Evening star., 1948-11-28

ssound and colorful pastel, Tokyo"
by Mona Jordan, which had escaped
me on the first VISIT
But the several hundred works
occupying another large gallery on
the second floor, as well as the bal
cony and the corridors on the first
floor, include so large proportion
of inept and amateurish oils and
water colors, that it is not surprising
the jury overlooked competent
works which are worthy of hanging
in the third annual. If this Is
representative cross section Of the
1000 entries. the jury could scarcely
have avoided mental exhaustion.
There is certainly no doubt that
among the refused" works are
predominantly traditional, not ex-
perimental; and in my opinion,
there are no really top-notch works
in the entire collection. In view Of
the fact that Washington has
good number of talented artists, one
concludes that many Of them sent
nothing, while others did not offer
their best. In other words, the
artists have not done right by the
Corcoran Gallery this year. With
regard to the report that some ar
fists would not allow their works
in the refused" show, a Corcoran
official said there were not more
than 20-odd among them. 1t Is i'm
probable that all of them had turned
in masterpieces.
Despite their many shortcomings,
juries are necessary to winnow the
better works from what is offered.
Otherwise, amateurs and incompe-
tents would fill the galleries open
to contemporary exhibitions with
works not worth looking at. Un-
gifted musicians annoy only their
neighbors; unskilled writers output
goes into wastebaskets or bureau
drawers. But those who take up
some spatial art medium are sub
ject only to space limitations and
the turn down Of juries in getting
their work before the general public.
Incomprehensible Aspects
To find among the refused
works" still life by Ethel Robert
son Gath, and an abstraction on
musical instruments by William
Calfee, each painting akin to the
respective artists solo exhibition at
the Corcoran Gallery last summer,
is one of the incomprehensible
aspects Of the display.
The show includes competent If
unexcithg portraits and figures by
sevarl artists well known here:
Eben F. Comins, Edmund Archer,
Alexander Clayton, Marcella Comes,
and one new to me, S. Morse Brown.
Alice Acheson is represented with a
large cool landscape of Malique
Lake. Several Arts Club members
have sent in pleasant paintings:
Clara Saunders, bright and decora-
tive FLOWERS; Robert Motley,
Florence Morgan, Martha Bache and
Christine Fields, landscapes; Row.
land Lyon, a circus subject.
Bertha Dougherty's Picket
Fence" Emile M. Arlt's ''Henemsha
Mists," Blaine Carter's Quintet"
James Cupoli's "Old Canal" Charles
Hoover's "Nauset Light" NJ. S..
Reggio's Green Bowl" are quite as
good as works these artists have had
accepted in former ANIMALS in
Washington galleries. So, too. are
sculptures by Shirley Lichtman and
Florence B. Higgs.
Among the large number of new
names, Joseph Howorth, Richard
Parker and Cecil Hunker are among
group who have turned in facile
performances in conservative idioms,
and might use these as spring boards
to more creative work.
X X X X
Next Washington Area Show
The Whyte Gallery and the Wat
Ikins Gallery of American Univer-
sity announce an exhibition of work
by artists Of the Washington area
to open January 16 for three weeks.
1t has an interesting idea, details
of which will be given here next
week. Meanwhile, artists can obtain
information from either of the
galleries.
Destroyed and Restored
Those for whom beautiful, old
buildings of the past have endless
fascination, should not miss the
exhibition of Frances Benjamin
.Johnston's photoeraphs of historic