Uruguayan Encounters Magazine

Volumen VI, Número 1, Diciembre 2013, pp. 1-31

The State and the Muses. Awards as an instrument for incentivizing production.
artistic: a small-scale model of cultural policies in Uruguay between
1925 and 1930

Maria Inés de Torres*

Received: 30/04/2013

Accepted: 15/09/2013

Resumen:

The present article aims to study the process of creation and

implementation of the artistic culture awards promoted by the Ministry of
Public Instruction in Uruguay between 1925 and 1930. The hypothesis is twofold. On one hand,
it is suggested that this debate is a small-scale model that allows for the identification of actors
and rules of public policies in relation to art in the 1920s, as far as
makes visible a map of the main actors of this public policy (the State
through the Ministry; the cultural institutions that the State considered
valid interlocutors legitimized in the field; artists as producers of goods
cultural; the expert actors recognized as holders of a specific knowledge
about the matter of politics that were manifested in the public sphere through
press organs), and also trends regarding the rules of the game that articulate
politics. On the other hand, it is suggested that in the arc that goes from the creation of the Prize of
Public Instruction in 1925 to its replacement by artistic remuneration in 1930
one can see an instance of the process that leads to the crisis of the 'spiritual environment of
"Nine hundred" and that would be evidenced in the collapse of the institutions at the beginning of
the 1930s.

Keywords: Cultural policies - Centenary - intellectual history

Abstract

The subject-matter of this article is the process of creation and implementation of prizes.
and awards destined by the Ministry of Public Instruction
Public) of Uruguay to the field of artistic culture, in the period from 1925 to 1930.
Two hypotheses have guided the research whose results are presented here. On the one
hand, this study suggests that the debate surrounding the creation and adjudication of
the prizes for works contributing to Uruguayan artistic culture offers a small-scale
model of the relationship established between the cultural field and public policy in
Uruguay in the first half of the Twentieth Century and, more specifically, in the decade
of the 1920s: analysis of that debate makes visible a map of the principal actors
involved in public policy decisions (the State through the agency of the Ministry of
Public Instruction; those cultural institutions which the State recognized as valid
collaborators possessing legitimacy within their respective fields; the artists who acted

*
University of the Republic. Email: idetorres@[Link]

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Magazine Uruguayan Encounters
Volumen VI, Número 1, Diciembre 2013, pp. 1-31

as producers of cultural commodities; and the experts, that is those individuals or

groups of individuals recognized as possessors of specific knowledge pertinent to the
policies implemented and which could be manifested in the public sphere through the
medium of the press); and also renders visible the tendencies exhibited by the nascent
"rules of the game" those policies had begun to articulate. On the other hand, this study
suggests that these policy initiatives and the debate surrounding them, as they developed
in the period encompassed between the creation of the Prize of Public Instruction
(Public Instruction Award) in 1925 and that of the 'artistic remunerations' which
replaced it in 1930, constitute a crucial instance of the process which undermined the
spiritual climate of the Novecientos (1900s) – to use Carlos Real de Azúa’s well-
known formula-, and which ultimately came to a head in the interruption of democratic
governance at the beginning of the 1930s.

Keywords:Public Policy, Cultural Institutions, Centennial Era, Intellectual History

The State and the Muses. Awards as a tool for promoting production
artistic: a small-scale model of cultural policies in Uruguay
1
between 1925 and 1930

Research on cultural policies in Uruguay2boarding sounds

relatively recent, and generally refer to the present in which they are constituted.
as an object of study in our country. While there are historical perspectives
decisive contributions3 to what cultural policies in a loose sense meant in the

1
This work is part of the research project "Cultural Policies in the First Three Decades"
of the twentieth century.” A draft of this article was presented at the Congress of the Uruguayan Association of
Political Science (Aucip) in 2012.
2
As an example, we mention some of the pioneering studies: Achugar, Hugo; Susana
Dominzain; Sandra Rapetti and Rosario Radakovich. Imaginaries and cultural consumption. First report
National report on consumption and cultural behavior Uruguay 2002 Montevideo, Trilce, FHCE, 2004;
Carriquiry, Andrea Survey of Cultural Infrastructure. Montevideo, Trilce / FHCE, 2004; Rapetti,
Sandra Passion for culture. Montevideo, Trilce /FHCE, 2001; Rama, Claudio and Gustavo Delgado The
State and culture in Uruguay. Analysis of the relationships between the State and private activity in the
production of cultural goods and services. Montevideo, University Culture Foundation, 1992;
Rama, Claudio, and Gustavo Delgado The cultural regulations of Uruguay. Legal, economic and
organizational culture (1940-1990). Montevideo, University Culture Foundation, 1992;
Stolovich, Luis et al. The work culture. Between creation and business. Economy and culture in the
Uruguay Montevideo, End of the century, 1997; Stolovich, Luis et al. Culture is capital. Between creation and
The business. Economy and culture in Uruguay. Montevideo, Fin de siglo, 2002.
3
As an example, we mention some of the works that paved the way for this perspective:
Achugar, Hugo and Gerardo Caetano (Eds.) Uruguayan Identity: Myth, Crisis or Affirmation?
Montevideo, Trilce Editions, 1992; Achugar, H and Gerardo Caetano (eds.), World, region, village.
Identities, cultural policies, and regional integration, Montevideo, Trilce, 1994. Achugar, Hugo
Basin of the jellyfish. Essays on identity, culture, and the end of the century in Uruguay. Trilce Editorial, 1992.
Torres, María Inés Does the nation have a woman's face? Women and nation in the learned imagery of the century
XIX. Montevideo, Arca Editions, 1995; Peluffo, G. (ed.) The Twenty; The Uruguayan Project. Art and
Design of an Imaginary 1916-1934. Montevideo, Municipal Museum of Fine Arts Juan Manuel Blanes,
1997; Alfaro, MilitaCarnaval. A social history of Montevideo from the perspective of the festival.
First part: The heroic Carnival (1800 - 1872) Montevideo, Ediciones Trilce, 1991; Alfaro, Milita
Carnival. A social history of Montevideo from the perspective of the festival. Second part: Carnival
Modernization. The Drive and Brake of Discipline (1873-1904) Montevideo, Ediciones Trilce, 1998;
Caetano, Gerardo (ed.) The Uruguayans of the Centennial. Nation, Citizenship, Religion, and Education (1910-

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Uruguayan Encounters Magazine
Volume VI, Number 1, December 2013, pp. 1-31

construction of national imaginaries, there are no systematic treatments of the

cultural policies as public policies aimed at culture4This
The work aims to contribute to the construction of a history of policies.
cultural in Uruguay, a field that is formed at the confluence, among others
disciplines, of political-cultural history, political science, and sociology of the
culture.

This article analyzes the process of creation and regulation of the awards.
incentive to the so-called 'artistic culture' in Uruguay during the period 1925 - 1930. The
the choice of this object of study is not casual. We believe that in the discussion about what
they are the artistic awards, why they should be awarded, with what criteria and what should it be
the role of the State in this process can be seen as a small-scale replica of the
debates surrounding the classic questions about cultural policies: why should the
Estado incentivar a las artes? ¿cuál es la mejor manera de hacerlo?, y las diversas
answers that were given to these questions in the Centennial decade.

The creation of the "Ministry of Public Instruction Award" in 1925

On August 12, 1925, the Uruguayan state created by decree, the award
Ministry of Public Instruction, with the aim of stimulating artistic production
national." The text states:

Attention: One of the most effective ways to stimulate production

Artistic is the act of awarding prizes to the works that have stood out the most for
his merits (...);

Considering: That this practice followed in all other countries is justified.

even more so in ours, where either due to lack of understanding or little interest in
particular individuals, artists are deprived of material support, which contributes
it discourages them and destroys their strongest and most determined efforts;

Considering: That it is no longer possible to modify this state of affairs, but rather
through a slow educational action and that the State must set an example (...);

The National Administration Council decrees:

Article 1.- A prize is established that will be called 'Ministry Prize'

Public Instruction” in order to stimulate national artistic production.

