21st
a ......al texas pai..ti..g 4 sc..lpt..re~ 1939 sponsored by Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, The Museum of Fine Arts of Houston, The San Antonio Art League
olso exhibiting: Beaumont Art Museum; The Museum, Texas Technological College, Lubbock
on the cover: Charles Umlauf, "Madonna and Child"
21st annual texas painting 4 sculpture~ 1939 Assembled by the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts for the State Fair of Texas
exhibition schedule: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts October 10-November 15, 1959 Witte Memorial Mus eum, San Antonio December 6, 1959-lanuary 3, 1960 B eaumont Art Museum February 7~Warch 6, 1960 The Museum , Texas T echnological College, Lubbock March 17-April 17, 1960 The Museum of Fine Arts of Houston May l S-lune 19, 1960
CODlDlent
byiu r o r To extract a quality exhibition of some 130 works of art from a mass of over 650 entries is indeed a formidable task. In all fairness to the artists, and particularly those whose works are not included in the show, I think a few comments might be in order. They are not to justify what I have or have not done, but rather to clarify a number of issues which must be resolved in the performance of one's job. The juror's responsibility is a heavy one, especially when he is alone and cannot conceal his judgments behind the anonymity of a committee. Whether his professional bias is that of the critic, the historian or the artist, he must recognize the fact that he is obliged to judge not realism or abstraction, classicism or romanticism, tradationalism or modernism, or any other kind of ism but that he is judging just plain good or bad art. With the variety and high quality of work assembled for this show, the problem was not so much the bad art but rather the degree of goodness. There are several questions which came to my mind as I walked through the gal. leries for my first look at the entries. The usual work of the amateur and beginners, the adventurers, was very much in evidence. Raw, willful, often with good ideas but without the technical control necessary to express them, they are a necessary part of this competitive enterprise. The doors of every competition must be kept open for new talents and new possibilities. Progress in art as in other affairs not always comes from leadership at the top but more often from the vital pressure of newcomers from below. Beyond that, the quality of this exhibition would match that of any other section of the country. Most of the visual forms
familiar to the gallery-goer of Chicago and New York appeared here. Some of them were even finer. One feels comfortable in recognizing the familiar styles of the New York scene. But what about Texas? The magnificence of space, the vaulting enterprise and warm humanity of the Texas landscape and people were nowhere to be seen in the art pre sented at this show. At least, they did not appear among the good work. The Texas artists know what is going on in the art world, perhaps too much so. They are good students and historians and have thoroughly studied the periodicals. The result is that many artists are almost unconsciously influenced by the accepted mannerisms. Here and there appeared the "old-fashioned" Monet and Leger. There were many variations of the Bauhaus, Calder, DeKooning, Motherwell, Hofmann and other expressions. As an outsider, I had heard of many fine contemporary Texas artists who have won prizes in previous shows and who have in a sense helped to carry the Texas banner in the national field - Everett Spruce, Otis Dozier, Cecil Casebier, Dan Wingren - yet I did not find them among the entries for this show. This was a disappointment to me. The list of Purchase Funds and Awards shows there is every evidence of good support, in comparison with many other state competitions. From individuals, from business, the State Fair of Texas, industry and the cultural institutions of sister cities come substantial prizes which bear evidence of the firm and tangible faith maintained by Texas in its creative artists. This is a versatile exhibition and I congratulate you, the artists of Texas, and your supporting public on its achievement.
laurence schmeckebier Professor of Fine Arts and Director, Syracuse University School of Art
purchases State Fair of Texas Purchase Prize, $1 ,000 for permanent collection of Dallas Museum of Fine Arts
charles umlauf" Austin .
. "Madonna and Child", stoneware
Sea rs, Roebuck & Company Purchase Prize, $750 for permanent coll ection of Dallas Museum of Fine Art s
william radford thoulas" San Antonio . hood of Fantasy Lies Ahead", oil
. "A Whole Child-
Julian Onderdonk Memorial Purchase Prize, $500 given by the San Antonio Art League for its permanent collection
frederick martin" EI Paso.
