21st a ......al texaspai..ti..g 4 sc..lpt..re~ 1939sponsored 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 TechnologicalCollege, Lubbock

on the cover: Charles Umlauf, "Madonna and Child"

21st annual texaspainting 4 sculpture~ 1939

Assembled by the Dallas Museum of FineArts for the State Fair of Texas

exhibition schedule:

Dallas Museum of Fine ArtsOctober 10-November 15, 1959

Witte Memorial Mus eum, San AntonioDecember 6, 1959-lanuary 3, 1960

B eaumont Art MuseumFebruary 7~Warch 6, 1960

The Museum, Texas T echnological College, LubbockMarch 17-April 17, 1960

The Museum of Fine Arts of HoustonMay l S-lune 19, 1960

CODlDlent

byiu r o r

To extract a quality exhibition of some130 works of art from a mass of over 650entries is indeed a formidable task. Inall fairness to the artists, and particularlythose whose works are not included in theshow, I think a few comments might bein order. They are not to justify what I haveor have not done, but rather to clarify anumber of issues which must be resolvedin the performance of one's job.

The juror's responsibility is a heavy one,especially when he is alone and cannot con­

ceal his judgments behind the anonymityof a committee. Whether his professionalbias is that of the critic, the historian orthe artist, he must recognize the fact thathe is obliged to judge not realism orabstraction, classicism or romanticism, tra­dationalism or modernism, or any otherkind of ism but that he is judging just plaingood or bad art. With the variety and highquality of work assembled for this show,the problem was not so much the bad artbut rather the degree of goodness.

There are several questions which cameto my mind as I walked through the gal.leries for my first look at the entries. Theusual work of the amateur and beginners,the adventurers, was very much in evi­dence. Raw, willful, often with good ideasbut without the technical control necessaryto express them, they are a necessary partof this competitive enterprise. The doorsof every competition must be kept openfor new talents and new possibilities. Prog­ress in art as in other affairs not alwayscomes from leadership at the top but moreoften from the vital pressure of newcomersfrom below.

Beyond that, the quality of this exhibi­tion would match that of any other sectionof the country. Most of the visual forms

familiar to the gallery-goer of Chicago andNew York appeared here. Some of themwere even finer. One feels comfortable inrecognizing the familiar styles of the NewYork scene.

But what about Texas? The magnificenceof space, the vaulting enterprise and warmhumanity of the Texas landscape and peoplewere nowhere to be seen in the art pre ­sented at this show. At least, they did notappear among the good work. The Texasartists know what is going on in theart world, perhaps too much so. Theyare good students and historians and havethoroughly studied the periodicals. Theresult is that many artists are almostunconsciously influenced by the acceptedmannerisms. Here and there appeared the"old-fashioned" Monet and Leger. Therewere many variations of the Bauhaus,Calder, DeKooning, Motherwell, Hofmannand other expressions.

As an outsider, I had heard of manyfine contemporary Texas artists who havewon prizes in previous shows and who havein 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 entriesfor this show. This was a disappointmentto me.

The list of Purchase Funds and Awardsshows there is every evidence of goodsupport, in comparison with many otherstate competitions. From individuals, frombusiness, the State Fair of Texas, industryand the cultural institutions of sister citiescome substantial prizes which bear evi­dence of the firm and tangible faith main­tained by Texas in its creative artists. Thisis a versatile exhibition and I congratulateyou, the artists of Texas, and your support­ing public on its achievement.

laurence schmeckebierProfessor of Fine Arts and Director,Syracuse University School of Art

purchases

State Fair of Texas Purchase Prize, $1 ,000for permanent collection of Dallas Museum of Fine Artscharles umlauf" Austin . . "Madonna and Child", stoneware

Sea rs, Roebuck & Company Purchase Prize, $750for permanent coll ection of Dallas Museum of Fine Art swilliam radford thoulas" San Antonio . . "A Whole Child-

hood of Fantasy Lies Ahead", oil

Julian Onderdonk Memorial Purchase Prize, $500given by the San Antonio Art League for its permanent collectionfrederick martin" EI Paso. . "Anthem for Joyous Living", oil

Richard T. Pyle Memorial Purchase Prize, $350for permanent collection of Dallas Museum of Fine Artspaul ,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, $250for the permanent collection of the West Texas Museum at TexasTechnological College, Lubbockbert r ees; Austin. . "Adroit Apiarist", oil

awards

Fort Worth Art Association Award of $150william Lester; Austin. . "3rd Avenue", oil

Foley's of Houston Award of $100Ired mitcham~ Dallas. . "Cycle of Nature", oil

Museum of Fine Arts of Houston Award of $100*don ratz~ Sherman. . "Out of Antiquity", oil

Museum of Fine Arts of Houston Award of $100*bill g. komodore~Dallas. . "Concentration Camp", oil

Pollock Paper Corporation Award of $100don snell~ Houston . . "Daughters of Eve", oil

Schlumberger Well Surveying Corporation Award of $100delorrest judd~ Dallas. . "Mountain Study, Winter", oil

Beaumont Art Museum Award of $100dorothy poulos~ Dallas .

