Evening star., 1951-11-25

Gallery OF Art this afternoon.
The sixth annual area exhibi-
ton which opened at the Corcoran
Gallery Of Art last evening with a
preview. and will open to the pub
lie this afternoon, is the largest of
the series, which began in 1946.
It comprises AIT oil paintings, wa
ter colors, prints. drawings, sculp-
lures and ceramics, by 281 artists.
These works were chosen from
1,523 items entered by 606 indi-
viduals. These figures alone would
indicate the growing Importance of
this annual exhibition, which was
inaugurated to replace the many
small local group shows which
took increasing toll of the Cor
coran's exhibition time and space
each year.
The sixth annual also is a credit
to the three jurors. each of whom
was the sole judge OF a class of
works. Philip Evergood, winner of
the Second Clark Prize and Silver
Medal at the Corcoran biennial
last spring, accepted the Herculean
task of selecting the paintings
from more than 1900 entries. Carl
Zigrosser, curator of prints at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art, and
Grain Gross, New York sculptor,
who juried, respectively, prints and
drawings, and sculpture and ce-
ramics, had to cope with approx
mately $50 entries each.
Their achievement in providing
a varied and lively exhibition
which fills two first-f galleries
and the lower and upper atrium,
does not necessarily prove that a
one-man jury is the best method
Of selecting an exhibition. It
seems to me like government; any
form is good. If able. honest, con-
scientious persons run 1t.
Double Showers.
In his statement in the cata-
logue, Mr.. Evergood points out
that errors are bound to be made
whether the jury is lone timorous
soul" or several individuals. And
when the jury not only picks the
show. but also awards the prizes.
as in the present instance, he or
they may receive double showers
of bricks or roses.
The Six Annual seems to me a
reasonable cross-section of work
in the Washington area (50-mile
radius of Washington). 1t ranges
from detailed representational
work to nom -objective, includes the
contemporary idiom in various
manifestations, has a larger pro-
portion of modern than conserva-
tive work, is representative of
various artists professional orga-
nizations here. On the other hand,
quite few well-known local art
lists are not represented; and the
catalogue has a large number of
unfamiliar and new" names.
Some OF these artists have sent
excellent works; one wonders why
they do not participate in other
Washington shows. Thirteen of
the award and mention winners
are new to me.
Also among the new names Is
that Of a 7-year-old girl,
whose father. Pietro Lazzari, we'll
known and active in Washington
art circles, won awards in two
classes: sculpture and drawing.
While one can sympathize with
his pride when his little daughters
first oil painting was accepted for
the Sixth Annual, and reported in
the press early in the week, this
incident seems to me regrettable.
Seeing the painting before know
ing the story, most people would
probably feel that the Juror slipped
up; that this small rectangle with
several colors applied to it. could
not possibly be superior to all of
the 900 oils and watercolors which
were rejected. The public is suffi-
GENTLY bewildered about much
contemporary painting. without
getting the idea that it has be-
come an amateurs paradise, and
that an untutored tot can COM
pete on equal terms with adults
who have devoted years to study
and practice Of a medium.
The three awards in oils went
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