. "Anthem for Joyous Living", oil
Richard T. Pyle Memorial Purchase Prize, $350 for permanent collection of Dallas Mus eum of Fine Arts
paul ,naxwell" Houston.
. " T im berline Pine", tempera
Museum of Fine Arts of Houston Purchase Prize, $300
,nary sloan." Corpus Christi.
. "Swamp Plant", oil
West Texas Museum Association Purchase Prize, $250 for the permanent collection of the West Texas Museum at Texas Technological College, Lubbock
bert r ees; Austin.
. "Adroit Apiarist", oil
awards Fort Worth Art Association Award of $150
william Lester; Austin.
. "3rd Avenue", oil
Ired
Foley's of Houston Award of $100 mitcham~ Dallas.
. "Cycle of Nature", oil
Museum of Fine Arts of Houston Award of $100* ratz~ Sherman.
. "Out of Antiquity", oil
don
Museum of Fine Arts of Houston Award of $100* komodore~ Dallas. . "Concentration Camp", oil
bill g.
Pollock Paper Corporation Award of $100 don snell~ Houston .
. "Daughters of Eve", oil
Schlumberger Well Surveying Corporation Award of $100 judd~ Dallas. . "Mountain Study, Winter", oil
delorrest
Beaumont Art Museum Award of $100 poulos~ Dallas .
dorothy
*D on ate d by Humble Oil & Refining Company of Houston
. "Interior in Blue", oil
William Radford Thomas, "A Whole Childhood of Fantasy Lies Ahead"
tl,e exhibition adickes~ Houston 1. "The Actress", oil don bartlett~ Kingsville 2. "Mother & Child", epoxy resin heri bert bartscht~ Dallas 3. "Ferry Boat Man", cedar bart s; bradford~ Fort Worth 4. "Sand-Hock Study", sand plaster ethel brodnax~ Dallas 5. "Harbor", oil marbury hill brown~ Dallas 6. "Marble Players", oil david brownlow~ Fort Worth 7. "Woman on a Bicycle", oil emilio caballero~ Canyon 8. "Opalescence", oil
dal-,id
carron~ Port Arthur 9. "The Christmas Tree", poly-vinyl carl d. coker~ Commerce 10. " Bold Fisherman", oil pat colville~ Houston. 11. untitled, oil bill condon~ Houston 12. "Still Life with Melons", oil
""audee
barbara seale
condos~
San Antonio 13. "Festival", oil dede eooeer; Dallas 14. "Cliff Dwellings", oil larry culp~ Arlington 15. "Fashion 58", steel & bronze ben I. c.dwell~ Dallas 16. "Drunk with Happiness on Soft Fall Day Awaiting Il-Bomb", mixed bob cun.lingham~ Fort Worth 17.路 "New Haven & Pennsylvania", tempera kathryn p. eueter; Abilene 18. "Landscape", oil owen day~ Fort Worth 19. "Shoals & the Distance Beyond", oil gordon deats~ Houston 20. "Thunder Gun" bronze & steel barney delabano~ Dallas 21. "Day Lilies", oil john r. duncan~ Lubbock 22. "Glissade", oil gene m: eastman~ Huntsville 23. "Yin-Y ang", oil
philip john eoets; San Antonio 24. untitled , steel
kelly fearing~ Austin 25. "Children on the Beach", oil kenneth b. fiske~ Austin 26. "Two Figures", oil leo bernice fix~ Lubbock 27. "Vital Spark", oil jack fletcher~ San Antonio 28. "Sun House", collage betty jo ioeter; Dallas 29. "Head of Geramina", cast stone c. b. foxworth~ Dallas 30. "Kachinas", oil michael frary~ Austin 31. "Still Life with Fish", oil james I. frazer~ Mesquite 32. "Savage Imagery", oil ann cushing gantz~ Dallas 33. "Ritual", oil gene s; geeslin~ Huntsville 34. "Lobsters", oil
