Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-07
Art News
SWA62d Annual
On Display
By Florence S. Berrymon

JuSC opened III CE6 foyer OF
the Natural History Building.
Tenth street and Constitution
avenue. appears at first glance
to be completely contemporary
in idiom. But more leisurely
look will disclose that the
show. comprising both paint
ingS and sculpture, is approx
mately so per cent modern, alb
stract and non-objective, the
remainder of the works about
evenly divided between tradi-
tional and middle-of-t he-road.
Karl Zerbe, artist juror who
selected the paintings and
made the awards in this sec
ton, said he considered the
annual "a very good show of
high average, with a number
of works of outstanding cali
ber" One hundred and eight
paintings were selected from
$50 entries.
Obviously among these last
in his estimation are the five
to which he gave the painting
awards. He bestowed the 500
Evening Star prize on the alb
stract. "Construction," by AL
fred McAdamS, who has been
painting only five years but
has won considerable recogni-
ton in that brief period, and
has an impressive background
of art education and expert
ence. A native of Louisville,
KY, he studied architecture at
George Washington University
and the Royal Academy in
Sweden. He began his study Of
painting at the Corcoran
School, received his M. A. de-
gree in fine arts at the Uni
versity of Indiana, taught de-
sign at the University Of
Minnesota and is now a
graphic designer for the De-
partment of State. He was one
of three Maryland artists Che
lives in Silver Spring. given
one-man shows at the Balti-
more Museum of Art in De-
cember. His prize = winning
CONSTRUCTION" is composed of
clean-edged rectangular color
areas with a reserved use Of
arabcsque to complete the de-
sign.
Muth Aword
John Bryans received the
George E. Muth $50 second
award for his BY the Sea-" a
judiciously composed still-life
arrangement with a glimpse
OF beach and bathers. The
Thomas S. SaltZ $25 prize went
to Gene Davis for Spring
Landscape" an abstract ex-
pressionist painting in warm
colors symbolizing sunshine
and burgeoning nature. Sam
uel BookatZ' Prayer" a mar
row vertical panel with elon-
gated prophetlike figures, sug-
costing aspiration, and Milli-
cent Tomkins' The City" an
abstract conception in blue
gray, moving toward a nacre-
Gus climax, were given hon.
orable mentions.
There were but IS sculpture
entries. from which 26 were
chosen. David Smith, who Sc
lected the sculpture and made
its awards. was more gen
erous' with prizes, creating a
paradoxical situation wherein
the first-prize winners received
honor. but considerably less
tangible recompense than one
second-prize winner. Mr.. Smith
divided the $50 Frank Jelleff
award between five co-winners:
Florence Higgs' simple, natu-
ralistic bust of a young girl.
Day Dreams; Harvey Moore's
direct = cut stone. Reclining
Figure: Peggy Goldstein's
Semiabstract figures, Anita
Reichert's heroic sized blue
head and Pietro Lazzari's alb
stract City" with angular,
jagged slabs Of cast stone Gre
ating an impression OF tall
buildings and the canyons be-
tween them. Jane Love re-
ceived the society's second
place medal; she is showing
two sculptures. a naturalistic
portrait head of character and
beauty. and an abstract sea
form. Mrs. James Truitt was
awarded the SIS Thomas Saltz
prize for a drastically simpli-
fed head. repulsive piece of
work from the lay standpoint.
Mary Ann Hermann natu-
ralistic portrait study. Hazel
Van Matters beautifully fin
ished wood abstraction,
Flight" and Clare Fontanini's
abstract marble, Angel Form"
were given honorable mentions.
1t seems to me that it would
have been fair to cut in the
second group Of five on the
Saltz prize.
More Sculpture
Mr.. Smith said. I'VE should
have more sculpture in WASH
ington exhibitions. If there
are no more sculptors here. we
must enlist the aid of painters,
for many contemporary paint
ers also make sculpture" He
mentioned several internation-
ally famous artists who work in
both media, and added that
many others have made sculp-
ture with great ease and
imagination, yet without