist, a convincing characteliza-
ton appropriately framed in bam-
Doc. In the white class,
Lily Asher's award winning Cafe
terra Coffee" is an 'ronic bit OF
genre. Isabelle Walker and Doro-
thy van H. Harrison received men,
tions.
This exhibition will remain
through November %.