1930) Montevideo, Ediciones Taurus/Santillana, 2000; Cosse, Isabela and Vania Markarian "1975: Year of
Orientalism. Identity, memory, and history in a dictatorship"Montevideo, Trilce, 1996; Gioscia,
Laura Citizenship in Transit. Profiles for Debate. Montevideo, Banda Oriental - ICP, 2001;
Marchesi, Aldo El Uruguay inventado. Ediciones Trilce, Montevideo, 2001.
4
We believe that one of the factors that has contributed to the invisibility of cultural policies in the three
the first decades of the 20th century is the central importance of educational policies in this period, which
has prevented seeing the relative autonomy that the cultural artistic field had in relation to the field
educational. In other words, not all cultural policies, as we exemplified in this article, were
educational policies.

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It is important to pause over the statement that the award as a category is

one of the most effective ways to stimulate artistic creation. To be understood in
capability, this statement must be read in its historical context. To privilege the award
as a mechanism to incentivize artists, it should be seen in relation to their choice by
about other similar forms of stimulus for individual creation, such as, for example, the
commission, a typical form of state patronage from the late 19th century. In this sense, the
declaration that the prize for the contest (as will be established) is an effective form
privileged (as the text of the decree states) to encourage the artist, implies the
selection of a universalist cut mechanism in the relationship of the State with
the artists, to the detriment of particularistic forms of patronage typical of societies
more traditional. On the other hand, and secondly, in the context of the time, the
Discussion about what was the best way to incentivize artistic culture was open.
and it was fertile ground for debate. Throughout the first five years of that decade, the Assembly
The representative from Montevideo had been discussing projects that ranged from
proposals for the creation of cultural infrastructure (such as art galleries or theaters) to
creation of artistic education institutions, also including proposals for
award allocation5On the other hand, as we will see later, several
conspicuous intellectuals were against artistic awards, all the more so as
that was a controversy happening in centers like Europe or the United States and to
which Uruguay was not unfamiliar with.

It is interesting to pause at the argument put forth about why the State should
encouraging artistic production: the State must act, it is argued, because the sector
private ("individuals") does not do it, and this omission harms the artists:
it contributes to their discouragement and (...) destroys their most resolute and diligent efforts." It is
to say, the State must intervene to correct an asymmetry in the market that harms
a group of individuals, asymmetry that, however, is expected to disappear in the long term
deadline for the effects of education.6

The formulation of universalist cut that seems to imbue the declarative tone of
decree of resignation when we verify that the call to that which is
ambitiously presents itself as the “Public Instruction Award” is limited solely to
two artistic disciplines: painting and sculpture:

Considering: (...) that the State must set an example by providing them with the
annual exhibitions of sculpture and painting that have taken place for several years now
they have been successfully organizing, thanks to the isolated efforts of our
artists, the importance and the stimuli that those competitions should deserve,

(...) is created

a prize of seven hundred pesos for the artwork of painting or sculpture that,
according to the judgment of the special jury appointed by the Ministry of Public Instruction,

5
An article authored by me on this topic is undergoing arbitration: 'The projects of '
Promotion of artistic culture in the Representative Assembly of Montevideo (1920-1923): the debates in
"I return to the instruments of cultural policies."
6
A third argument put forward to establish the award is the need to bring the country in line with
all other countries In reality, in the regional context, only in Argentina were there awards
nationals since 1913, since in countries like Chile or Peru, for example, national awards are created
recently in the 1940s.

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has stood out in the annual exhibition called 'Spring Salon' that
organize the national painters or sculptors.

The delimitation of disciplines carried out by the decree is a clear reflection of the
hegemonic position occupied by the plastic arts (more specifically painting and
the sculpture, in that order) in the artistic field of the time. The reasons for this
districts are linked (although not limited) to the high degree of
institutionalization that the plastic arts had achieved at that moment, process in
which has a central role the Circle of Fine Arts7organizing institution, among
other events, of the 'Spring Salon' referred to in the decree8The Circle of
Fine Arts was established in 1905 by the initiative of a group of artists, collectors and
art lovers, and since its inception, had a clear and determined project in relation to
how to build a visual arts system in early 20th century Uruguay. It
he first dedicated himself to the artistic training of his students, both in the country (through
from the classes offered by their teachers), as well as abroad through a program of
scholarships. Likewise, it created key spaces for the dissemination of national art, such as the already
Spring Salon or exhibitions of national artists in Argentina, country
where our visual artists had found a successful model of
relationship of artists with the State represented in the Society of Stimulus to
the Fine Arts (SEBA)9. Other disciplines, such as music or literature, had
journey of disparate institutionalization processes, less homogeneous because they do not
are not planned due to lacking such an important degree of institutionalization, which
they turned them into actors with less capacity to influence the awarding of the
public resources. Certainly, the action of the Circle of Fine Arts was the factor
decisive in the creation of the Public Education Award in 1925, as can be inferred
not only of the decree but also of the vicissitudes of its implementation. In fact, it was not the
first time that the Circle influenced the allocation of public resources for the
development of plastic arts in the country. The action of the Circle had already been decisive
in the policy of artistic improvement scholarships that the State undertook in 1907 and
how much it will benefit the field of plastic arts in general and the students of the
particular institution10.

7
About the Circle of Fine Arts, cf. “Carlos María Herrera and the Circle of Fine Arts” in: Peluffo
Linari, [Link] de la pintura en el [Link] 1:El imaginario nacional-regional 1830-
1930. Montevideo, EBO, 1988. p. 58 and following.
8
The Spring Salon, started in 1922, 'had been created on the initiative of the sculptor (Luis) Falcini, and
its purpose was to submit the work of students and graduates (from the Circle of Fine Arts) to public knowledge
Arts), along with works of domestic utility, setting, and architecture projects, which annually
they were incorporated.
9
About the role of the SEBA in the constitution of the field of visual arts in Argentina at the end of the
19th century, cf. Laura Malosetti Costa The first moderns. Art and society in Buenos Aires at the end of
19th century. Buenos Aires, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2001.
10
The painter Domingo Bazzurro, first a student and later a teacher and director of the Circle,
he stated in an interview published in 1926: "Thanks to the efforts of the Circle of Fine Arts, we owe the
sanction of the law that created the six scholarships for artistic studies in Europe." (...) "In the first competition
To apply for those scholarships, three artists who were studying at that center succeeded: Máximo Sturla
(deceased in Paris), José Barbieri and José Belloni. In a second competition held shortly after for
to fill the vacancy left by the death of Máximo Sturla, Carmelo de Arzadum triumphed, who had
studied at our art institution. In the third competition, the four scholarships were won by
students of the Circle of Fine Arts: Humberto Causa, who passed away in 1924, Guillermo Laborde, José Luis
Zorrilla de San Martín and Federico Lanau. The year 1920 saw the organization of the fourth scholarship competition,
awarding the first prizes to Mr. Luis Scolpini, Mr. Ricardo Aguerre, Mr. Antonio Pena and
Severino Pose, all of them students of this center."La Cruz del Sur, N° 10, January 1926, pp 14-15. For his

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If the sole choice of painting and sculpture as the only disciplines

artistic individuals eligible to access the Ministry of Public Education Award
sufficient to reflect the centrality of the Círculo de Bellas Artes in the configuration of
artistic field of the mid-twenties, the steps that lead to the
regulations of the decree for the creation of the awards provide new elements. In
letter from October 9, 192511, the then Minister of Public Instruction, Carlos
Ma. Prando requests the Director of the Circle of Fine Arts, Pedro Blanes Viale,
information on the best way to regulate awards. In response to the letter,
On the 24th of the same month, the Circle responds by sending to the Ministry 'in the capacity of
informative" the Regulation of the 4th Spring Fair, with the clarification that "}
it is advisable that their provisions be taken into account by the jury.12The
regulation of the decree of October 31 of the same year takes into account the
suggestions from the Circle of Fine Arts regarding the integration of the Jury. The
it will be made up of two members appointed by the artists, two by the
Ministry of Public Instruction and one by the Circle of Fine Arts. The election of
the jury members representing the candidates took place at the venue of the
Circle; and two representatives of the institution were acting at the polling station.
Luis Falcini was elected as the representative of the artists in the Jury.
(Secretary of the Circle and creator of the Spring Hall) and Guillermo Rodríguez (vocal member)
of Circle). Alongside these two members for the contestants, Guillermo Laborde
acted as a delegate for the Circle (as established by the regulations of the decree)
and by the Ministry, Orestes Baroffio and Domingo Laporte were appointed at that time.
director of the National Museum of Fine Arts.

