Evening star., 1951-01-28
News of Art and Artists
Local Artists Compete
In Corcoron Exhibition
By Florence Berrymun

The fifth edition of the annual
exhibition of paintings, drawings,
sculpture and ceramics by artists
of Washington and vicinity with
in SO niles held by the Corcoran
Gallery of Art will open there this
afternoon, to remain through
March 4.
Three hundred and fifty-four
works in many media occupy the
lower atrium and several adjoining
galleries. They include ia paint
ings in oil, tempera and encaustic,
80 in water color. gouache and
casein, 81 prints in various graphic
media, "a drawings, IS sculptures
in wood, stone and metal, and Al
ceramics. These were selected
from 1928 entries. Nearly all the
sculptures and ceramics entered
were accepted. All are original
works, produced within the last
two years, and not previously ex-
hibited in the Corcoran Gallery.
Mrs. Adelyn Breeskin, director
of the Baltimore Museum of Art,
selected paintings, prints and
drawings. David K. Smith, promi-
nent American sculptor, chose
sculptures and ceramics. They also
made the awards in their respec-
tive fields.
The Evening Star. the Washing
ton Post and business firms and
individuals to a total of IA have
contributed to a fund to purchase
works from this exhibition for the
Corcoran Gallerys permanent col
lection. These will be chosen and
announced, probably during the
coming week
Works in modern idioms made
practically a clean sweep of the II
awards and 13 honorable men
tions. The exhibition is predomi-
nantly modern, with many alb
stract and expressionistic works.
in personal contemporary idioms.
This is most pronounced in the
oils. Water colors comprise a
larger number of traditional inter-
pretations, as do also prints and
drawings.
The prevalence Of abstract and
n-objective work has been noted
in such major exhibitions this sea-
sen as those of Carnegie Institute,
Pittsburgh, and the Metropolitan
Museums American Painting,
1880" in both of which and sew
eral others, the swing to avant-
garde expressions has reached
bandwagon proportions. So the
Corcoran's area show is in line
with trends elsewhere.
Pointing Awards
First award in oils went to Joe
Summerford of American Univer-
sity's faculty for his still life The
Lantern" with semi abstract. much
simplitied forms in a gray tonality,
Illuminated with flashes of bright
er colors. Two other American
University artists received oil
awards: Vern Smith CthirdD for
his owls" reduced to economical
statement, and Don c. Lynn Chon-
orable mention) for his large over
all pattern of giant size "Walnuts
and Seedpods" in light and dark
browns. Second oil award was
given to Therese Schwartz high
keyed abstraction Times Square"
OF all the oil awards, prefer A.
E. Baum's "23rd Street South
bound" honorable mentionD in
which recognizable elements of
that neighborhood including the
Sheridan statue have been re-
assembled to intensity its flavor,
and the color scheme is varied
and interesting. Three other hon
orable mentions went to Alexius
Burgess Studio Wall" orderly
but dull; Marjorie Deo's three
giant Fish" and Mary Hovanian's
Trick or Treat"
Three awards were bestowed on
water colors: First to Robert F
Gates large sombre gouache
Green and White" (evergreens
and snowy landscape): second to
Alfred McAdams' PARKWAY"
richly colored gouache heightened
with ink arabesques; third to
Leonard Maurer's tiny Square"
which does not seem as good to
me as his large Evergreen Trees"
in the oil section.
Graphic and ScuItpure