*Donated by Humble Oil & Refining Company of Houston

. "Interior in Blue", oil

William Radford Thomas, "A Whole Childhood of Fantasy Lies Ahead"

tl,e exhibitiondal-,id adickes~ Houston1. "The Actress", oildon bartlett~ Kingsville2. "Mother & Child", epoxy resinheri bert bartscht~ Dallas3. "Ferry Boat Man", cedarbart s; bradford~ Fort Worth4. "Sand-Hock Study", sand plasterethel brodnax~Dallas5. "Harbor", oilmarbury hill brown~ Dallas6. "Marble Players", oildavid brownlow~ Fort Worth7. "Woman on a Bicycle", oilemilio caballero~ Canyon8. "Opalescence", oil

""audee carron~ Port Arthur9. "The Christmas Tree", poly-vinylcarl d. coker~ Commerce10. "Bold Fisherman", oilpat colville~ Houston.11. untitled, oilbill condon~ Houston12. "Still Life with Melons", oilbarbara seale condos~

San Antonio13. "Festival", oildede eooeer; Dallas14. "Cliff Dwellings", oillarry culp~ Arlington15. "Fashion 58", steel &bronzeben I. c.dwell~ Dallas16. "Drunk with Happiness on Soft

Fall Day Awaiting Il-Bomb",mixed

bob cun.lingham~Fort Worth17.· "New Haven & Pennsylvania",

temperakathryn p. eueter; Abilene18. "Landscape", oilowen day~ Fort Worth19. "Shoals &the Distance Beyond",

oilgordon deats~ Houston20. "Thunder Gun" bronze &steelbarney delabano~ Dallas21. "Day Lilies", oiljohn r. duncan~Lubbock22. "Glissade", oilgene m: eastman~Huntsville23. "Yin-Yang", oilphilip john eoets;

San Antonio24. untitled , steelkelly fearing~ Austin25. "Children on the Beach", oilkenneth b. fiske~ Austin26. "Two Figures", oilleo bernice fix~ Lubbock27. "Vital Spark", oiljack fletcher~ San Antonio28. "Sun House", collagebetty jo ioeter; Dallas29. "Head of Geramina", cast stonec. b. foxworth~Dallas30. "Kachinas", oilmichael frary~ Austin31. "Still Life with Fish", oiljames I. frazer~ Mesquite32. "Savage Imagery", oilann cushing gantz~ Dallas33. "Ritual", oilgene s; geeslin~ Huntsville34. "Lobsters", oil

Frederick Martin, "Anthem lor Joyous Living"

helen gilden~ San Antonio35. "Rapacious", oiljohn guerin~ Austin36. 'Figure in a Landscape", oilmary t: guillet~ Wichita Falls37. "Proud Horse", clayjennie haddad~ Tyler38. "Sun Burst", oil

Paul Maxwell, "Timberline Pine"

rosilla hagen~Dallas39. "The Precipice", oiljanice hlnnm~ Commerce40. "Momentum", oilforrest harris"erger~

Grand Prairie41. "Street Game", oiltincie heddins~ San Angelo42. "Grasshopper", oil43. "Broncho Rider", oilwilfred higgins~ Dallas44. "Guinevere", oildon hill~ Dallas45. "Night City", oilharold w. hill~ San Antonio46. "Seated-Whitlach Looking at

Moon", polychrome plasterguy johnson~Houston47. "The Beach", oilkemp johnson~Dallas48. "Fish and Fruit", oil

Mary Sloan, "Swamp Plant"

sister m. jolanta, Irving49. "The Flame", wooddeforrest h. judd, Dallas50. "Mountain Study, Winter", oilchapman kelley, Dallas51. "Studio Fan", oilbill komodore, Dallas52. "Concentration Camp", oilhazel korkames, Tyler53. "Escape from Winter", oiljames a. ledbetter, Dallas54. "View Through Victorian

Window", oilwilliam lester, Austin55. "3rd Avenue", oildavid lewis, Garland56. "Spring Dance", casein57. "Lunar Structure", oilthomas r. lovelace, jr.,

Dallas58. "Hesitation", oilbruce lowney, Dallas59. untitled, oildaniel I. lynch, Dallas60. "The Strad", oilanderson d. macklin,

Marshall61. "Girl with Toy Lamb", oilyan macs, Fort Worth62. "Machine for Narcissistic Game",

oilfrederick 'martin, EI Paso63. "Anthem for Joyous Living", oilpaul maxwell, Houston64. "Timberline Pine", temperaleila DIC connell, Houston65. "Reflection", oil

keith mc intyre~ San Antonio66. "The Sand Dune", oildavid Drc ,nanaway~Dallas67. "Life-Death Figures", oileva me ,nurrey~ Baytown68. "Material Yard", oil,"arguerite meisner;

