Sept 22 -25 –
Trip to NY for Metropolitan jury.
Two juries A (avant garde) + B – “Conservative” of which I was a member. Our jury composed of water-colorists – Hopper [Edward], Andy Wyeth + myself – printmakers – Reggie Marsh, Arms [possibly John Taylor Arms], + Landick. We split up + juried our mediums only. All juries received about the same number of entries – that is, about 1200 each. Our work covered three days, + we accepted about 40 water-colors.
Lunches each day at a hotel across the street – pleasant affairs – Two cocktail parties, one at the Hale’s [Robert Beverly Hale, Curator of American paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art] at their penthouse apartment (they had planted all sorts of things on their roof – (enclosed on two sides by split railings) including blue morning glories, asters, zinnias, + even an ailanthus tree + a locust - a nice spot) – And the other at the McKinney’s (Esther Williams) – in their studio apartment in Greenwich Village.
The weather sunny + pleasant.
Evenings mostly (except one with Belle Krasne, who is doing a “profile” on me for the Art Digest) – with Frank [K.M. Rehn], going over the sketches and planning for the show. He is not well, and there is every reason for alarm, he had a heart attack this summer and now must take digitalis which affects his appetite. He seems completely exhausted. The fate of the gallery seems sealed.
Sept. 24 Mary Alice gave birth to a healthy boy – Stephan Dennis.
Home on Friday morning.
Charles Burchfield, Journals, September 22-15, 1952