The Art
The Golden Art Era ran from about 1917 to 1933, when much was lost in a major earthquake.
The Golden Art Era
Venice Union Polytechnic High School’s thrust was “learning by
doing.” As such, its Applied Arts program supported a large Art Department,
headed by nationally recognized sculptor, Harry Winebrenner. Art Gallery
image
In this era Venice had an Art Gallery and an Art Club . The Gallery was
considered the largest and best art gallery of any school in Southern
California (see picture of the Art Gallery to the right). The Club fostered
numerous exhibitions, including works of the leading painters and sculptors.
A 1922 exhibit …“was held in October and was composed of representative
paintings of great American artists, direct from the Kanst Art Gallery, Los
Angeles.” Other exhibits included the etchings of Miss Lauren Barton and
drawings from the motion picture “Robin Hood” by Mr. Lengley, Art Director
and Researcher.
Student art was also exhibited in the gallery and their art works adorned
the campus and each issue of the yearbook, the Gondolier. Gondoliers of the
1920s clearly record this golden era - particularly the 1928 issue. Examples
of three student etchings from the 1928 Gondolier accompany this article.
1 (organizations), 2 (sports), 3
(classes).
Here is an Art Department quote from that 1928 Gondolier:
“The artistic work in this issue and past issues of the Gondolier are
splendid examples of the work that can be done by students of this
department. Art Evans and Jack Graves are prize pupils. Mr. Shives, the
Faculty Advisor of the Gondolier, wishes to acknowledge the indebtedness of
the Venice student body to Mrs. Dando and her faithful crew of seventy-eight
students for the six or more water color inserts that have made the annual
the best ever issued by the school.”