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ARTISTS EQUITY ASSOCIATION

625 Madison Avenue 
New York 22, N. Y.

Plaza 9-7460

January 9th, 1952

Dear Members and Friends:

The United States National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has asked Artists Equity to conduct a Conference of Artists on Saturday afternoon, January 26th, 1952. This is to prepare the ground for presentation of the interests of american artists at the Third National Conference for UNESCO to be held in New York the week of January 27th, 1952 and for the International Congress of the Arts to be held by UNESCO in Venice next September.

The way we plan to run the meeting is as follows:
a) There will be a few opening remarks of welcome by our Honorary President, Yasuo Kuniyoshi.
b) Josh Billings, who as President of Equity was made a member of UNESCO's International Organizing Committee for the Congress, will briefly orient the meeting on the structure and purpose of UNESCO, its interest in the plastic arts, and plans for the Venice Conference.
c) The four major areas of discussion under the general topic of "The American Artist in the World Today" will then be outlined by four speakers, to open up discussion from the floor. These areas will be as follows:

I. ART IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY, including considerations of the need for wider patronage, especially of monumental art for public use, and increased accessibility of contemporary art in museums, community centers and cooperative art festivals.

II. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, including discussion of the inviolability of monumental work, racial equality, and freedom of the artist in his personal beliefs.

III. EDUCATION AND CRITICISM, including discussion of improving public understanding of the arts, greater emphasis on American art in educational circles, and adequate press coverage.

IV. AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM FOR ART, including discussion of exchange of artists, their ideas and their work, and the possibility of forming an international artists' organization.  

This event will be held Saturday afternoon, January 26th, 1952 at 2:15 P.M. at Hunter College Playhouse, 68th St. east of Park Avenue, New York City. Artist delegates to the Third National Conference of UNESCO are being invited. No admission will be charged. Tickets will be distributed to Equity members until January 15th, after which they will be released to the general public. They may be reserved by phoning Plaza 9-7460. A "Dutch Treat" cocktail party will be held after the meeting at the Beekman Hotel, 575 Park Avenue.

This is an opportunity to put forward under important auspices some of the ideas Equity has been fighting for, and a significant recognition of the fact that Equity is the outstanding organization representative of the thoughts and interests of professional artists in America. Let's work up as much enthusiasm as possible in the short time remaining so as to have a lively and well attended event.

Sincerely yours,
Henry Billings President 
Ernest Fiene President, N.Y Chapter