According to the ruling sent on November 20, the first prize was awarded to
to Domingo Bazzurro, founding member of the Circle who would be its director starting from
1926. The minutes record the distribution of votes: the winner received the votes from
three members of the Circle (Falcini, Rodríguez, and Laborde), while the
representantes del Ministerio (Laporte y Baroffio) votaron por el candidato perdidoso,
Gilberto Bellini, a young painter who had been a disciple of Bazzurro in the Circle13.

The "Prando Law": the awards for the best scientific, literary, and artistic works.
(1926-1929)

part, an article from the magazine La Pluma of 1930 on the occasion of another anniversary of the foundation of
Círculo de Bellas Artes refers to: 'The increasingly efficient influence that this center was exerting on the
artistic development of the youth interested the public authorities, granting it in 1912, a
grant that allowed him to expand his scope of action with those new resources. "25th anniversary of
Circle of Fine Arts. The Pen No. 16, October 1930, p 75.
11
Funds of the Ministry of Public Instruction. General Archive of the Nation. Folder No. 4788.
12
In addition to the text of the Salon Regulations, the letter includes some considerations or
suggestions: that the Jury should be made up of people 'competent in Art' (which places the
contest to collect the political interference); that of the two representatives for the candidates in the
one jury must be for the painters and another for the sculptors; and the record of the verdict must be public and
founded. It also requests clarification on whether the prize implies the acquisition of the piece; and requests that it
take precautions in case the prize has a permanent nature.
13
The second prize was unanimously awarded to a sculptor, Alberto Marino Gahn, who was the
Vocal seasoning of the Circle of Fine Arts.

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The decree and its regulation

As was to be expected, the limitation to two artistic disciplines would not take long to
to awaken complaints. Indeed, the following year (1926)14the range is notably expanded
of the artistic manifestations understood15The recital of the decree establishes
that the establishment of a privilege for artistic production with the exclusion of
all other intellectual manifestations go against the direction of culture and the
social purpose that should inspire it, one that looks with equal sympathy and places in identical
applies to all intellectual production, whatever form it takes or the level it is on
that it unfolds." And later it establishes:

be aware that the fate that has been given to the departure so far
reference in the protection of painter and sculptor artists exclusively,
it is not justified, for the same hardships are suffered by those who are dedicated to
the other manifestations of art or scientific studies, and the same
intellectuals need encouragement to intensify their efforts, numerous
they are stopped in their noblest efforts by general indifference
in the poor performance that their productions have.

Given, proceed, that the object of the State is to 'provide its protection to all the
intellectual workers equally,” the new distribution of funds is established.
artistic culture16.

It goes from two to twelve categories, which include both manifestations.

artistic (literature, music, painting, sculpture) as well as architectural, historical and
scientific. All categories have the same funding ($400), except for 'best
"architectural project" that receives symbolic distinctions (diploma and medal);
best popular music composition" which receives $100; and the "Alto Award
"Stimulus" for the best work of a scientific, historical, literary or artistic nature,
it has the largest allocation consisting of $1000. There is also a prize that consists of
the publication of two unpublished works, one in verse and the other in prose, to which it is destined in
total $700. In addition, Article 3 establishes the creation of an 'Honor Award.
Ministry of Public Instruction "to the acquisition of the best national work of art or
foreign acquired by individuals that will be exhibited in a special exhibition
organized by the referred Ministry”, a state mechanism to incentivize the private sector
to purchase cultural goods that will later be exhibited as a public service.

Table I: Distribution of Awards for Artistic Culture by category according to

resolution of February 4, 192617

14
Resolution of the National Administration Council of February 4, 1926. General Archive of the
Nation. Funds from the Ministry of Public Instruction.
15
At the same time, the budget allocated to this item increases significantly: from $700 to $5000.
16
In addition to the provisions contained in the regulation itself, a provision is added that
it establishes that the remaining money in the event of certain categories being declared deserted 'may be invested in
the acquisition of artworks or cultural promotion," something that becomes mandatory in the following
calls for proposals.
17
Own crafting table based on the information from the decree. The grouping of categories by
the discipline of the left column belongs to the author; the categories listed in the decree are
those that have letters from a) to k).

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Architecture Honors a) Author of the best project

architectural built during the
año: diploma de honor y medalla
gold
Sciences $400 b) Best scientific work
History $400 c) Best historical work
Literature $1200 d) Best literary work in
prosa:$400
Best literary work in verse:
$400
f) Mejor obra teatral: $400

Visual arts $800 g) Best painting: $400

h) Best sculpture work: $400
Music $500 Best musical composition
(orchestra, piano or singing): $400
j) Best musical composition of
popular character: $100
Ciencias/historia/literatura/arte $1000 k) 'High stimulus' award for the
best work of a scientific nature,
historical, literary or artistic
(painting, sculpture or music)
History/literature Publication of the best unpublished work
(una en verso y otra en prosa):
$700

TOTAL: $5000

Incentive for the acquisition of honorary Honorary Award 'Ministry of

plastic works by Public Instruction the a
particulars acquisition of the best work of art
national or foreign acquired by
particulars that will be exposed
publicly.

In the regulation of the decree, three months later18, the established

deadlines and conditions of submission and the integration of the jurors. In the case of the
literary, historical, and musical works, the juries were made up of two members
appointed by the Executive Power at the proposal of the Ministry of Public Instruction,
two chosen by the candidates, and one designated by 'the University or the institutes'
cultural aspects that are more related to the science or art developed by the works.
This last aspect is relevant because it implies a recognition by the State.
of the existence of artistic institutions that in some way are considered interlocutors
valid authorities to mediate and dialogue when establishing the rules of the game
in matters of cultural policies.

18
30 de abril de 1926.

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On the other hand, it is relevant to highlight a fact that should be read in relation to
protagonism of the Círculo de Bellas Artes and its Spring Salon in the decree of
1925: the State now creates the 'Autumn Salon', which, as Gabriel Peluffo points out,
intended to 'establish a counterpoint to the Spring Salon'19created by the Circle of
Fine Arts in 1922.

Under this decree, the first call is made for what was known as the
time known as 'Prando Law', in reference to Carlos María Prando20, who was Minister
of Public Instruction at the time of the approval of the decree.

