Reports from Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, Cleveland, New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Minnesota.

‘National News of the Artists Union’ from Art Front. Vol. 3 No. 4. May, 1937.

CHICAGO

The Chicago Union has just announced its affiliation with the A.F. of L. This is the result of close cooperation with the trade union movement in Chicago. Further details, not available now, will appear in the next issue of ART FRONT.

The Union expresses its stand in regard to the present status of the rental policy issue in the following statement:

“Chicago artists who have supported the rental boycott during the past twelve months will join the action of the National Artists Groups who have recently rescinded boycott clause of rental policy.

“The Artist Union of Chicago, however, hereby reaffirms its belief in the principle involved and will continue its efforts to assure fair compensation for the public service which exhibiting artists render Chicago by making possible popular exhibitions at the Chicago Art Institute.”

The Chicago Union takes the standing award when it comes to bulletins. The three-page bulletin it issues to its membership is the finest we have seen yet. Neatly printed and with a swell layout, it reads fluently and is well illustrated. The New York Union is green with envy. Why not write to the Chicago Union and coax a sample copy.

In common with other Artists Unions, it is actively fighting curtailment and seeking means of expanding the Art Project to meet actual needs. Because of its progressive policy the past year has seen a steady increase in its membership.

A series of lectures for membership and public is planned; arrangements are being made for a Spring Union No Jury/No Prize Show.

CLEVELAND

The Cleveland Artists Union and the Supervisors Association together defeated a move to cut supervisors’ wages from $150 per month to $116 and extend the hours from 74 to 169. Broemmel, Art Project Supervisor, has resigned. We hear that Mr. Broemmel strongly intimated in his resignation that the Union got in his hair. Reducing pay and increasing hours is one of the best ways we know of for creating trouble.

The Union is cooperating with the administration in an effort to establish a print lending division in the public library.

MINNESOTA

The Minnesota Union’s report of layoffs and transfers to other projects is similar to reports from other sections of the country. Action is being taken to forestall any decimation of the numbers on the Art Project.

The present cultural activities include an exhibition at the Unitarian Center in conjunction with the educational groups from others centers in Minnesota and a Union show. A successful Surrealist Ball helped clean up bills owed by the Union.

NEW YORK

The New York Union and the American Artists’ Congress are arranging a series of broadcasts over WHN. A fifteen minute Union-sponsored program over WABC is being planned with Theodore Dreiser speaking.

La Guardia, New York’s peppy little Mayor, issued a blast at Hitler’s fanatical regime. He stated that no artist could adequately portray the horrors in Nazi Germany. The New York Union was not caught napping. In a statement appearing in the press, it offered to start work immediately on such a project, to be exhibited at the World’s Fair. An offer was made to the Union to create a Chamber of Horrors under Hitler to be placed on exhibition in New York. The Union accepted. If this exhibition is successful, it could be sent on the road throughout the country and would pay for itself by a small admission fee.

Due to an increase in its activities, the Artists Union has raised its monthly dues to $1. Social and cultural activities will help to defray the increased expenditures.

ST. LOUIS

The recently formed St. Louis Union is making excellent progress. During the past month the membership has been more than doubled.

To stimulate interest for the establishment of a real W.P.A. Art Project, suitable for the needs of St. Louis, the Union called a mass meeting on February 11. The excel- lent cooperation of the Newspaper Guild and especially Mr. Julius Klyman, International Vice President of the Newspaper Guild, contributed greatly to the success of this meeting. Civic leaders and the St. Louis press are pushing a campaign for the establishment of an art project.

Joe Jones, St. Louis painter, who went as a delegate to the L.E.A.R. Congress in Mexico, returned and made a report to the Union.

BALTIMORE

On March 1 the Union opened its local exhibition of prints at Goucher College, continuing there for two weeks. The exhibition then traveled to Park School and from there will go to as many local trade unions as have facilities permitting the hanging of the show. Speakers from the Union will be provided to the trade unions if desired. The Baltimore Union will campaign in these trade unions for support of the Federal Art Bill. Two Artists Union delegates attended the Citizens Alliance conference to gain support for a larger Federal Art Project and for endorsement of the Federal Art Bill. The Baltimore Union has taken a stand similar to that of the Chicago Artists Union in regard to rental policy.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Add one more to the constantly growing number of Artists Unions throughout the country. The artists in Washington announce the formation of a Union. They have applied for a charter and will be known as “The District of Columbia Artists Union.” They have already organized 50 per cent of the project artists. With the help of the Workers’ Alliance they are going to bat on the following grievances: 1. Arbitrary demotion of Project Supervisor who has become active in Union matters, 1. The Regional pay scale now in effect. It is the Union’s contention that Region II pay scale should obtain in Washington as statistics show the cost of living there to be as high as that of New York. 3. Refusal on the part of the District of Columbia Public Assistance Division to grant relief certification to certain non-relief artists who either have been dis- missed or are about to be dismissed due to reduction and proposed reduction of non-relief quota. 4. Lack of cooperation on the part of Regional Director in matters of relief certification and the furthering of creative talent on the project.

NEW JERSEY

The Artists Union of New Jersey has been confining most of its activities to a fight to halt a serious lay-off situation. Working closely with the Workers’ Alliance, they have participated in picket lines, demonstrations and a sit-in. The sit-in was called off when the administration promised to reinstate needy workers and to halt further lay-offs.

Art Front was published by the Artists Union in New York between November 1934 and December 1937. Its roots were with the Artists Committee of Action formed to defend Diego Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads mural soon to be destroyed by Nelson Rockefeller. Herman Baron, director of the American Contemporary Art gallery, was managing editor in collaboration with the Artists Union in a project largely politically aligned with the Communist Party USA.. An editorial committee of sixteen with eight from each group serving. Those from the Artists Committee of Action were Hugo Gellert, Stuart Davis, Zoltan Hecht, Lionel S. Reiss, Hilda Abel, Harold Baumbach, Abraham Harriton, Rosa Pringle and Jennings Tofel, while those from the Artists Union were Boris Gorelick, Katherine Gridley, Ethel Olenikov, Robert Jonas, Kruckman, Michael Loew, C. Mactarian and Max Spivak.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/parties/cpusa/art-front/v3n04-p3-4-missing-may-1937-Art-Front.pdf