Mermaid Fountain, in duplicate. The crowning figure is by no means the
conventional mermaid. She is free, full of grace, charmingly poised. The
bifurcated tail is original and gives sculptural distinction as well as
greater human appeal. The figure is instinct with a spirit of play but
is not boisterous. Arthur Putnam is a Californian who has greatly
influenced the development of art in the West.



Torch Bearer
Finial Figure, Festival Hall



As Festival Hall is the seat of the Exposition's musical life, all the
sculpture on and about the building expresses a lyrical mood. The
sculptor has contrived to give this feeling great variety; but, on the
whole, the large reclining figures - the beautiful, relaxed Reclining
Nymph and the Listening God over the great pylons - seem to be
meditatively listening, the seated figures have a fanciful, lighter
suggestion and those standing give a gentle effect of rhythm. The great
arches are marked by a cartouche emphasizing this intention.

"The Torch Bearer" here pictured is lightly yet firmly poised above the
minor domes. Exquisitely silhouetted against the sky, she has a spiral
beauty, and the grace of one posed in the midst of a dance. The work of
Sherry Edmundsen Fry, who made all the sculpture on Festival Hall, is,
generally characterized by a classic correctness combined with a modern
robustness. It lends itself well to this French Renaissance building - a
type that depends upon its sculptured embellishments.