The first call: the Jury and the decisions21

The results of the first call would be diverse and would lead to successive ones.
modifications. In the case of 'best scientific work', the diversity of the subject matter of the
participating works presented problems from the beginning at the time of selection of the
jury, which is why it was decided to divide the works into four sub-categories 22and form
four different jurors. As we pointed out, the regulation stated that for
the jurors would be summoned to 'the University or the cultural institutes that have more
relationship with the science or art developed by the works.” In the case of the category
"Scientific work" the call to the University seemed obvious, but the
the faculty's jurisdiction. Thus, for example, the Dean became aware of
the Faculty of Agronomy that the Ministry had addressed to the Faculty of
Engineering to request a scholar who could evaluate a geology work.
writes to the Ministry "allowing himself to remind" that one of its professors, lecturer

19
Peluffo Linari, Gabriel. History of painting in Uruguay. Volume 1: The national-regional imaginary
1830-1930. Montevideo, EBO, 1988. p 82
20
Carlos María Prando (1885-1950) Lawyer, university professor and Colorado Riverist politician. First
professor of Sociology at the Faculty of Law in 1914. In 1912, he engages in a debate with Emilio Frugoni in
back to the 8-hour law. Dean of the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences from 1934 to 1938. In
1925 suggests the creation of an Institute of culture with free chairs which has been taken as a
antecedent of the creation of the Faculty of Humanities (Cf. Mariana Monné 'The Journal of the
Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, 1947/1965. Notes on a project, available at
[Link] Prando was Minister
of Justice and Public Instruction between 1925 and 1927, and in that capacity participates in the tribute to the poet
Zorrilla de San Martín in Plaza Independencia in 1925. He was part of numerous artistic juries of
his time. In 1921, from the Floral Games of Paysandú, along with Horacio Maldonado, Gustavo Gallinal,
Juan Pedro Segundo and Ismael Cortinas. In 1922, along with Emilio Frugoni and Dardo Regules, from the jury
from the Student Center of Law contest for a work that would celebrate the arrival of spring,
a contest from which the Athenian Troupe will emerge. In 1928, he is part of the jury for the admission of theatrical works in
the House of Art, along with Juan Carlos Rodríguez Prous and Emilio Frugoni. Permanent collaborator of the
Pegaso magazine, with one of its directors, César Miranda, had a pistol duel. In 1927, he presides
The Association for the Promotion of Theater. Ildefonso Pereda Valdés remembers it for "its affected grooming"
in dressing”, frequenting the Irigoyen Cafe, “a gathering of intellectuals and politicians” located on May 25
between Ituzaingó and Juan Carlos Gómez (Ildefonso Pereda Valdés "Literary gatherings and clubs.")
Almanac del Bank of Insurance del State, available in
ttp://[Link]/almanaque/Almanaque%201974/pdf/0%20-%[Link] Alfredo R. Castellanos
states: "Possessor of a broad humanistic culture and an elegant oratorical style, he stood out as
speaker in our social and cultural media." (Castellanos, Alfredo. "Nomenclature of
Montevideo. Montevideo, Municipal Intendancy of Montevideo, 1977. p. 370
21
Funds of the Ministry of Public Instruction. General Archive of the Nation.
22
Medical-biological sciences; physical-mathematical sciences; law and social sciences; and sciences.
administrative and accounting.

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of Mineralogy and Geology 'is considered an authority in the field' and that
to recommend it is 'an act of justice and recognition towards the one who for twenty years
has taught this subject." In turn, although the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences
On January 28, 1927, I had responded to the Ministry's request with a list.
of the people he suggested to evaluate the works whose title had been presented to him, one
resolution of the National Administration Council of February 17 of the same year
proposes names appealing to the fact that said Faculty had not issued a statement. The
name of Carlos Vaz Ferreira, proposed by the Dean of Law Eugenio
Lagarmilla to integrate the Jury, ends up "lost" in the exchange of letters.

The delay in forming the Jury in this category concerned the

contestants, who chose to express their concerns to the Minister. "Until this
moment, I ignore the fate of my book. It would be something worthy of seeing that it was snubbed by one.
work that has already received opinions such as those of Ramón y Cajal and other illustrious figures
thinkers. Does the Jury consider itself incompetent to comment on it? It has
"declared deserted (sic) in said competition the scientific part?" wrote one of them.
Others believed it necessary to support their words to refer to the merit of their own.
(I believe) that the mentioned work, which is the result of ten years of perseverance
study, it is one of those that need and deserve the support of the authorities for being a work
completely selfless, dealing with a nearly unknown subject, on the sidelines of
the official studies." There were also those who proclaimed the achievements of their work of
other side of the Plata as a way to proclaim the evidence of the merits that it should
receive from this side of the river: "This work, unique in the country, for its nature and for its
undisputed utility, intended to provide knowledge of an administrative nature in
Livestock, the unique source of national wealth, has received awards in several
exhibitions and competitions held in Uruguay and Argentina.
the original).

If the selection of jurors was not easy in many cases, neither was it, and in
more occasions, the process of deliberation and awarding of the prizes. The
The category 'Best literary work in prose' raised doubts for the Jury 'about the criteria that
must preside over the election of the book to be awarded: should attention be paid to the excellences of the
style and language or one must speak about the best work without considering the achievements
in form and expression?” The difficulties, just like in the previous category, came from
that the works "belong to different and very diverse literary genres". The Minister
...in the opinion of the undersigned, if in the judgment of that jury it is not possible to discern the
award to the work that notably stands out from all the submissions to
contest (...) may propose to this Ministry the award of several prizes within
of the assigned amount.” The Jury takes by majority the possibility suggested by the
Minister of dividing the prize, and establishes four categories: novel, short story, critique and
chronicles and impressions. One of the Jury members, José Pereyra Rodríguez, whose
position was in the minority, firmly expressed against that option: “...the
the same scarcity of the prize does not allow for the possibility of thinking about its division. On the other hand
part, I believe that such awards are indivisible, and must be so for them to have all the
sought effectiveness.

A similar thing happens with the category 'Best Musical Composition,' whose Jury
establish in the minutes:

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It is also worth noting that, since the task of the Jury is to discern
a single award, specified only for the "best musical composition"
the procedure that should have been followed was to choose among the works
presented to the highest flying ones, resulting in consequence those that embrace
the symphonic genre, where the imposed development determines the entire
capability of the composer. If, on the other hand, another form had been the
contest, that is to say, if there had been several prizes, dedicating some to
symphonic works and others to works for piano, or for songs, or for choirs,
etc, separating each group, it would have been possible for some other composer to be
awarded, as there would have been the possibility that they were higher
number the contestants. This Jury believes, therefore, that it would be advisable, when it
I made a new call for entries regarding musical art,
specialize the genre of music to which the action of the jurors must be subject.

Different problems led to the award for "best musical composition of

"popular character" declared void, as it forced the Jury to decide what it was.
exactly a composition of a popular character. Two of the members of the Jury
they propose to declare the contest void for believing that none of the compositions
fulfilled the purpose pursued by this contest." A third person expressed "that of the
the submitted compositions must exclude the tangos Negro and the song, " and the
shimmyRed lips, pieces already out of use by our people, in view of their appearance and
slum origin and also due to lack of harmony in its entirety.” For its part,
Ramón Collazo, another member of the Jury, stated that of the few
compositions presented, the one that has reached the people the most due to its easy singing and
pleasant is the tango titled Negro by the author Adolfo A. Mondino, for which to her
he gave his vote. The fifth member, Mr. Roberto Fontaina, expresses that "by voting for the
tangoNegrolo makes it clear that of all the compositions presented, it is the one that
it fits more with the popular character of the contest and because it considers that within that
character is the best." In any case, it is worth noting that this category was the least
allocated amount: only $100, which even the popular tangoNegro couldn't reach.

