Evening star., 1953-09-06

which has just opened its
fourth annual exhibition Of
ceramic art in the foyer of
the Natural History Building,
National Museum, Constitu-
ton avenue at Tenth street,
is now an established har-
binger Of autumn and the art
worlds new season in Wash
ington.
A distinguished jury which
selected the open section of
the exhibition, and made
awards, was composed of Belle
Boaz, director of education,
Baltimore Museum of Art;
Mrs. John A. Pope, chief of
the travelling exhibition serv-
ice, Smithsonian Institution,
and Sidney Geist, sculptor,
also on the Art Digest maga-
zine, New York City. Mr..
Geist was joined by Henry
Lee Willet, eminent designer
of stained glass, to make
awards in this medium.
Serving on a jury is a
thankless task. and one who
has done so on occasion dis
likes to throw stones at other
jurors choices. The Kiln
Clubs jury states that it Sc
lected works that were honest,
simple in technique, avoiding
novelty for its own sake. Aside
from appearance, usefulness
. and weight of works were con-
sidered.
Ugly DuekIines
I regret to say that I found
the virtues of most of the prize
winners in the present show so
difficult to discern, in COM
parison with many non-win-
ming items. that majority OF
the winners constitute to me
a flock of ugly ducklings.
The $500 best-in-show award
given by International Busi-
ness Machines (for which both
open and invited American
sections were eligible) was
given to Peter H. Voulkos of
the Archie Bray Foundation
of Helena, Mont, for his
stoneware tureen, wax resist
gray-white brush decoration.
This large, heavy, covered
tureen, red-brown in color,
with a handle suggesting a
small waterspout, requires
strong hands and wrists to
lift it when empty, let alone
filled with soup.
The Frank Jelleff $50 award
was bestowed on a low stone
ware bowl by Alexander Gil
ampietro. He is one of Wash
ington's beSt-known ceramists
who has created many distin-
guished works, which have de-
served and received prizes. But
this dark brown and gray bowl
is not one of them, Ito me).
Stonewore Bottle
Gordon c. Lawson won the
B. F. Drakenfeld award of $25
for his stoneware bottle with
black sand glaze, which re-
sembles a flat-topped tenpin,
and is much heavier. I've seen
many a bottle on pharmacists
and grocers' shelves that I
would prefer. Audrey Hayden's
low bowl with bruShwork (tan
and brown, pleasing but not
exceptional, fetched the
George F. Muth $25 prize. The
Popular Ceramic award of $25
went to Vally Possony's tall
vase, red brown glaze, a good
solid work with the classic,
simple shape Of an ancient
Chinese vase. Harper's Elec-
trio Furnace $25 award was
given to Ralph Fast's little
bowl, gray-white decoration
on beige.
The American Art Clay Pot
terry award $40 was won by
Loris Love Suites cigarette
bowl with a decoration of
Blue Buildings" Its light
and frivolous appearance is in
harmony with its intended use.
The same donor gave $40 for
enamel work, won by Con-
stance Lawson's small copper
tray enameled with a colorful
trio of flying birds. Marion
Beachem's small violet-gray
bowl with reduction glaze,
fetched an Arts and Crafts
award of artists materials.
Stained Gloss
Four awards of $50 each
were given for stained glass by
the Stained Glass Association
of America, Blenko Glass Co.,
G A Panhoiro m opd Ta0