International studio (22.1904)

AN OREGON PASTORAL

BY T. C. STEELE

truly American spirit will not content itself with
strictly conventional limitation any more than the
same spirit has in other Helds of endeavor. Not
that it will evolve that dreamed-of national art, —
whatever that may be supposed to be, — but rather
that it will insist on framing its own artistic percep-
tions in its own language, whether the words and
forms of the language come from the old masters,
the modern Frenchmen, or whencever it may be.
From these points of view the Society of Western
Artists with all its limitations is of sufficient interest
to warrant a description of its organization and
work. In 1896 a self-constituted body of the
more prominent artists of Cincinnati, Indianapolis,
Chicago, and St. Louis, with a few from Detroit
and Cleveland, met informally in Chicago and
organized the Society of Western Artists, " for the
purpose of uniting artists in fellowship and of com-
bining their efforts in the advancement of art."
As one of the means to this end, the "Society
gathers together annually a collection of representa-
tive works chiefly done in the Middle West, and
exhibits the collection in various cities." The cir-
cuit embraces ordinarily those cities in which the

membership is strongest: Chicago, Cincinnati, In-
dianapolis, and St. Louis, to which are usually
added Detroit and Cleveland. This season, from
some cause difficult to understand, Indianapolis,
Detroit, and Cleveland have been passed over for
Pittsburgh and Columbus, the aim of the Committee
being perhaps to broaden the Held of the Society.
The group of Indianapolis men, known as the
Hoosier Painters, is so strong and individual, so
much nearer to being really a school working with
a common inspiration than exists in any other
western city, that one can but question a policy
which even for a season omits that important center.
The Society consists of Hfty-eight active and
thirty-nine associate members, together with eight
purely honorary members, grouped about six local
organizations or chapters in Chicago, Cincinnati,
Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Though the
Chicago membership is the largest, the affairs of
the Society have hitherto been directed rather by
the men from Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Cincin-
nati. In arranging the exhibitions the Museums
and other art institutions in the various cities have
lent their galleries and assumed all expense.
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