International studio (60.1916/1917)

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Another feature is the Children’s Museum, a
room 85x33 feet, situated on the second floor.
In this room, according to the museum bulletin,
“will be brought together material of various
kinds likely to be useful in stimulating the chil-
dren’s imagination and in visualizing such school
studies as design, history, geography, etc.
The inaugural included the usual features, but
the character of these features was unusual. Be-
ginning with a luncheon at the Union Club, at

Henry W. Kent, of the Metropolitan, who has
contributed much to the success of the museum
discussed “The Museum of the Future,” and
Mr. Evans Woollen, of the John Herron Institute
of Indianapolis, took for the subject of his address,
“^Esthetic Significance of an Art Museum.”
The idea that the modern art museum should
be for the people was again and again emphasized
by the various museum presidents, and in speak-
ing of the Cleveland Museum in particular, Judge


NORTH SIDE OF THE GARDEN COURT LOOKING TOWARD THE ROTUNDA AND COURT OF TAPESTRIES AND ARMOUR

which out-of-town guests were entertained, fol-
lowed in the afternoon by the exercises, it con-
cluded in the evening with a reception at which
were two thousand guests. All these events were
brought about as happily as every other part of
the big undertaking. Not only did the day’s pro-
gramme run smoothly, but there was a spirit of
whole-heartedness coming to its highest point
in the addresses given at the exercises. Mr.
Charles H. Hutchinson, of the Art Institute
of Chicago, spoke of “Democracy in Art”; Mr.

Sanders, the president, left no doubt in anybody’s
mind that, while this institution would exhibit
only the best in art, making no concessions to the
uneducated popular taste, it is for the people first
and last. This was in substance repeated by Mr.
Whiting, the director, and anyone knowing Mr.
Whiting’s record can have no doubt on this
score. It is interesting to know that the public
seem to be reciprocating; for, on the Sunday after
the opening, no less than eighteen thousand people
visited the galleries.

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