A Guild traveling show started
October 1964 in Idaho State College, Pocatello, Idaho. It went to
University of Nevada, Las Vegas in December 1964, then Bertha Eccles
Art Center, Ogden Utah in April 1965, onto Montana State University,
Missoula from July 15 - August 15, then in October 1965 at the National
Dairyman Cattle Congress, Waterloo. The traveling exhibition finally
returned from its last engagement in the University of Utah Union,
Salt Lake City the first week in December 1965.
A committee of Marge Spencer,
Verna Loy and Marj Hyde met and sent a letter to Jim Sheets on October
9, 1965 spelling out their concerns with reorganizing the guild.
Several of their suggestions, like changing membership requirements
were enacted in the reorganization that took place later. One interesting
point they made concerned changing the name Art Guild because "Name
has become a burden. It is used by other groups that are hobby organizations."
Another suggestion was "Some provision for having a lobbyist
or 'voice' to represent the visual artists to the City Council should
be considered. This is also a responsibility of the Artists' organization
not just the Fine Arts Society of the Gallery Administration."
This idea was not considered in the later reorganization.
On November 6, 1965 the Guild
and the San Diego Chapter, American Institute of Architects co-sponsored
an "Art and Architecture" home tour. Three homes in La
Jolla and one in Point Loma were featured. Each of the homes featured
ceramics and paintings by noted artists. The proceeds benefited
the Art Guild's spring show fund.
The five Auctions, the Moulin
Rouge Ball, and two Home Tours, including Art Collections and Studios,
as previously mentioned, were examples of some of the Guild's most
entertaining and successful events of this era.
This article, written by Marilyn
Hagberg, came out in San Diego Magazine in the December 1965 issue:
THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS COMMITTEE:
A FAST RESHUFFLE
"This summer a group
of art-interested citizens and some artists, worried about the relative
anemia of the contemporary art scene in San Diego, decided the time
had come to give and get support for the expanding exhibition and
education programs at the Fine Arts Gallery, which often-sometimes
rightly and sometimes wrongly-has been called 'staid.' They were
bursting with ideas and enthusiasm…
Fine Arts Gallery director
Warren Beach and assistant director Rudy Turk, who… are working
closely with the committee, urged that the group obtain official
sanction and some operating rules from the Board of Trustees before
they try to function as a committee under the society…
The Board appointed artist
Jane (Mrs. Willis) Fletcher, in her fourth year as a trustee of
the Fine Arts Society, to supervise the formation and act as chairman
of the Contemporary Arts Committee. It also requested that a member
of the Board and the president of the Art Guild always be members
of the committee… It will be required to communicate closely
with the newly-formed Coordinating Committee so that it won't duplicate
or overlap the functions of other groups…
'Eventually we hope to have
about thirty active, working members as a steering committee,' Mrs.
Fletcher says, 'and there can be any number of associate members
to play supporting roles. As well as enlisting the aid of those
already concerned with contemporary art, we hope we can draw into
the associate membership ranks a number of people who have had no
previous interest in 'modern' art-I was once one of these myself.
We expect to be a predominantly lay committee working to provide
support for the contemporary arts program of the Fine Arts Gallery
and whatever help and backing we can give to Warren Beach and Rudy
Turk. But before we can function fully, we need much more consideration
and planning, and we must thoroughly define our purposes and methods.
I think we will be able to work together and become a strong constructive
group'…
Last month month some committee
members assisted the Art Guild with its Art and Architecture Home
Tour in San Diego and with the opening of the All-County Fall Exhibition
at the Fine Arts Gallery. 'We might eventually hope to take some
of the fundraising burdens from the Art Guild's shoulders and assist
the gallery in bringing in the big traveling exhibitions and in
purchasing contemporary works for its permanent collection,' Mrs.
Fletcher says. 'Mr. Beach and Mr. Turk would of course make the
decisions concerning shows and acquisitions, but maybe we could
drum up interest and help in the development and promotion.'…"
In the same December 1965 issue of San Diego Magazine Marilyn Hagberg
wrote this article:
"Things are jumping in
all directions at the Fine Arts Gallery in Balboa Park, and far
from least of the people cracking the whip is the galloping gallery's
new assistant director, Rudy Turk. Although matters were moving
in the old building and the almost complete new west wing before
he came to San Diego from Richmond, California in July, this energetic,
enthusiastic young man can take credit for a lot of the pep that's
been making the place pop for the past few months…
His mere presence had created
excitement in several quarters already. Gallery director Warren
Beach is obviously pleased with his new assistant… 'I was unable
even to begin many of the things I should be doing because of the
fast-growing complexities of our program. With Rudy we can now achieve
many of the goals we could only dream of previously,' he said.
Many outside the gallery are
also happy about the new man. The area artists, those of the San
Diego Art Guild and otherwise, aware of his reputation as an able
administrator and a spirited champion of contemporary art, are rallying
behind him…
But as well as praise and
enthusiasm, there is some skepticism among local artists. Considering
the predominantly conservative exhibition programs of the gallery
in the past and the negative responses of some of the public to
its more 'modern' shows, they wonder if Rudy might have been hired
'on false pretenses' and if he will wind up having his wings clipped,
or worse, by the Fine Arts Society Board. I don't think they need
to brood about this: Rudy has no intention of getting his wings
clipped, and I doubt if anyone will want to clip them-especially
not Warren Beach, who knew exactly what he was doing when he hired
him…
Warren Beach is perhaps the
man most underrated by the San Diego art community-but not by Rudy
Turk, who says: 'We work together beautifully.' He turned down better
paying offers from several other art institutions to come to San
Diego. 'One of the reasons I chose the Fine Arts Gallery was so
I could work with Warren Beach,' he said. 'He has tremendous know-how,
and he's always a gentleman. He probably is more responsible than
anyone else for the growth of the Fine Arts Gallery and the many
developments that are just beginning to bear fruit.'…
Exhibition information is
another part of the new assistant's educational plan. Because he
believes it's important for gallery-goers to know what they are
looking at from both historical and artistic standpoints, he has
started the practice of putting placards in English and Spanish
on the walls to inform visitors of individual shows….
