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Show j; The Art Development of Our West I By H. L. A. CULMER I 1 4 : For some reason that has never been clearly expressed, ex-pressed, the refining arts of peace have been fostered and developed in this part of the West earlier, and j to d far greater extent, than in any other part hav ing equal population. In music, poetry, painting, sculpture and in the drama, the nation cannot overlook over-look the parts played by the people of Utah. Of what other interior western state can this be said I with such emphasis? There is a theory that the offspring of those who had sufficient independence of thought and action ac-tion to dare to leave their homes and kindred in foreign for-eign lands for the courage of a conviction, might reveal re-veal some exceptional powers along many lines. ' There is another belief that a people who came here to build temples that should last until the mil-lenium mil-lenium ; and whose lives and the lives of their children chil-dren were to be spent in the shadow thereof, in "a" Zion that should last forever" that these felt the home sense more than most western communities, and therefore fostered the growth of graces that might soften the hard edges of pioneer life. And the art life began promptly when the pioneers pio-neers stopped to take their first long breath. The ' Deseret Academy of Arts was organized here in 1863, before any other art association existed west of St. Louis. Of its membership there are now living only George M. Ottinger, D. A. Wcggeland, C. R. Savage and Win, J. Silver. In their prospectus they said : "Living as members of a religion which views art, skill and beauty as emanations and inspirations of divinity associated With a creed that allies art with immortality, every ordained priest of the Most High must of necessity be an ordained patron of science and art." It sounds like an echo from Renaissance days, but it was read by E. L. T. Harrison, the architect, in a room on Main street just below where the National Na-tional Bank of the Republic now stands ; and though some had already been painting,-and William Ward had carved the couchant lion on the porch of the Lion House, it was the bell-stroke recording the beginning be-ginning of art in our West. ' By 1870, men like Ottinger, Lambourne, Tul-lidge Tul-lidge and others were painting real pictures, good strong things, whose inspiration, was drawn from the landscape and the lore of the new and strange region in which they found themselves. They led the way and made the road for .the western artists of to-day, whose early impulses toward art grew out of the interest inspired by the works of these MONUMENT TO THE GULLS By M. M. Young. earlier painters. Among those who emulated these veterans, with equal ambition but less skill, was Reuben Kirkham of Logan. Mr. Ottinger's instructive as well as artistic work, portraying the epoch making events in Mexican history ; and the vigorous paintings of western scenery by Mr. Lambourne, full of strength and high art purpose, pur-pose, will be more valued and appreciated as the years go by. For nobody can tell without the aid of Time what is the relative value of artists' work. Find one who can and he can get a million a year from the art dealers of the world. ... Late in the eighties, a younger set of artists began be-gan to go abroad for study. Among the first was J. T. Harwood, born in Lehi, who had previously taken a course in the San Francisco School of Design. De-sign. Prior to this C. E. Dallin, now one of America's Ameri-ca's foremost sculptors, born in Springville, Utah county, had been sent to an art school in Boston under the patronage of Joab Lawrence, a successful mining man of Tintic, who had recognized his remarkable re-markable powers. Mr. Dallin designed the statue of Brigham Young at the head of Main street, and the angel Moroni on the principal spire of the Temple, but he has a wider reputation for his Signal of Peace, Medicine Man and other works of international interna-tional fame. The great temple in this city was approaching completion when some of these young men were going go-ing to Paris and elsewhere for study, and they were assisted by the Mormon Church that they might take part in the decoration and mural paintings of the interior of that structure.. Others, however, managed man-aged to go entirely on their own resources. By the time they returned, there was a strong band of painters who could and did give exhibitions of a very high standard. Mr. J. W. Clawson had taken a training in New York and in Paris and some splendid portraits remain here to show his ability before he decided to make his home in California, where he ranks among the leaders in his profession. Mr. Edwin Evans, now instructor at the University of Utah, was already turning out examples of great virility in landscape and cattle painting. Mr. John Hafen was reveling in a wider range portraiture, landscape, figures and has ever since devoted himself him-self to his chosen calling with a singleness that to the gifted can bring but one result high excellence. He has painted the valleys and mountains of Utah with