Evening star., 1951-11-11
Art
Metropolitan
Stote Contest
One of Finest

Stote Contest
| One of Finest
BY Florence S. Berrymon.
The l4th Metropolitan State
Art Contest, which opened last
Sunday in the foyer of the Nat
ural History Building, United
States National Museum, is the
best of the series I recall having
seen. Its merit is due, not to any
change in its character in the way
of innovations, but to the fact
that the great majority Of the ex-
hibits are technically competent.
Whereas former editions Of this
annual had regrettably large
number of amateur efforts, the
present one has kept such work
to minimum. It is too much to
expect such an incluaive display
to keep out all poor work.
In other respects the exhibition
is similar to state art contests
Of past years: Conservative char
acter of most Of the work, pleas
ant. non-controversial subject
matter and identity Of the artists.
Approximately 300 works on view
represent about $50 artists. not
more than 80 Of whom are famil-
lar through participation in va
rious other local group shows.
A complete list of prize winners
| in all classes. and the names of
members Of juries of selection and
awards. were given in The Stars
columns November 3. The ex-
hibition opens annually the first
week OF November, which Is
American Art Week." throughout
the United States. and is marked
by local chapters of the American
Artists Professional League. The
District Of Columbia Chapter. of
which Mrs. Miles Trowbridge is
chairman, is sponsoring this exhi-
bition, assisted by the Entire Nous
Club.
Prizes and Mentions.
The $100 Evening Star award,
given for the shows best water
color. went to Jay O'Meilia for
Memories" a view of old ships
| in Baltimore Harbor. painted in
browns and grays. which empha-
sized the subjects melancholy at
mosphere. The second prize
winning watercolor, too. is sub
dued In mood. Kenneth Mann's
well-done Last Days" Of an old
suburban frame house. C.. L.
Pahls Storm in the Suburbs"
honorable mention depicts row
of houses on a day of clouds and
intermittent sunshine.
Celine Tabary of Howard Uni
versity's art faculty was awarded
the Garfinckel first prize in the
oil classification for her sunny,
fresh and picturesque French
landscape "Speracedes ct Son
Clocher." The Muth award went
to Helen E. Townsend for Flow
ers," a colorful arrangement of
spring flowers in an exquisite an
tique green glass vase. painted
against a plum drapery. Martha
M. Bache's Cape Ann Harbor"
won honorable mention.
Polly Wayne Kittelle's vital
head Of a little girl, Claudia" :"
fetched the, $50 Jellef award in
sculpture. A little boys head by
Jean Barnes, which received hon.
orable mention. seemed to me to
lack character.
Any one of Marian U. M. Lanes
beautifully Illuminated texts with
miniatures deserved the first prize
| in this class. which went specifi-
cally to her "Old Glastonbury
Litany." The watercolor, wash
iington Monument" by Johanna
M. Elmblad, which received hon.
orable mention, is a rather slight
performance.
Print prize ($7O and honorable
mention went, respectively, toI
William E. Lee for Graveyard"
(Which like Memories" The Star
prize winner, depicts old boat
hulks) and T. H. Drummond for
Windy Ridge" a Western desert
landscape with cowboy, both
these prints meticulously executed.
Vernon Worthington's trio of
pendants, colorful semi-precious
stone, received the jewelry prize
and the mention was given to
Ruth Bunker's ornate Mexican
type silver lapel pin with a jade
face setting Of Quetzlcoatl.
The prize and mention for crafts
were we'll bestowed on Irrespective
ly) Mabel Du Bois' attractive salad
set of sterling with cloudy agate
handles and Rufus Jacoby's silver
bowl with a delicate coil base.
Many Good Exhibits.
The exhibition has many more
attractive and well-done things in
the various classiflcations than
can be mentioned in this brief
space. Frances Hungerford Combs
large watercolor "Glads" Is the
best have seen by her in long
time. Two pastel portraits of
young girls. one by Jean Flagg.
the other by Sophie Cramer. are
delightful. Max Barth's Boat
Dock" and C. j. Poiesz' Under