Evening star., 1951-12-09
Art
American Art
On Exhibition
In Germany
By Florence S. Berrymon

In Germany
By Florence S. Berrymon
The Department of State, the
American Federation of Arts,
the National Gallery of Art and
the Library of Congress are COL
laborating in an international
cultural project which has been
very successful. With the aid Of
% other art museums, dealers
galleries, private collectors and
industrial museums, they sent
abroad this autumn the first
representative collection Of
American art to be shown in
postwar Germany. 1t was a fea-
ture of the Berlin Cultural Fes-
tival IN September and October.
opening in the Schoeneberg City
Hall. Later it was transferred
to the Schloss Charlottenburg,
an arrangement which made the
exhibition accessible to the Ber-
lin public in two widely sep
arated sections of the city.
The exhibition comprises 65
paintings, 10 from the 18th and
10th centuries Cncluding q Stu
art portrait of Washington from
the National Gallery, illustrat-
ing the development of Ameri-
can art, and SIS representing
contemporary artists, indicating
the scope and range Of the
present-day schools. The graphic
arts section, also numbering IS
items, was lent almost entirely
by the National Gallery az
prints from the Rosenwald COL
lection) and the Library Of
Congress (18 prints). !,
The idea of the festival orig
mated with the Berlin city gov
ernment, with the aim of bring
ing the culture and arts Of the
Western powers into prominence
in Berlin, in conference.-the to
recent Russian cultural propa-
ganda.
The American end of the fes-
tival originated with the United
States Department of State,
which turned to private sources
for both financial and techni-
cal aid. The exhibition of
American art was made possible
by grant from the Oberlaen-
der Trust. and was organized
at the State Departments re-
quest, under the sponsorship Of
the American Federation of
Arts. David Finley. director of
the National Gallery of Art,
headed the Committee of 'Mu-
scum Directors which undertook
the task of selection.
Well Received.
Opened with formal cere-
monies by leading German of
f1cials, including Ernst Reuter-.
governing Mayor of Berlin, and
the attendance of Maj. Gen.
Lemeul Mathewson, United
States commander in Berlin,
French, British and other
United States and Allied and
German officials. the exhibition
drew many visitors, and extea-
slve reviews in the five papers
which comprise the West Berlin
press. The Department of State
said that the tactic of East Ber-
Inns press in ignoring the show
completely might be interpreted
as an indication that 1t was at
a loss to know how to develop
criticism for such a well-planned
and well-executed exhibition.
Burton Cumming, director of
the American Federation of
Arts, in releasing the informa-
ton on the American art show
IN Germany. said. although this
IS not the first effort of the
federation to reach other ma
tions with presentations of au-
thentic American art exhibitions
1t is certainly significant one.
The AFA has specific plans to
increase its efforts in reaching
out to other nations with the
nnest examples of American
culture"
The federation's president
Lawrence M. C. Smith, cited the
TACT that nearly 1000 exhibi-
tlons are produced annually in
United States museums for the
American people, and that many
OF them are well adapted to be-
ing sent aboard with no other
expense than the payment of
ocean freight and insurance. Be-
cause OF the high costs of these
two items, and the refusal of
Congress to provide funds for
transportation of this kind of
material. the United States is
seldom represented abroad
whereas every other country
and particularly Russia, circu-
lates art exhibitions and other
cultural material in quantity
y X 4
soeiete Anonyme Exhibition
At Corcoron GoIIey
The Institute of Contemporary
Arts has changed its head
quarters from New York avenue
to 31O2 @ street, and will hold
its events at the Corcoran Gall
!ery. Poetry and play readings.
lectures, concerts, films, and the
II. S. EIDE Seminar, will be held
~ EDUCATIONAL
E>N- MAJ