a loving and skillful hand, and is now about to give an exhibition in Boston of his last season's work. The Utah Art Association was formed in 1881, and began giving annual exhibitions, including portraits por-traits and landscapes by Lorus Pratt, mountain pictures pic-tures by George Beard of Coalville, works by Frederick Fred-erick Billings, Phincas Young, the Brownings, Hermann Her-mann H. Haag and the other artists already named. A young decorator named J. Gilmer was here at this time and being skilled in modelling gave us some strong examples of his work, notably a fine portrait por-trait bust of John Tullidge. There was steady growth in art interest and the exhibitions were well attended. .Nevertheless, this association passed out of existence, and m lev m the (Society of Utah Artists was then organized. Again, for several years exhibitions of great merit were given that attracted widespread H attention. These affairs were social functions and their opening I nights became society events of importance. . I By this time, the number of artists and amateurs had grown so I that a list of their names would look like a section from the directory. I Some day, when there is plenty of space, the whole story of the I growth of art in this community should be written, with every name I i and date, that due honor may be given to each, but it cannot be done. Hi here and now. Those who took part in the work and are dead, God rest their souls. Those who are living, honor them. In 1899, chiefly through the efforts of Mrs. Alice Merrill Home, a state institution for the encouragement of the fine arts was created by the Legislature of Utah. It was entitled the Utah Art Institute, and was endowed with a thousand dollars a year towards jts, nainteVJ, nance and awards. No state in the Union had done such a' thing bc-j bc-j lore. It was applauded by the press far and wide and was looked upon by the art world as a most enlightened measure. The Utah Art Institute has given annual exhibitions ever since. Its charter requires that these be given in different cities of the state, ." so that the art movement has been carried to Logan, Provo, Ogden, Manti and elsewhere, much to the gratification of the country. Fresh additions came among the workers, J. B. and Leo Fairbanks; Wright, of Logan; John Sears and Clyde Squires, both of whom have won re-cent re-cent distinction in New York ; Earl Cummings, who soon went to San H! Francisco, and after studying abroad, took his place as one of the Hj most gifted of western sculptors. Luke Crawshaw of Ogden, after a H course at the Julian Academy, Paris, contributed several promising works in sculpture and in modelling. Some talented ladies joined in the l art work, notably Miss Mary Teasdel, Mrs. Grace Y. Kerr, Mrs. Edna W. Sloan, Miss Christensen, Mrs. Harwood, Miss Maguire ana others. Mr. Lee Green Richards returned from Europe, and at once proved himself to be a portrait painter of the first class, besides contributing some extremely artistic landscapes to the cause. We give an lllustra-tion lllustra-tion herewith of one of Mr. Richards' best efforts, although the re-cently re-cently completed picture of Mrs. Emmeline B. Wells is an adorable portrait of an adorable worrian, and by itself would place the artist in the first ranks of his profession in any community. H' Another of the younger set is Mr. M. M. Young, who draws and paints well, but whose particular inclination is toward sculpture. H' Among other works a portrait bust of Miss Celia Sharp was so beau- tifully rendered by him that it proved his powers and advanced his reputation considerably. He is now engaged on a full length portrait H in bronze to occupy a niche in the front of the Salt Lake Temple ; but H' an achievement that belongs to our environment and should bring him I fame is the conception of a Monument to the Gulls, of which we give H' 1 an illustration. This is in commemoration of a well-known and pa- HI E"B WM. FREDERICK. POPE By Lee Green Richards. H THE ADORATION OF THE AGES By J. T. Harwood. thetic incident in the early history of our community and we sin- cerely hope that some day it will be erected in this city. Through many years Mr. Harwood has steadfastly pursued his calling as a painter, always serious and sincere in his work, ennobling and dignifying the profession in which he is one of its most gifted 1 devotees. He has several times been abroad to advance his studies, and has exhibited again and again in the Paris Salon and elsewhere. One of his latest pictures from the Salon is "The Adoration of the Ages," here reproduced. In the development of art in this region, the State Fairs have annually an-nually done an important part from the very beginning. Should this organization provide a suitable place for the art section of its displays, the artists would rally to make a splendid showing there every year. As a part of the work of the Utah Art Institute, a state collection i of paintings is being slowly gathered together, giving promise that some day we shall have a gallery of paintings belonging to the state j and affording a place for a permanent exhibition of the art of "Our ' West." j |