Certainly, the star prize was the 'High Stimulus Award' as it involved
the highest remuneration: $1000, ten times more than "best popular composition" in a
context in which all other categories were allocated $400. From the point of
From the perspective of its regulation, this category had peculiarities, as it was the only one.
in which the different artistic disciplines were strictly going to compete against each other and
including scientific and humanistic manifestations: 'for the best work of a character
scientific, historical, literary or artistic (painting, sculpture or music)" established from the
decree. The procedure consisted of each of the juries of the competitions
specifically decided if there was any work that by its merits could aspire to the award
"High Stimulus", in which case they communicated it to the Ministry. In this first
call, were proposed by the corresponding Jurors "The island of the
Ceibos by Eduardo Fabini, and Native Poems by Fernán Silva Valdés. In turn, each
Juror elected a delegate for the Jury of this award. As a result, they were elected, by
music, Virgilio Scarabelli and for work in verse, Emilio Oribe. Just as it had already
happened with other jurors, the possibility of dividing the prize solomonically was going to
appear and he did, by proposal of Emilio Oribe, position to which Vicente Salaverri
opposed, citing, among other things, that the prize had been offered by that
amount, precisely to provoke a great effort" and also arguing that "a
It was called a contract, which had to be strictly respected." These were the

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positions argued in the first meeting of the Jury, to which he had not attended
Virgilio Scarabelli, whose position and reasoning were going to cause the motion to fail
conciliatory of Oribe and succeed not only in her motion to keep the prize indivisible,
if not awarding it to "The Island of the Ceibos", with an argument that combined what
the technician with the patriotic: Scarabelli, held the record "made a brief reference to
effort represented by the symphonic poem of Mr. Fabini, which he values as a
truly complete and not common work, being equally of a
very large instrumentation that has served to firmly establish the personality
by the author in the country and abroad. Mr. Scaravelli also stated that a poem
Symphonic not only demands great inspiration, but it is also necessary to possess a great
"technique". In this way, Eduardo Fabini was victoriously consecrated, an author not only
not from the award-winning "The Island of the Ceibos," but from popular melodies such as "Campo" and
the 'Hymn of the Colorado Party'.

Of the four sub-categories into which the award for 'best work' was divided
scientific,” two were declared void (“administrative sciences and accounting” and
"moral and political sciences"), for which the prize was shared between the two winners.
in the other two sub-categories. The Jury for the best painting work also decided
split the prize, but this time for not achieving unanimity: this is how the awarded amount
is divided into three, which leads one of the awardees, Petrona Viera, to send a
letter in which he rejects "that scrap of prize" consisting of $133.33. In
the category "Best Historical Work", an eminent Jury23declared a contest void
al que se había presentado un también eminente conjunto de estudiosos24The
argumentation to declare the category 'Best architectural project' deserted
simpler: since only one candidate has applied25, they could not declare that their
the project would be the best, since 'the letter and the spirit' of the decree appeals to 'the idea of
comparison" that can only arise "when there are more than one presented.

The first call: the position of intellectuals and cultural criticism

Despite the setbacks, the call and its results had a good
impact in the press of the time. The 'artistic awards' as distinctions not only
materials but fundamentally symbolic, were in tune with that 'environment
spiritual of the Nineties” to which Carlos Real de Azúa refers, who rejoiced in the
centenary feats, deeply connected with the Arielism that clearly permeated
our culture, with its preaching of the superiority of the spirit as a safeguard
of civilization against utilitarianism. All these elements had laid their
marking the common sense of political classes and the learned city.

In June 1927, the magazine La Cruz del Sur heads its issue 18 with a
editorial that, due to its importance, we take the liberty of transcribing extensively:

23
Eduardo Acevedo, Alberto Márquez, José Pedro Varela, Raúl Montero Bustamante, and Lorenzo
Barbagelata.
24
Setembrino Pereda, José Salgado, Mario Falcao Espalter, R. Llambías de Olivar, Roberto Abadie
Soriano, Enrique L. Cazes.
25
Architect Carlos Surraco presented with "a work finished in February of the current year and
located at 18 de Julio and Eduardo Acevedo Avenue. It is a work of extremely low cost,
less than twenty pesos per square meter of construction.

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For the first time in the history of our country, they have been distributed, officially,
awards for literary and artistic production, established by the Prando law of
very recent approval. (...) That the State recognizes the convenience of
stimulating intellectual production is, in our country, something extraordinary that
It can very well be the starting point of a change in attitude not only of the
State but also of the public that has so far demonstrated the most heroic
the irreducible indifference towards the work, so worthy in every sense, of
our writers, our artists, and our men of science.

However, the magazine makes its position clear, as we said, not very uncommon.
at the time, to reject awards as a suitable instrument to stimulate the
artistic production. The first argument had already been put forward by some of the
jurors, like Pereira Rodríguez: "Four hundred pesos is too insignificant"
allowing no one to dedicate themselves with the necessary concentration and tranquility to the
the creation of a work of art," says La Cruz del Sur. A second objection, is
refers to the composition of the jurors

(they are) often incompetent, although there is no need to talk about it yet
between us no 'bias' or dishonesty whatsoever, something evidently very
estimable but not enough. To pronounce any ruling, at the same
The competence of the Jury must be placed at a height equal to the rectitude of conduct.
For now, --as we mentioned earlier-- it would be advisable that in the
jurors that are constituted hereinafter do not appear as called
literature teachers, who are nothing more than teachers of
"literary history", something very different and in many aspects opposed or
contradictory26.

A third objection, also common at the time, referred to the conditions

for the application:

The title of the awards also needs to be modified because considering

that the author must present their work to aspire to them, remain in fact
those who do not show up are eliminated from the tournament, which can have more work
valuable and worthy of reward. If prizes are established for the 'best' of the
annual intellectual production must encompass everything produced and not
only what has been presented. In the way that this year the awards have been
due to being divided among a part of the production and consequently not
It can be said that it has been stimulated better than what has been published.

In this same sense, José Pereira Rodríguez had issued in his lengthy...
detailed letters with which I participated in the Jury as I could not attend in person to
the meetings of the Jury for being "in campaign": "What would be just is that the Jury
had the authority to pronounce on the entirety of national production of
year", for which he proposed that all authors who published in a given year
26
It would require further investigation to clarify whether the cause of the discomfort of La Cruz del Surradica lies in the ruling.
of the juries related to the literary categories, the hostility towards any of them in particular, or
to the fact that the institution called upon to suggest names for the Jury was the "Section of
Secondary and Preparatory Education." Given that, as the article itself refers to at the end of it,
Many of the magazine's contributors were awarded; it seems plausible that the objection has no.
what to see with the failures themselves, but with the procedures, such as the convened institution.

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the State their works 'or what would be a more effective though modest one
state protection: that the Ministry would acquire each work published in the country.
number of copies needed to facilitate the task of the Jurors.

Despite the criticism, the overall balance of the magazine is positive. The aspect that
the most notable aspect of the event is its contribution to attracting the public to literature and art.
general, and in this regard, contribute to the formation of an educated public:

Having made these reservations, what remains truly beneficial, in our opinion,
in this matter of awards for literary and artistic production: its
repercussions in a press that generally does not deal with such minutiae
to dedicate pages and more pages to the heroes of boxing, football or of the
aviation, and in an absolutely illiterate audience in matters of Art, already
sean literary, pictorial, sculptural or musical. We recognize in our
compatriots a clear and prompt intelligence hindered by an almost complete
lack of culture. These tournaments, with their announcements, their discussions, their verdicts,
they must inevitably reach to interest them and therefore to enlighten them. They do not
It aims for everyone to achieve a relative competence in one
very difficult science like that of giving an opinion without going too far off track about it
mérito de un cuadro, de un libro, o de una pieza de música. Pero en nuestro país
It is still completely missing, that selected and cultured group, more or less.
numerous, which constitutes in other parts the ideal audience for those who dedicate
his life to the highest, fruitful, and respectable of human activities: the
artistic creation.

The criticisms and complaints of La Cruz del Sur represented to a large extent
some positions of the intellectuals of the time regarding the awards. There were
other objections to this mechanism. Justino Zavala Muniz, who when declining his
appointment as a Jury this year "for principled reasons regarding my conduct
"personal," he points out in a letter to Minister Prando:

I believe that contests as they are organized, even with the best...
possible jury always gives arbitrary results in the field of Fine Arts.
In my personal case, I have my ideas clear and defined in aesthetic matters and
I am sure that I would judge according to them. Do I then have the right
to impose on anyone, in a matter of such delicacy as Literature, my
principles by any means other than spontaneous conviction? I don't think so.
In Art, and Dr. Prando, whose high spirit I warmly appreciate, knows it.
Better than me, there should be no other currency than Freedom, Freedom!

I also believe that the role of the novelist and that of the critic are, in some
opposing aspects (illegible), which is why I never conform to the function of
literary critic out of respect for the work of others and because of my aesthetic principles
I want to try them always in my works.