Frederick Martin, "Anthem lor Joyous Living" gilden~ San Antonio 35. "Rapacious", oil john guerin~ Austin 36. 'Figure in a Landscape", oil mary t: guillet~ Wichita Falls 37. "Proud Horse", clay jennie haddad~ Tyler 38. "Sun Burst", oil
helen
Paul Maxwell, "Timberline Pine" hagen~ Dallas 39. "The Precipice", oil janice hlnnm~ Commerce 40. "Momentum", oil
rosilla
forrest
harris"erger~
Grand Prairie 41. "Street Game", oil tincie heddins~ San Angelo 42. "Grasshopper", oil 43. "Broncho Rider", oil wilfred higgins~ Dallas 44. "Guinevere", oil don hill~ Dallas 45. "Night City", oil harold w. hill~ San Antonio 46. "Seated-Whitlach Looking at Moon", polychrome plaster guy johnson~ Houston 47. "The Beach", oil kemp johnson~ Dallas 48. "Fish and Fruit", oil
sister m. jolanta, Irving 49. "The Flame", wood
deforrest h. judd, Dallas 50. "Mountain Study, Winter", oil
chapman kelley, Dallas 51. "Studio Fan", oil
bill komodore, Dallas 52. "Concentration Camp", oil hazel korkames, Tyler 53. "Escape from Winter", oil james a. ledbetter, Dallas 54. "View Through Victorian Window", oil william lester, Austin 55. "3rd Avenue", oil david lewis, Garland 56. "Spring Dance", casein 57. "Lunar Structure", oil Mary Sloan, "Swamp Plant"
thomas r. lovelace, jr., Dallas 58. "Hesitation", oil bruce lowney, Dallas 59. untitled, oil daniel I. lynch, Dallas 60. "The Strad", oil
anderson d. macklin, Marshall 61. "Girl with Toy Lamb", oil yan macs, Fort Worth 62. "Machine for Narcissistic Game", oil frederick 'martin, EI Paso 63. "Anthem for Joyous Living", oil paul maxwell, Houston 64. "Timberline Pine", tempera leila DIC connell, Houston 65. "Reflection", oil
keith mc intyre~ San Antonio 66. "The Sand Dune", oil Drc ,nanaway~ Dallas 67. "Life-Death Figures", oil eva me ,nurrey~ Baytown 68. "Material Yard", oil
david
,"arguerite meisner; Fort Worth 69. "Handley Station", oil fred mitcham~ Dallas 70. "Cycle of Nature", oil D,arc moldawer~ Houston 71. "The Threatened Forest", oil. "obert morris~ Houston 72. untitled, polymer virginia oechsner~ Dallas 73. "Tomorrow?", stone gene w. owens~ Fort Worth 74. "Cosmic Repercussions", steel & brass ,"argaret pace~ San Antonio 75. " Burning Bush", oil charles pebworth~ Country Campus 76. "Bird Vendor", mixed dorothy poulos~ Dallas 77. "Interior in Blue", oil
o.
,nargaret
putnam~
San Antonio 78. "As It Began to Dawn", oil barbara quimby~ Dallas 79. "The Party", oil
stephen t: s-aseoe; Corpus Christi 80. "Waterfall", oil don ratz~ Sherman 81. " Out of Antiquity", oil bert s-ees; Austin 82. "Adroit Apiarist", oil anne r eeues; Dallas 83. "Le Palace", oil bill reily~ San Antonio 84. "Gables", oil o; j. revilo~ Dallas 85. "Caprice No.7", oil alvi rohde~ San Antonio 86. "Nun", oil zanne rosenthal~ Dallas 87. "Torso", oil
frances taylo,.
