1934 catalog and guide to Grand Central Art Galleries, NYC

NY: New York: Grand Central Art Galleries, 1934. Wraps. 12 x 9 inches, softcover, very good minus with some edgewear to covers, particularly fore-edge of rear cover, contents very good, but the catalog of 51 artworks offered for sale have pencil letters -- "A" or "BB" etc. -- written next to each, probably a tool for choosing artworks in the annual "distribution" which is explained later in this description. The Grand Central Art Galleries were the exhibition and administrative space of the nonprofit Painters and Sculptors Gallery Association, an artists' cooperative established in 1922 by Walter Leighton Clark together with John Singer Sargent, Edmund Greacen, and others. They also held classes. They had a large exhibition space on the 6th floor of the Grand Central Terminals until moving from there in 1958. Works donated by the artists were distributed to the lay members at an annual drawing. A yearly catalog indicated the works to be distributed at a drawing and reception at the gallery (this is one such catalog). As described in the 1934 catalog, the procedure was as follows: "[The drawing] will be accomplished by placing the name of each lay member on a slip of paper in a sealed jar which will be shaken thoroughly. Then before the entire audience the seal will be broken and a child will draw the names, one at a time, and they will be read aloud and entered on a list. The name first drawn will have first choice of all the contributed works of art. The second name drawn will have a free choice after number one has made his selection and the third name will then have the privilege of making his choice from all the works that remain, and so on until the last name." Available works were placed on display prior to the drawing, and lay members were requested to "make a list of thirty choices, arranging same in the order of his preference." This pre-selection would allow the awarded paintings to be announced the evening of the drawing. Because of the wide range of works being offered, the drawing — and in particular, an early selection — was important. This likely explains the letter coding next to each of the 51 selections in this 1934 catalog -- the letters indicate levels of preference and desirability. Very good. Item #h44012

Price: $40.00