In the case of Zavala Muníz, the rejection of awards as an instrument is not

it implied the rejection of state support for artists. On the contrary, as added to the
end of the letter to the Minister, believes that other suitable instruments are available and announces the
next presentation to Parliament of a project, for which it rushes to try
commit the support of the Minister from now on.

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Another of the intellectuals who had resigned from the Jury, but in this case without
to present his arguments at the moment, it was Emilio Frugoni. However, in a text of
1929, he considered it necessary to clarify the reasons that had led him to that decision.27:

In that resignation, I was limited to expressing my decline of the position for not being
supporter of the State stimulating literary production with money in a
country like ours. So almost no one among the writers shared my
point of view on this matter.

The reasons that led Frugoni to oppose the awards did not come from
considerations of a normative type, but rather stem from a comprehensive conception (social,
política, económica) de lo que significan los premios “en un país como el nuestro” en la
the twenties. It recognizes that there is something that makes this mechanism 'sympathetic' and that
it has something to do with the fact that as a mechanism of symbolic distinction, the
the award tends to rectify an asymmetry suffered by those who are dedicated to the arts and lack
economic or social capital:

That is what made them likable, as it seemed they were destined to correct.
many injustices, allowing authors who lack resources,
to reach them through a cash prize, as well as for those who,
this lack and the absence of social or journalistic relationships do not achieve
to make oneself sufficiently known or not as much as others who are less gifted,
to impose oneself abruptly on the consideration of the people. There is the great argument
favorable in whose virtue it is intended to present the contests as an act of
official repair in favor of talented but unfortunate writers.

In reality, as it establishes throughout the article, your objection is not to

the awards in general, but specifically to literary awards. Do you agree with
the publication of unpublished works

because that, yes, is a way to counteract social injustice that in a

country where there are no editors for those who start even if they do
with talent (there are hardly any for established authors) condemns to
remain unpublished for those who cannot afford to pay for the edition. And
it is right for the State to provide writers with the opportunity to
to show oneself. But their action must stop there.

It also admits cash prizes for sculptors, painters, and to the

music composers "because they cultivate arts that require costly elements or
absorbing dedication, when not both things at once, as in the case of the
sculptors and painters, in addition to long learning with masters and sometimes travels to
study." And adds:

And no longer tolerant, but enthusiastic, I am regarding competitions for works

scientific and study (...) because that is indeed a production that must

27
Emilio Frugoni. "Literary contests" in Emilio Frugoni The American Sensibility. Montevideo,
Maximino García Publishing, 1929, pp 125-133.

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to be fostered, and those who dedicate themselves to it deserve and need incentives in
metallic, because here no one can profit from that production but rather
on the contrary, she usually prevents seeking profit in other activities, as she demands
consecration often at odds with the mercantilist practice of professions
remunerative.

From there, he strikes out against literary awards:

On the contrary, I abhor official contests to stimulate literature of

imagination - the verse, the story, the novel, the theater - with the people's money,
in a country where that literature flourishes with abundance and spontaneity
overwhelming, and where those who stand out in it rarely miss –or although
do not distinguish--the official support in the form of public jobs that leave
always 24 hours a day free to scribble notes.

Nobody, in order to write a book of verses, a play, a novel, needs

take special courses at expensive academies, nor engage in learning of
many hours daily, nor to immerse oneself in long isolations that distract from
paying tasks. Only literary professionals, those who make a living from
the pen, are forced to work only on it, but for those who
here they do not exist-- the competitions have not been held. (...) In our environment, --not
there are those who make a profession of literature to live off it--that
the encouragement to write well is inconceivable, because each person, since they do not do it
Out of necessity, he/she tries to write as best as he/she knows or can.

(...)

Why use public funds that are so necessary for that?

for the necessary things? It irritates to think that while life is hard and difficult
for men really useful whose fruitful effort in the field of
economic activities drive collective progress without translating
generally for those who realize it more than in a meager salary, the State
destine your money, obtained largely at the cost of that salary, to reward
small works done in the time slots left free by employment
bureaucratic without demands or the discursive laziness over coffee tables.

(...)

Let the list of the awarded authors in the two contests that have taken place be made, and it will be seen.
there is not one who is not a public employee. (Underlined ours)

As we see Frugoni's argumentation (by the way, not only political but
writer himself and recognized in his time), has to do with the circumstances
concrete aspects of 'a country like ours'. There are at least three interesting aspects to
highlight in this section. On one hand, the importance of bringing the question to the table
to what extent public jobs could often be disguised forms of
subsidy for writers by the State. On the other hand, the accusation against the culture of
public service as a culture of irresponsibility and 'laziness' that leaves
24 free hours 'to scribble on sheets' and there are no 'demands'; all these topics

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that Uruguayan literature itself would take care of illustrating as characteristic of 'a country
like ours.” The third aspect is the characterization of the writers as
unproductive, opposed to the 'truly useful men' who are dedicated to 'things
necessary." Finally, the confirmation that there were no professional writers in the
Uruguay of the time, but at the same time not considering this aspect as something
important or necessary, shows to what extent literature had not been legitimized
cabalmente as a professional field, unlike what used to happen, for different reasons
motifs, with other arts28. It is as if the symbolic prestige of the “literate city”
would conspire against the conception of writing as a trade or profession.

Another argument against the awards, derived from the previous one, is that
they contribute to increasing the number of written works, but not necessarily the quality:
Prizes only serve to promote the increase of production,
determining its greatest quantity and not its best quality” (...) “...good production is
scarce and the contests make the bad flourish abundantly, as they incite writing
books with a view to the immediate official prize.

Finally, Frugoni adds arguments that place the debate on the awards.
on the main stage outside the borders of Uruguay, adding elements that without
doubt they were in the environment at the time. It elaborates on the case of France where
The issue had come to be themed in a play by Edouard Bourdet.29.
It also mentions the case of American writer Upton Sinclair (just like
Frugoni, writer, politician, and socialist30, who rejected the award for best story
published in the United States because 'it does not want artistic values to result
taxes by a cabal of judges, but let them triumph in free competition before the
public discussions of criticism and the varied appreciation of readers. Finally,
develop an argument that, in this as in so many cases, was not lacking in the definition
about 'a country like ours': the comparison with Argentina:

There is already a formed opinion about the pernicious influence of awards in

all the countries that have existed for some time. In the Republic

28
Among the reasons for this phenomenon, we can highlight the fact that the forms of association
The classics of the writers that prevailed in the era had a low level of institutionalization.
(magazines, cafes, circles); and that literary practitioners found in journalism and the
teaching in ways that allowed them to make a living in "another" field. "Living from literature" in
Uruguay had rather meant 'to die with literature' for many members of the Generation
of the Nineties (let's think of the paradigmatic case of Herrera and Reissig), and the generation of
Centenario faced other strategies that were opening up at a different moment in the country.
29
Edouard Bourdet (1887-1945), French playwright and journalist, is one of the main contractors.
from the theater of the boulevard in the interwar period. In his work Just published (literally Has just appeared)
in the sense of It has just been published), which is mentioned by Frugoni, sharply criticizes the
contemporary writers portraying authors who choose the theme of their works for commercial reasons.
30
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) was an American writer, unsuccessful candidate for the governorship of
California by the Socialist Party in 1920 and 1922, who published his fiction The Jungle in 1906, product
from the undercover investigation conducted into the working conditions in the plants
of meat packing in Chicago. The work was a bestseller at the time of its publication.
Sinclair invested the US$30,000 he earned from the success of his book to found Helicon Hall, a
community based on the principles of utopian socialism made up of twelve families, that lasted four
months before being consumed in a fire. For many years, Sinclair lived obsessed trying to
to earn money with his literature to found a new community. He and his wife Mary Craig
They mortgaged their house in Pasadena to produce Long Live Mexico! by Sergei Eisenstein in 1930.