,.oyston~
Houston 88. "Beach Umbrella", enamel virginia rlf,SS~ Dallas 89. "Mares';, alabaster e,nily "'f,tland~ Robstown 90. "Cotton Pickers", oil gwen ryan~ Houston 91. "Collage", collage
Bert Rees, "Adroit Apiarist"
max m;
sandfield~
Dallas
92. "Contentment", cedar 93. "Nike", bois d'arc
carol vystrcil seort; Dallas 94. "Backyards", oil
jerry v. seagle~ Corpus Christi 95. "727 Conti St., New Orleans", casein thom seawell~ Fort Worth 96. "A Game of Breath", oil marvin m. sigel~ Dallas 97. " Fishing Docks", oil anne woodward
simmons~
Dallas 98. "Sw~nging Shapes, No.2", casem
vera h. simons, San Antonio 99. "Beyond", oil
frances skinner, Houston 100. "Carnival", oil mary sloan, Corpus Christi 101. "Channel Marker", oil 102. "Swamp Plant", oil martia reed smith, Dallas 103. "Tobago", oil samuel lee smith, Dallas 104. "Adam's Rib", wood 105. "Salesman", clay don snell, Houston 106. "Daughters of Eve", oil bill stewart, Austin 107. "Woman with Cat", oil 108. "Black Table", oil victor stokes, Commerce 109. "Heaven & the Hierarchy", welded steel hilliard m. stone, Grand Prairie UO. "N esting Bird", ceramic lynn sweat, N ederland Ill. "Cavern", oil philip szeitz, Irving U2. "Organic Float ", oil U3. "Open Seed" , welded steel ruth, tears, Dallas U4. "400-404 Beauregarde", oil
william radford thomas, San Antonio US. " A Whole Childhood of Fantasy Lies Ahead", oil U6. "Thought Processes Produce Perception of Images", oil
jack tinkle, San Antonio U7. "The Lineage", oil
olin travis, Dallas U8. " Arizona Cotton Fields", oil
evelyn gay turner, Waco U9. "Stairway", oil
charles umlauf, Austin 120. "Angel of the Annunciation", bronze 121. "Madonna & Child", .,stoneware jam,es f. valone, jr. San Antonio 122. "Gothic Form", oil
r. w. van hamersveld, Fort Worth 123. "Few Facade", mixed peter s; vatsures, Dallas 124. "Hothouse", oil jane vieaux, Dallas 125. " Wedgewood", oil ralph white, Austin 126. "Seaport", oil clara williamson, Dallas 127. "The Circuit Rider", oil frances m. witherspoon, iii, Longview 128. "Reims Cathedral", oil betty IV inn, Dallas 129. "Panorama", oil
arthur h. yourzik, San Antonio 130. " From Remote Beginning", oil
history 01 the texas a ....ual . . . For those not fami liar with the evolution of this exhibition, it is worth repeating the following facts.
In 1940 the directors of the Museums in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas organized a painting and sculpture competition open to all artists of the state. Then the large cities had local exhibitions for their resident artists, but the small towns offered no opportunity and the artist living on ranch or farm had no chance to exhibit. First called the Texas General, in its second year it was re-named the Texas-Oklahoma General because one museum in that state participated. The first two exhibitions were held in January, February and March of 1940 and 1941. But the year 1941 was to see another Texas General in October becaus e State Fair of Texas Association requested an exhibition of Texas art during the Fair. The original plan of the three originating museums was that in alternating order one of them would collect the entries, holding the judging, exhibit the show and then circulate it to the other two. All three would contribute prizes and share cost. Other agen cies in Fort Worth, Austin, Beaumont and Lubbock hav e exhibited the show at different times. Fort Worth, though not a sponsor, has contributed a prize yearly. Texas General was chosen for a nam e because prints, drawings and ceramics were included. By the time of the eleventh consecutive competition in the season of 1949 -50, these categories were withdrawn since special competitions for each had come into existence. That year the exhibition was called the Texas Painting and Sculpture Annual. That name has stuck ever since. The State Fair re -entered the scene in 1952 by prorrusmg a Purchase Prize Fund of $1,000 yearly if the exhibition could be featured at DMFA during the fair. Since then DMF A has or ganized the exhibition and shown it first with continued help from San Antonio and Houston in the form of Prizes, shared circulation cost and exhibition. The first of the annuals in 1940 had seven prizes totaling $350, not inconsiderable reward then. This year prizes for the 21st competition amounted to $3,900 of which $3,150 is money for six purchases for permanent collections of the sponsoring museums. This year there were 658 entries from 399 artists in 62 Texas towns. Of these entries 130 works by 121 artists were accepted by the judge.
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