Beaurnont Enterprisc o Friday, November 5, 1993
Beaumont Art League celebrates 50th anniversary As so many arts groups seem to be disbanding due to a lack of funding or sufl'ering the consequences of controversial exhibition policies, the Beaumont Art League found a niche 50 years ago in Southeast Texas and has becn btrilcling in stature ever since. This month the Beaumont Art League celebrates its 50th anniversary with a "40s Art Hop (Paint It Again Sam I{ere's to Another 50 Years)" g,ala Saturday and a commemorative mernbership show exhibition opening Nov. 13 at the
league, 2675 Gulf St. 'l'he Beraumont Art League never has trarreled far fronr its current home at the
Soutli Texas State Fairgrounds. The idea fbr fcrrming alt cstablished group ol'artists camr| one evening during the weekly meetings in the studio of artist Robert Stapp which was located in
the former little theater lluildir-rg on the fairgrounds. Sometime around May, 1943, the Beaumotrt Art League oI'licially "t'as forrnecl by Stapp ancl Will-Anrelia Sterns Pt'icc, thc lirst president o['tlrt' lt'agrre. Other chartc.r me mbcrs included IJe.rtha Weber, L<lrrain'ladlock, [,illian IIayes, Mrs. Iklracc Ecldv ancl 'l'orrr Ticrny.
'l'heil goal u,as to estaltlish a u'orking gr'oup ol'painters to ftlster line arts and crafts in ttre Sal>ine area. 'l'he' program u,as basecl on thc Art Stuclr:nt's Lc'agu() of'New York. T'he group met u'eekl]' in the little' theater builcling and nrertrbt't'sltitrr [lre\^,
so rnuch t.liat
in
1944
thcv rtrovcd to
l.hc
reception loonl aL the Y.W.C.A. anrl named themselves the Beaurnont Art League. Annual clues were $2.50. 'I'oday,
:rntrual tlues art' Ji20 lirr an indiviclrral with rnembership trurnbering 250. In lt)-19, the Beauntorrt Art League raised rnoney to rent thc Mably IIorne at 10115 C'alrlt'r' Avc. 'flrcy tlrt'n clrangerl tlreir nanre to tlrt, Bcaumont Art Musc'unr .rncl opt'necl in 1950 altcr rcrrovations to tlre. old ntanstoll.
As the'group evolved, it of'l'erc'cl exhibitiorrs ancl art classes arrrl organizeri traveling exhibitions, college sctrolar'ships and a regional art cornpetition. Irr 105(i, .lo Sc:urloc'I< convinr:r'd Colonel Sarrltlrrl Pcrrv Rrou,rr to btrilrl ancl clonatc a btrilding olr Lhe fairgrortnds fbr' the leagu(.'s Lrsr'. 'l'he Bror,r'n truilcling u'as lrtrrlt irr l9l-lfi ancl thi' Scurlo<'k Builcling \vas arldecl in l9(i7. 'l'he trvo builclings \\'ere connected by a patio, dedicatecl to Perry, 'uvtr<l srrpelvisecl the
constrrrction of both buildings. The Ileaumont Art L6ague has resided irt this home at 2675 Gulf since 1967, ancl, beginning in 1972, took both buildings aftcr the Bcaunront Art Museum nrovccl to the Wilson building. Perry cleeded the buildings to the city of Rcaunront with the unde rstanding that they would always be used for the promotion r.lf (ine art. And they have as the Beaumont Art League gets ready to celeblate 50 more years. 40s Arl Hop(Paint lt Again Sam Here's - theme to Another 50 Years), a mid-'1940s gala with lrve nrusic, dancing and food in a nightclub almosphere Saturday at the Beaumont Art League , 2675 Gulf St. The Beaumont Art League Membership Show will be on view Nov. '13. through Dec. 3. For more information, call 833-4179