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Argentina, which we have imitated31, they only constitute a means of

distribute money among the writers, but not to administer justice and
to consecrate reputations. It is usually known in advance who
they will be the favored ones; and there have even been cases where it was known that it would be
awarded a book before it was released. (...) Nevertheless, the
Argentinian writers tend to be supporters of awards. It is explained.
With or without influence, the distribution of rewards is enough for
everyone or at least for many, and this is enough to create an expectation
which translates to favorable opinion.

The argument of "the bad Argentine experience" had been, as we said,

brought up prior to the discussion. Pereira Rodríguez had referred to
the high amounts of prizes in Argentina in relation to the meagerness of the prizes
In Uruguay, to support its position of not dividing the national awards: 'The
national award, which will be the only one awarded, loses significance reduced to
one hundred or one hundred and fifty pesos. Compared to prizes like the Argentine ones, of 30,000,
20,000 and 10,000, a prize of one hundred and fifty pesos will seem ridiculous.
The magazine La Cruz del Sur, in the aforementioned editorial, referred to the case.
Argentinian

Four hundred pesos is too insignificant of an allowance to motivate anyone.

to dedicate themselves with the appropriate focus and calmness to the realization of a
work of art. A greater amount would perhaps provoke, as it happens in Buenos
Air, rivalries and struggles of extraordinary violence that have nothing of
honorable for the intellectual class that appears in such cases as interested
only in the material benefit of their efforts.

The calls between 1927 and 1929

After the rulings were made public in mid-1927, and under the assertion
that the result of the first cycle of the respective contests advises to modify the
regulation" of the prizes, a resolution that same year establishes a series of
modifications32Firstly, the award categories have been modified, which now
they rise to sixteen. Some categories disappear, such as 'best project'
"architectural" and "best scientific work" (categories that for various reasons had)
result problems in the first call); and two new categories appear:
34
best folk work33and "best manifestation in decorative art"
that anyway had quite low assignments ($200 each). The literature
takes the first place both in the number of subcategories (here was gathered the
suggestion of the Jury of the first call) as in net amount allocated to the
prizes ($1,800 out of $5,000). Within literature, it is the novel that carries the most weight.

31
See footnote no. 6.
32
Resolution of the National Administration Council of August 18, 1927.
33
Article 7 of the decree stated: "The Folklore Award can be contested simultaneously by
authors of works included in other categories, except for those presented in section k) (unpublished).
34
The universe included in the category 'folk work' was diffuse, which made certain necessary.
precisions. For example, that the award could be contested simultaneously by works of the
literary, musical, historical, or plastic categories and that the jury would be formed in the way "that more
suitable for the nature of the presented works.

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relative. On the other hand, music acquires greater specificity as a category, also
taking into account the suggestion of the Jury of the first call. It thus moves on to three
categorías: “composición sinfónica instrumentada para orquesta” ($500); “composición
for piano, singing, etc. ($200); and 'popular music composition' ($100). The
the greater relative weight of the first category reflects the Jury's vision (which was evident
the hegemony of symphonic music in the era) confirmed by the fact that there was
it was a symphonic poem ('The Island of the Ceibos') the winner of the Alto Estímulo Award.
The low valuation for 'composition of popular character' was also maintained.
sus $100. The sculpture and the painting, which had been the first privileged in the
institution of the awards, now took a lesser place, with a first and
second prize totaling $500 per discipline, less than literature and even less than
the music. It is true that these were the only categories where the awarding was anticipated
a second and a third prize. There was a bet to maintain the category 'historical work'.
with the same funding, as well as the call for the publication of unpublished works.

Table II: Distribution of allocations for the Artistic Culture Awards according to
resolution of August 18, 192735

Music $800 a) Better symphonic composition orchestrated

for orchestra: $500
b) Best composition for piano, singing, etc: $200
c) Best musical composition of character
popular: $ 100
Literature $1800 d) Mejor novela: $500
e) Best collection of short stories or novellas:
$300
f) Best collection of essays, critiques, or chronicles:
$ 300
g) Best literary work in verse: $400
h) Best theatrical work in prose or verse: $300

Painting $500 i) Best painting of the year: $300; two paintings

that they follow him in merit: $200
Sculpture $500 Best sculpture work of the year: $300;
two jobs that follow in merit: $200
Decorative art $200 Best manifestation in the field of art
decorative
Folklore $200 Best folkloric work
History $400 m) Best work of historical character
Literature/history $600 n) Printing of the two best works (one in
prose and another in verse) by authors who have never been
edited books.
TOTAL: $5000

The following year, 192836on the occasion of the third call

(strictly speaking, the second of the 'Prando Law'), the decree from the year is expanded and modified.

35
Own cutting table based on the text of the resolution.
36
20 de noviembre de 1928.

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prior to the time it is increased by $500 the allocation dedicated to the prizes. Also
this year the categories are expanded to eighteen. The most significant change
the inclusion of three new categories is important: "best original work from schools"
industries or workshops”; “best manifestation in applied arts” and “best
"home arts manifestation." Excludes "best collection of essays, critiques or
"chronicles" and the historical category is redefined, which becomes "best work of history"
American national.

Table III: Distribution of allocations for the Artistic Culture Awards according to
Resolution of November 20, 192837

Music $800 Symphonic composition orchestrated for

orquesta: $500
Best composition for piano, singing, etc: $200
Best musical composition of a popular character:
$ 100
Literature $150 Mejor novela: $500
0 Best collection of short stories or novellas: 300
Best literary work in verse: $400
Best theatrical work in prose or verse: $300
Excludes 'Best Collection of Essays'
critiques or chronicles
Painting $500 Best painting of the year: $300
2nd and 3rd place: $200
Sculpture $500 Best sculpture work of the year: $ 300
2nd and 3rd place: 200
Decorative art $200 Better manifestation in the field of decorative art
Folklore $200 Best folk work
History $600 Best work of national or American history

Unpublished works by unpublished authors $600 Printing of the two best works (one in prose
and another in verse) by authors who have never
edited books.
Industrial art $300 Best original work from the schools
industries or workshops
Applied arts $200 Better manifestation in the field of arts
applied
Home Arts $100 Better manifestation of home arts

TOTAL: $5.500

From prizes to salaries: the decree of August 20, 1930

37
Own sewing table based on the text of the decree

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Uruguayan Encounters Magazine
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The process involved in the calls between 1926 and 1929 made visible the
existence of rules and actors in relation to the policies of artistic stimulation. Indeed,
once this process is completed, we have in sight, perhaps paradigmatically for the first time,
a map of the main actors in this public policy: the State through the
Ministry; the cultural institutions that the State regarded as valid interlocutors
legitimized in the field; artists as producers of cultural goods; the
experts (or actors recognized as holders of specific knowledge about the
matters of politics that were expressed in the public sphere through bodies of
media). In the relationship between these actors, a process can be seen.
negotiation and learning between the parties, for the design and implementation of a
public policy related to the arts. Undoubtedly, this public policy was influenced by
also through the political board, where the Ministers had a significant role
Public Instruction of the time: Carlos María Prando, Enrique Rodríguez Fabregat, and
Santín Carlos Rossi, figures with diverse personalities and belonging to different
ideological specters within the Colorado Party, but with significant proximity
with the artistic and cultural world of the time.

Observed the process from a distance, we can affirm that during the period
1925-1929, the confrontations surrounding the awards seemed to occur more among
different cultural institutions (through the shield of artistic disciplines) that
they competed for the resources of the State, between the State and the artists. For the
on the contrary, the episode regarding the creation of the Public Instruction Award in 1925 refers to
more to an 'excess of closeness' (in a 'commuting country') of the Ministry with an actor
institutional culture, which leads to a confrontation between the State and a private institution.
Conflicts tended to arise within the same discipline, between two actors.
institutional actors competing for representation to negotiate with the State. A
An example is the appointment of the Jurors in Painting and Sculpture starting in 1926,
when it starts to be called not only to the Círculo de Bellas Artes, but also to the
Teseo Group. Or when, the same year, symphonic music manages to prevail in the
category "musical composition" as the most sophisticated manifestation of music,
to the detriment of piano music or singing. Also, in the same vein, it
they produced greater disputes between the artistic disciplines among themselves, in the field of
battle for the High Stimulus Award. All these struggles for material resources and
symbolic, constitute the essence of politics, and are a small-scale replica of the
scenario of cultural policies.

