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Show MARIE LONGWORTH STORER. She Id n Lciuler 111 tlio Art Circles of Cincinnati. .Marie Longworth Stover, wife of Con gressinan Bellamy Storer, is the leader of the art patrons of Cincinnati, ami ln-r large fortune gives her rare cp-liortuniiies cp-liortuniiies for indulging her inherent taste and talent in this direction. Mrs. Storer is a daughter of the late Joseph Longworth, who founiled the art school and was a patron of the museum, and a sister of Judge Nicholas Longworth. of the Ohio supreme court, lately deceased. Her private estate reaches far into the millions, and she lives in a beautiful home on one of the most exclusive of the suburban avenues which make the environs of Cincinnati so fascinating Her art treasures, gathered in her frequent fre-quent journeys abroad, are worthy of long study. ' The Philadelphia Centennial may be said to have given birth to decorative art m -America. Among the teachers who came thitherto give ns our object MARIE LONOWORTH STORKlt. lessons was Japan, with her exquisite ceramic display. Mrs. Storer, seeing this, was struck with the possibilities iu , artistic development of American clays In order to carry out her idea she es tablished the Rookwood pottery in .and carried it forward as her personal -venture. Much difficulty was expert nced in introducing the ware at first Its beauty needed an artistic eye to per ccive it, and the artistic eve of America m. Inn,, in omninu lr Stover 111 I isisted that the work should retain its in I idividuality rather than descend to inn I tation of accepted standards of ceramic excellence for the sake of commercial profit. She was therefore obliged to : Avait for recognition of the Rookwood ! ware for a time. 1 Personally Mrs. Storer is most tinas smiling Her numerous charitable and I artistic enterprises, though pursued j "with great energy, are uniningleiLwith t ostentation, and comparatively fewfUin i cinnatiaus are. familiar with her face. I During Henry Ward Beecher's last visit 1 to Cincinnati he was shown through the -Rookwood establishment, and made a prolonged stay in the various rooms, i lingering in each to admire the exquisite j -objects displayed. He was chagrined to Jearn alter his-departurethatauuiet little -woman, who had joined the party upon entering aud remained with them throughout the visit as guide and at tendant, was Mi's. Storer herself Though particularly enthusiastic in ceramics, Mrs. Storer is a diligent stu dent in other branches of art. She has occasionally exhibited studies in oils and other mediums, which show a strength and command of technique unusual iu an amateur, and as individ tial in effect as her favorite Rookwood jugs. The Dtivt-neck life class connected connect-ed with the art school owes its establishment estab-lishment largely to her efforts, as does also the fund for the European scholar ship, ottered as an incentive to mem hers of this class. , Among 'the charities in which .Mrs Storer finds time to take an active inter est are the recently instituted Nurses Training school, the Home of the Friend less, the S. P. C A. and the Kitidergar ten association. We may say that no philanthropic movement of the city is neglected by her, and the charities speci lied above receivo liberally of her purse aud her supervision. ; Emma M. S. McDowku. |
