The biggest news in Swedish-American art circles here is Carl Hallsthammar's latest success. As our readers know, be is noted for his carvings in wood. He has just been awarded first prize at an exhibit held in the art gallery of New Britain, Connecticut, in which some two thousand artists took part. The prize amounted to five hundred dollars.

Hallsthammar and the painter, Thomas Hall, are taking part in the exhibit which is now being held in the quarters of the Chicago Gallery Association, 220 North Michigan Avenue. This exhibit is attracting much attention among art lovers, which in our opinion is well deserved. We visited the Gallery last week.

Hall is exhibiting about a dozen aquarelles and three oil paintings. Some 2of the former are excellent, but others show distinctly the influence of the ultra modern school, and we do not think that style suits the artist at all. We were more interested in his oil paintings. His flowers especially interested us and they are among the finest we have seen from his hand.

Hallsthammar's group of carvings is quite large and contains some pieces that have been shown before. All in all, it is the most interesting collection of his work that we have ever seen. Life and power are embodied in his wooden figures, and one gets the impression that each one of them has a story of its own.

Look for instance, at those veterans of the Civil War. How alive they are! One can almost hear them talk about the battles they were in. And the banquet table with the after dinner speaker! And the moonshiner trying to outsmart the revenue man! We can see why Hallsthammar took first prize at the Connecticut exhibit. He is a true master in his field, a master whom we will see and hear more of in the future.