The Glory Years (1951-1966)

     Donal Hord was elected to membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He also was honored, when his design was accepted for the 41st medal struck by the Society of Medallists of the Architectural League. Mina Pulsifer showed examples of her lithography at an invitational exhibition of American graphics at the Musee de Beaux Arts, Rouen France. Guild artists exhibited everywhere from Los Angeles to Tunisia during this period.
     The Potters' Guild in Studio 29 in the Spanish Village was begun in 1951. In 1963 Art Guild members William and Portia Bowne, Caroline Bradbury, Virginia Chausse, Renee Forsyth, Georgia Hall, Elizabeth Newkirk, Sarah Roberts, Ted Saito, Dorothy Moore Scott, Marvelle Stickney, Lily Stoddard, Kay Thomas, Joan Thorburn, and Rodney Krueger were also members of the Potters' Guild.
     On December 12, 1963 the Guild sponsored a bus trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to view the "Objects of Masterwork of Mexican Art Exhibition", featuring over 2,000 works of art from the 15th century to present.

     Guild members continued to be very active on many of the Fine Art Society's other committees throughout the 1960's and beyond. Everett Gee Jackson, who served a more than thirty-year term on the Board of Trustees, was one of the founders and chairman of the Latin American Art Committee. John Dirks was also very active on that committee. Jane Fletcher served as chairman of the Contemporary Arts Committee. In July 1964, the Board of Trustees made the Guild seat to be officially "…the President or duly elected representative of the San Diego Art Guild."

     In March 1964, John Dawson was appointed Chairman of the Guild's participation in the groundbreaking ceremonies for the new West Wing of the Gallery.
The Guild held a show at V.J. Lloyd's annual Spring Home Fashion Show in April 1964. The Guild produced a 1964 calendar.

     This calendar along with other Guild activities was described in an article written for Southland Artist, April 1964:
" The San Diego Art Guild, The Fine Art Gallery, Balboa Park at San Diego was founded in 1926 although it had been formed under another name as early as 1915.
     Their original membership of approximately 25 has now grown to the present total of 230.
     The purpose of this organization is to promote good art, regardless of medium or school. This purpose is three-fold: (1) To judge and accept art by aesthetic principles alone. (2) To encourage high standards and individual creative expression. (3) To provide for exhibitions, discussions and other events…
     Their Lloyd show will open April 5 and last one week. The opening Sunday artists will act as hosts and sell the paintings.
     The entire Guild is included this year on the invitation-to-submit for monthly exhibitions.
     Each member is asked to offer two of his best works. As an added incentive to submit only the best works, arrangements have been made with the Hotel del Coronado to display the shows for a month after they close in the Gallery. All entries submitted, whether hung in the Artists Corner or not, will be sent to the Hotel del…
     The San Diego Guild is justly proud that their Director of the Fine Arts Gallery, Warren Beach, has been appointed to the California Arts Commission.
     The 1964 Calendar published by the Guild consists of works by 13 members. This year the cover design is by Elise Donaldson and the monthly illustrations are by Helen Dowd, Fey Marshall, Jane Gale, Eve Gilchrist, Harold Gregor, Beatrice Levy, Sammy J. Pasto, James Sheets, Marjorie Spencer, Rossie S. Wade, Kay Whitcomb and Ellamarie Woolley…
     The handsomely color-illustrated 1964 calendar… retailed for $1.50 per copy plus tax, but the few remaining may now be purchased for 50 cent.
     The year is yet young-so-even if you don't care what day it is, this calendar is so good looking, you will probably want one anyway."

     During the April 1964 meeting the Treasurers report stated a lot of financial successes for the Guild. The Collectors and Studio tour made $1,400. The Calendar made $650 profit. The Auction made $300 profit. Morale was at an all time high.
     Helen Dowd put together the Guild scrapbook, which is in the SDMA library and has been a great resource for this history. (The scrapbook's last entry was in 1967.)
     Almost all of the Guild exhibitions throughout the 1950's and 1960's featured numerous newspaper articles and printed catalogs.

     On May 10 1964, in the San Diego Union, Joe Brooks wrote about the ceremony for the opening of the new West Wing:
New Vistas on the Fine Arts Horizon
     "The San Diego Art Guild will stage an art fair next Sunday in connection with the groundbreaking ceremony. Artists and craftsmen will exhibit their works in all media and give demonstrations outdoors in front of the gallery."

