Art: Joke

Thomas Hart Benton received $16,000 for the remarkable murals of American life which he painted on 1,000 square feet of wall surface in Missouri’s capitol at Jefferson City. Also full of salty realism was his autobiography, An Artist in America. A Kansas City real-estate operator named Howard Huselton read the book till his eyes popped, found it “sensual, gross, profane, vulgar.” It seemed a parlous thing to Mr. Huselton that the author of such a work should be instructor at the Kansas City Art Institute. Round to the Institute’s board of governors pattered prim Mr. Huselton to complain. Last week, when the question of renewing Benton’s teaching contract came up, not one governor present moved for renewal.

In Manhattan, outspoken Painter Benton professed to regard the affair as “a big joke.” This week the board finally decided to renew the contract, held: “No matter what anybody may think of Mr. Benton’s book or his painting, there has been no question regarding his ability as an instructor.”