Rudy is encouraged by the
future possibilities of the San Diego art scene in general and the
Fine Arts Gallery in particular. 'The simple presence of the new
wing means something is happening; obviously we're moving,' he says.
'All over San Diego for the next ten years, I feel there will be
tremendous social, educational and cultural changes. Things are
going to be hectic artistically, but the developments should be
strong. There is a great challenge here. It isn't going to be an
overnight revolution, however. As far as the accomplishment and
acceptance of vital art programs are concerned, much can be done
if things are tackled gradually. We must woo rather than wow the
public.' I suspect Rudy Turk will do both."
The first All California All
Media Exhibition of the Guild was held from March 11 - April 24,
1966. The juror was Wayne Thiebaud from the University of California
at Davis. 100 works of art were selected and there was $2175 in
Purchase Awards.
At that time the Southern
California Exposition held at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar
was one of the most prestigious art exhibitions. It was open to
artists from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. The show which
ran in 1966, from June 24 - July 4, had a total of 649 entries from
which 276 works of art were selected by a jury of Warren Beach of
the Fine Arts Gallery, Dr. Edward S. Peck, University of Southern
California Galleries, Los Angeles, and Monty Lewis, Director of
Coronado School of Fine Arts. The Exhibition Director was former
Guild President Austin Kilian.
In July 1966 the Fine Arts
Gallery held a memorial exhibition of 12 of Donal Hord's sculptures
in the foyer. The show consisted of works from the permanent collection
and was held on exhibit until Sept.3.
After decades of growth, community
support, and years of great relations with the Fine Arts Society
and the press, the Guild was torn apart by a controversy from which
it has never fully recovered. The origin of this situation was the
attempted and partially successful implementation of new rules and
regulations initiated by Rudy Turk, assistant director and Guild
liaison, and several artists under the leadership of James Sheets.
They followed many of the suggestions raised by the earlier committee
of Marge Spencer, Verna Loy and Marj Hyde. The rest of this chapter
is devoted to showing all sides of this dispute through articles,
excerpts from the minutes of Guild meetings, and authentic letters
and notes written by Guild members expressing their own thoughts
and opinions to Warren Beach, the Gallery Director, Evan Jones,
the President of the Fine Arts Society, and to each other.
The following is a letter
written in protest of the planned reorganization of the Guild dated
April 1, 1966:
"Dear
Mr. Beach:
As a member of the San Diego
Art Guild, part of the Fine Arts Society, and as a person, I am
shocked by the seemingly authentic rumors that the San Diego Art
Guild is to be scrapped: that members not meeting measurements arbitrarily
set up by the Board of the Guild are to be eliminated.
Surprised to hear that without
any previous knowledge or discussion by the Guild as a whole we
are to be notified of this shabby deal sometime in April. One reason
'to raise San Diego Art Standards', a naive statement if the current
so called Guild show is an example.
Whether I could or could not
qualify for not being scrapped, and invited into the 'higher echelon
of Ins' I am uncertain. Yet I do know that even if I passed inspection,
as it were, I would be quite ashamed to be a member of a group set
up by such questionable standards.
San Diego is lucky indeed
Mr. Beach to have a fine Museum or Art Gallery director, like you.
I am sure you will do something to clear up this miserable situation.
Very sincerely yours,
Eleanor Wilkevich (Mrs. P.A.)"
An anonymous note addresses
an opposing point of view.
"On or about April 15,
1966 the San Diego Art Guild, a committee of the Fine Arts Society
of San Diego will be replaced by an organization tentatively called
the 'Associated Artists of the San Diego Fine Arts Society.'
The reason for this change
is that over a period of years the Guild has perpetually found itself
in a state of deep stagnation or moribundness due to a greater percentage
of the membership either being inactive or unwilling to participate
in Guild efforts. The work of keeping the Guild alive has fallen
on the same few year after year and it has become increasingly difficult
to get these people to continue their contributions of time and
art work, especially now that these artists want to expand the quantity
and quality of art activities in the community. The majority of
today's artists here and elsewhere are able to work at their craft
only part time since they have to make their living outside the
field and there is only a minimum of either private or public support.
Consequently the few artists who do work in the Guild are becoming
more and more reluctant to give their precious time to activities
that glorify the many artists who do nothing.
The aims of this new group
will be to assist and aid the Fine Arts Society in any way in their
activities…"
On June 9, 1966 the President
and executive committee of the Fine Arts Society invited 14 past
guild president to attend a meeting to discuss the proposed rules
changes. (Only five past presidents are known to have participated.)
In the minutes dated June
23, 1966 the following was recorded: "New rules were adopted
which removed all inactive and honorary memberships. Strict requirements
for selection included being in at least two approved exhibitions
during the last three years. Prove of continuing exhibitions within
a three-year period required as well."
back
to top
