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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