     In August 1964 the House of Hospitality in Balboa Park held an exhibit of 12 paintings that were rejected from the fall show.
     The Guild held the 1964 Annual Art Fair in Mission Valley that lasted from Thursday, September 24 till Saturday, September 26.
     Ruth Rowe wrote the first history of the Guild in 1964.
     On Friday November 6, 1964 the Artists Corner officially became the Art Rental and Sales Gallery. It encouraged all active artists both old and new members, conservative and non-conservative art. No preferences were to be shown as to type of work. The emphasis was strictly on quality at a reasonable price. It was also open to artists who were not members of the Guild. Only members of the Fine art Society were allowed to rent work for a rental fee of 5% of the sale price or $5; whichever was higher, for a three-month period. Anyone however, was eligible to buy the artwork. The Guild received 50% of the rental fee and 20% of the sale price. (Note: The author sold and rented many paintings through this program. His arrangement was slightly different as he received 60% of the sale price, 25% went to his agent Dan Jacobs, of Orr's Gallery, and 15% went to the Fine Arts Gallery.)

     The 1965 California South show had very favorable reviews in contrast to the previous shows.
     The "Art and Music" Exhibition at Thearle Music Company in downtown, San Diego, featured over 90 works of art by 46 artists. It opened on February 1, 1965 and ran until February 12. It included 46 artists. It had music motifs in the paintings and Kay Whitcomb wrote this about the show. "Most composers are known to hear music as their source of inspiration and some artists are moved to creating a painting from the inspiration of music. Its interesting to realize that a music lover can look at this show and feel the ART burst into song."
     The Guild revisited the Thearle Music Company in 1966 for another exhibition.
The Paintings of four Guild members were used as part of the décor for the "Fine Art Of Fashion" Show at the Community Concourse, March 2, 1965. The 'Navy Doctors Wives' Luncheon and Fashion Show were the sponsors.
     In 1965 the Guild held another show in the main library.

     On February 13, 1965 the Guild held the "Moulin Rouge Moderne Ball" at the Ocean House to celebrate the Guild's 50th anniversary.

     Eileen Jackson wrote this article about the event published in the San Diego Union on February 15, 1965:
Ball Would Have
Inspired French Artist

     "Artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who caught the glory year, 1889, of Montmarte, the Parisian capital of pleasure, and immortalized the queens of its dance halls, would have seized upon the Art Guild's mad and merry Moulin Rouge Moderne Saturday night as another rich inspiration for his quick brush. He might have been confused by so many versions of the dancers he made famous--red haired, supple La Goulue, caped and black-gloved Jane Avril, Yvette Guilbert (the fine arts Gallery owns a tile of Yvette by Toulouse-Lautrec)--who kicked their black stockinged pretty legs in the OceanHouse ballroom, setting of the costume ball. Mrs. Michael Ibs Gonzalez, wife of the master of ceremonies, was one of the more successful La Goulues…
     The Art Guild conceived of the Moulin Rouge Moderne, celebrating its 50th anniversary, as the contemporary artists' gesture to bring the artists and the public together in an exiting atmosphere just as Montmarte dance-halls did in the 1890's. This first ball of its kind sponsored by the Guild has great potential, and the 250 guests at the anniversary gala would recommend repetition.
     The OceanHouse ballroom was as boisterous, smoke filled and exhilarating as historic Moulin Rouge in the famous French Quarter. Confetti, spontaneous bold murals, balloons, and mobile quadrille girls hanging from the ceiling deliberately created the confusion of Madri Gras. James Sheets, assisted by Jim Kacirk, John Holland and Dorothy Brady were responsible for the effective décor, including a nine-foot mural which was not unworthy of the master Toulouse-Lautrec.
     Judges would have wished for less confusion and more order, but they managed, after the Grand March led by Mayor Frank Curran and Mrs. Curran, (in a pastel brocaded model) to come up with unchallenged prizes.
     Warren Beach, director of the Fine Arts Gallery, elegant in top silk hat, red vest and cutaway, and picture-hatted Mrs. Beach, swathed in flattering black tulle, holding a coquettish pink-orange parasol, received the grand prize (an enamel by Kay Whitcomb Keith) as the 'best couple'…

Cartoonist Provides Inspiration
     'Most gruesome' award was given to Mr. and Mrs. William Thompson Stephens, who went to Charles Samuel Addams, cartoonist of the eerie and evil, for inspiration. Mrs. Stephens was veiled by weeping graying hair which fell to the top of her black mesh stockings. The judges thought of deeming them 'most humorous', but in the end gave that honor to Ethel Greene, past president of the Art Guild, who was encased in a white face, red-headed box representing movable cubism…
     Mrs. Carl Gewalt, was disguised as a black cat with a black paper-mache hat. Mrs. Willis Fletcher, in a master-mixed ensemble, said she represented contemporary art--'just some unlikely things put together."

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