Lesson in Democracy

Omitted at first from the purple patches and golden numbers of New York World's Fair publicity was any mention of contemporary art. Outraged artists last year made a stink about this, persuaded Fair President Grover Aloysius Whalen to make room for an art exhibition under the seasoned direction of the Federal Art Project's Holger Cahill (TIME, April 25). Since then a modest, good-looking building has gone up and U. S. artists and museum directors have gone ahead with a national competition to select 800 works of art.

In Manhattan's Empire State Building last week 5.000 paintings, sculptures and prints sent in by New York State artists alone posed the biggest job of regional art jurying ever undertaken in the U. S. Working all week at an average rate of one work of art per minute, eight hours a day, three nine-member juries barely got through at week's end. Observed Grover Whalen with his usual gleam: "The judging has taught us all a lesson in democracy and the American Way."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.