Fort Worth69. "Handley Station", oilfred mitcham~Dallas70. "Cycle of Nature", oilD,arc moldawer~Houston71. "The Threatened Forest", oil."obert morris~ Houston72. untitled, polymervirginia oechsner~ Dallas73. "Tomorrow?", stonegene w. owens~ Fort Worth74. "Cosmic Repercussions",

steel & brass,"argaret pace~ San Antonio75. "Burning Bush", oilcharles o. pebworth~

Country Campus76. "Bird Vendor", mixeddorothy poulos~ Dallas77. "Interior in Blue", oil,nargaret putnam~

San Antonio78. "As It Began to Dawn", oilbarbara quimby~ Dallas79. "The Party", oilstephen t: s-aseoe;

Corpus Christi80. "Waterfall", oildon ratz~ Sherman81. "Out of Antiquity", oilbert s-ees; Austin82. "Adroit Apiarist", oilanne r eeues; Dallas83. "Le Palace", oilbill reily~ San Antonio84. "Gables", oilo; j. revilo~ Dallas85. "Caprice No.7", oilalvi rohde~ San Antonio86. "Nun", oilzanne rosenthal~ Dallas87. "Torso", oilfrances taylo,. ,.oyston~

Houston88. "Beach Umbrella", enamelvirginia rlf,SS~ Dallas89. "Mares';, alabastere,nily "'f,tland~ Robstown90. "Cotton Pickers", oilgwen ryan~ Houston91. "Collage", collage

Bert Rees, "Adroit Apiarist" max m; sandfield~ Dallas92. "Contentment", cedar93. "Nike", bois d'arccarol vystrcil seort; Dallas94. "Backyards", oiljerry v. seagle~ Corpus Christi95. "727 Conti St., New Orleans",

caseinthom seawell~ Fort Worth96. "A Game of Breath", oilmarvin m. sigel~ Dallas97. " Fishing Docks", oilanne woodward simmons~

Dallas98. "Sw~nging Shapes, No.2",

casem

vera h. simons, San Antonio99. "Beyond", oilfrances skinner, Houston100. "Carnival", oilmary sloan, Corpus Christi101. "Channel Marker", oil102. "Swamp Plant", oilmartia reed smith, Dallas103. "Tobago", oilsamuel lee smith, Dallas104. "Adam's Rib", wood105. "Salesman", claydon snell, Houston106. "Daughters of Eve", oilbill stewart, Austin107. "Woman with Cat", oil108. "Black Table", oilvictor stokes, Commerce109. "Heaven & the Hierarchy",

welded steelhilliard m. stone,

Grand PrairieUO. "N esting Bird", ceramiclynn sweat, N ederlandIll. "Cavern", oilphilip szeitz, IrvingU2. "Organic Float", oilU3. "Open Seed" , welded steelruth, tears, DallasU4. "400-404 Beauregarde", oilwilliam radford thomas,

San AntonioUS. "A Whole Childhood of Fantasy

Lies Ahead", oilU6. "Thought Processes Produce

Perception of Images", oil

jack tinkle, San AntonioU7. "The Lineage", oilolin travis, DallasU8. "Arizona Cotton Fields", oilevelyn gay turner, WacoU9. "Stairway", oilcharles umlauf, Austin120. "Angel of the Annunciation",

bronze121. "Madonna & Child", .,stonewarejam,es f. valone, jr.

San Antonio122. "Gothic Form", oilr. w. van hamersveld,

Fort Worth123. "Few Facade", mixedpeter s; vatsures, Dallas124. "Hothouse", oiljane vieaux, Dallas125. "Wedgewood", oilralph white, Austin126. "Seaport", oilclara williamson, Dallas127. "The Circuit Rider", oilfrances m. witherspoon,

iii, Longview128. "Reims Cathedral", oilbetty IVinn, Dallas129. "Panorama", oilarthur h. yourzik,

San Antonio130. "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 andDallas organized a painting and sculpture competition open to all artists ofthe state. Then the large cities had local exhibitions for their residentartists, but the small towns offered no opportunity and the artist livingon ranch or farm had no chance to exhibit.

First called the Texas General, in its second year it was re-named theTexas-Oklahoma General because one museum in that state participated.The first two exhibitions were held in January, February and March of1940 and 1941. But the year 1941 was to see another Texas General inOctober because State Fair of Texas Association requested an exhibitionof Texas art during the Fair. The original plan of the three originatingmuseums 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 FortWorth, Austin, Beaumont and Lubbock hav e exhibited the show at differenttimes. Fort Worth, though not a sponsor, has contributed a prize yearly.

Texas General was chosen for a nam e because prints, drawings andceramics were included. By the time of the eleventh consecutive competitionin the season of 1949-50, these categories were withdrawn since specialcompetitions for each had come into existence. That year the exhibitionwas called the Texas Painting and Sculpture Annual. That name has stuckever since.

The State Fair re-entered the scene in 1952 by prorrusmg a PurchasePrize Fund of $1,000 yearly if the exhibition could be featured at DMFAduring the fair. Since then DMFA has organized the exhibition and shownit first with continued help from San Antonio and Houston in the formof Prizes, shared circulation cost and exhibition. The first of the annualsin 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. Ofthese entries 130 works by 121 artists were accepted by the judge.

dna'"