Adelia Armstrong Lutz: The Local Darling of the 1893 World’s Fair N
INETEENTH CENTURY
artists routinely entered works o f a r t i nto c o m p e t i t i o n s a n d exhibits to increase their visibility and the World’s Fair became a popular event for artists to do this. World’s Fairs, also called Expositions, are large-scale industrial and cultural exhibitions in which several nations participate. The Great Exhibition of Products of Industry of All Nations, held in London in 1851, is recognized as the first true World’s Fair, and it was succeeded by an international exhibition held every few years in a major international city. The first World’s Fair held in the U.S. was the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The second World’s Fair held in the U.S. was the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition commemorated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World in 1492. The fair was an influential cultural and social event that had a profound effect on architecture, fine arts, industry, and the American self-image. Artists from the United States and 19 foreign countries exhibited at the Exposition. Hundreds of painters submitted works, and more than 1,000 paintings in oil, and more than 200 in watercolor, were selected for competition and exhibited in the Palace of Fine Arts with additional works, not in competition for medals, were exhibited in other exposition buildings and individual state buildings. Adelia Armstrong Lutz was a Knoxville artist active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was one of the artists that entered her works of art into competitions and exhibits. During her lifetime, she exhibited throughout America, including the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Lutz exhibited two paintings, a still life and portrait. The Knoxville Journal and Tribune announced the achievement on May 21, 1893: “The many friends and sincere admirers of Mrs. Adelia A. Lutz were gratified to read the announcement that two of her pictures had been accepted for exhibition at the World’s Fair. Mrs. Lutz is a charming and talented woman who has worked quietly and faithfully in her chosen art, producing works which have commanded the attention and appreciation of all who have seen them. Mrs. Lutz is a prolific worker, and her charming suburban home, ‘Westwood,’ is graced with many striking and artistic productions of the brush. Sincere congratulations are in order 38
EVERYTHING KNOXVILLE December 2020
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for this gifted painter for her triumph in the world of art.” During the summer and fall of 1893, Lutz, with her friends and family, frequently traveled to Chicago to attend the fair and view her paintings, as well as the others, on exhibition. She was then invited by the woman’s literary club, Ossoli Circle, to write a paper about the foreign art on exhibit at the fair and present it at their meeting on November 6, 1893. Lutz opened her presentation by cautioning the reader to “be modest and cautious in the pronouncing of positive opinions on the subject of art; for every one of us has a particular source of enjoyment.” She continued by describing her philosophy on art: “We all know that ideas of beauty are among the noblest which can be presented to the human mind, invariably exalting and purifying it and that all art shines to express beauty in some form – whether of surface or of soul. Painting, with all its technicalities, difficulties, and particular ends, is a noble and expressive language, invaluable as the vehicle of thought. Art is something accomplished. It is the birth of a new joy into the world. Art teaches you the philosophy of life – it shows you that there is no perfection. There is light and there is also shadow.” “We plead for the introduction of art to an ever increasing extant into our homes, not merely because it is lovely, but because it is possible to all and it is work that is faithful, strong, enduring, and honorable - work that is powerful in its influence. If we only look for it, we are surrounded by the beautiful always. Cherish it; love it. Take it into your hearts and it will be your very life.” Adelia Armstrong Lutz continued to enter works of art into competitions and exhibits until her death in 1931. She exhibited works at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition in Nashville, the
Adelia 1888
1910 and 1911 Appalachian Exposition in Knoxville, and the 1913 National Conservation Exposition in Knoxville. But by far, Adelia’s greatest accomplishment was her participation in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The Knoxville Journal and Tribune announced it best on May 21, 1893: “Sincere congratulations are in order for this gifted painter for her triumph in the world of art.” Want to learn more about Lutz and her studio? Visit www.knoxheritage. org /westwood / history-of-westwood . You can also see her paintings in person; they are currently part of the collections of the Knoxville Museum of Art, the East Tennessee History Center, and the Tennessee State Museum. Historic Westwood is the largest public gallery of her work, which is on loan from the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection.
Knox Heritage preserves structures and places of historic or cultural significance for our community. Established in 1974 as a non-profit educational corporation, our organization works to protect and raise awareness of what is beautiful and irreplaceable in East Tennessee.