However, the entire debate, even the one that arises from the 1925 award, is
crossed by certain basic assumptions shared between the political class, the State,
the artists and cultural institutions, about the value of art in itself, and how a
element indissolubly linked to education, sometimes as part of it
educational project, shaped by Batllism, but still shared by those who
opposed to Batllism. Culturally, those basic assumptions were still infused,
in part, because of what Real de Azúa called 'the spiritual atmosphere of
Nine hundred,” of which “the awards” were a relevant symbolic materialization whose
We are interested in stopping to analyze symbolism. From the point of view of ritual, everything
contributes to placing the awards in the realm of the 'traditional' society of that
environment. The award distinguishes an individual as primus inter pares, and enshrines that
symbolic recognition in a material form: diploma, medal, plaque or resources
economic. In turn, the awarding ceremony usually follows a certain protocol.
intended to create an atmosphere of ceremoniality (reproduced and amplified by the press)

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what it intends is for the event to be established as a fact outside the scope of the
daily life. Since ancient times, where in the Olympic games the athletes were
awarded with laurels (from where the terms laureate and laureated still exist) to the
Mayan festivals of the Río de la Plata in the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, the floral games or
Subsequent literary competitions, the awards have constituted powerful instruments.
symbolic consecration for a present, although that glory has not always persisted
for the future. It is true that when the prize, as in the analyzed cases, is awarded
through the competition, we already delve into the legal rationality of the
Estado moderno, pero las connotaciones simbólicas subsisten, máxime en el contexto de
the celebrations of the national Centennial, with which the award combines elements
residual and emerging from the symbolic point of view.

However, the decree signed by Alberto Demichelli as Minister of

Public Instruction on August 20, 1930 seems to change this perspective from the
which was addressing the issue of resource allocation to artists since the
August 1925 decree. The new decree establishes important modifications for
the use of the allocation of $20,000 assigned in the law of April 10, 1928 for Culture
Artistic. Let's start with the considerations:

Considering: That art, in its various manifestations, plays a

high social function, corresponding to the State the obligation to stimulate
its development, through processes that dignify or impersonate these
interventions of the Public Power;

That to proceed this way, it is necessary for the artist to be considered as a

worker in social function, the State limiting itself to creating incentives
economic factors that the producer of works of art does not find in our society.
Uniform artistic remuneration tends to ensure a vital salary.
minimum to live and produce, which will be delivered invariably to all the
Artists justify the production of a work of art during the year.
(Underlined our)

So far, we could reasonably accept that there are no substantive changes.

the artist's conception as a social worker was suggested in the previous decrees;
and from there, one can draw the conclusion that like any worker, it requires a
salary, in a conception perhaps immediately frameable within a filo-
socialist of batllism. That is to say, up to this point it could be a matter of emphasizing one of
the veins of the philosophy of the previous projects.

But the decree continues:

Considering: That this procedure for artistic remuneration

uniforms are more worthy than those used in competitions, as they are practiced.
currently. In the subject competitions, it is a matter of course
to award a first prize to the artist indicated by the Jury, whatever it may be
equivalence and even the equality of values among the contestants. Without
embargo, in art, the valuation of scale is not justified, nor the hierarchization
of artistic production, carried out through the State. The institution
of uniform artistic remuneration, will avoid artificial inflation of

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values, that all producers will be compensated with absolute equality

for their artistic work. (Underlined by us)

Here new elements already appear. The conception of the artist as a

wage worker leads to the rejection of the prize as an instrument, and thus it transitions from the
the award of remuneration. The assumption of the award as an instrument was that it served
as a stimulus for creation. Here, the goal is not to stimulate creation, but to consecrate the
the right of a worker through salary as an instrument: the aim is not to differentiate
without equal. In fact, there is a manifest rejection of anything that could mean a
distinction through comparison or contest. In the text transcribed above, there
rejects the hierarchy in the field of art for being considered a spurious mechanism
("an artificial inflation of values"). Or, as will be said later in the decree: "We do not..."
It will indeed try to choose the 'record' of the year in the various contests. The proposal
All artists should be considered equal because they should be regarded as such.
only as long as workers. The quality of their product must be irrelevant in the eyes
of the State.

From this premise, a change in the awarding procedure is derived

funds. One of the key aspects is the integration of the Jury. Firstly
place, the juries are eliminated by discipline, because the categories are eliminated
specific: the remuneration will be awarded "without the distribution having to
adjust to criteria of proportional division of remuneration regarding the
number of artistic disciplines." This is consistent with the elimination of all criteria
que lleve a algún tipo de diferenciación o distinción. Se pasa así a un solo Jurado para
judge all the artists:

Considering: That to ensure the impartiality and justice of the rulings, it is

the establishment of a large Jury, made up of eleven members is necessary
that proceed from the criteria of good and cultured men in the selection of the
true works of art. (...) for which it is necessary that it integrates with
people versed in all artistic disciplines.
(Underlined our)

The task of the Jury will be "simply to differentiate a work of art from
Another that is not. A normal selection criterion (sic) is sufficient to facilitate.
considerably the mission of the Jury." To ensure the exclusion of any criterion that
could be impregnated with spurious elements in what is understood is not a
competition but simply as the awarding of a right, is also eliminated
la deliberación previa del Jurado, y se pasa a un sistema de planchas de votación
secret, thus an electoral mechanism38it seems paradoxically to rise as
protection against political matters:

Considering: That in the case of a large Jury whose determinations

They should not generally be the result of debates, as happens in bodies.
common deliberators, but each member of it has already formed their judgment
definitive in almost all cases when the moment of
pronunciation of failures, the practice of prior deliberations is suppressed

38
It is even expected to be regulated by the Electoral Law.

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Uruguayan Encounters Magazine
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Argentina, which we have imitated31, they only constitute a means of

distribute money among the writers, but not to administer justice and
to consecrate reputations. It is usually known in advance who
they will be the favored ones; and there have even been cases where it was known that it would be
awarded a book before it was released. (...) Nevertheless, the
Argentinian writers tend to be supporters of awards. It is explained.
With or without influence, the distribution of rewards is enough for
everyone or at least for many, and this is enough to create an expectation
which translates to favorable opinion.

The argument of "the bad Argentine experience" had been, as we said,

brought up prior to the discussion. Pereira Rodríguez had referred to
the high amounts of prizes in Argentina in relation to the meagerness of the prizes
In Uruguay, to support its position of not dividing the national awards: 'The
national award, which will be the only one awarded, loses significance reduced to
one hundred or one hundred and fifty pesos. Compared to prizes like the Argentine ones, of 30,000,
20,000 and 10,000, a prize of one hundred and fifty pesos will seem ridiculous.
The magazine La Cruz del Sur, in the aforementioned editorial, referred to the case.
Argentinian

Four hundred pesos is too insignificant of an allowance to motivate anyone.

to dedicate themselves with the appropriate focus and calmness to the realization of a
work of art. A greater amount would perhaps provoke, as it happens in Buenos
Air, rivalries and struggles of extraordinary violence that have nothing of
honorable for the intellectual class that appears in such cases as interested
only in the material benefit of their efforts.

The calls between 1927 and 1929

After the rulings were made public in mid-1927, and under the assertion
that the result of the first cycle of the respective contests advises to modify the
regulation" of the prizes, a resolution that same year establishes a series of
modifications32Firstly, the award categories have been modified, which now
they rise to sixteen. Some categories disappear, such as 'best project'
"architectural" and "best scientific work" (categories that for various reasons had)
result problems in the first call); and two new categories appear:
34
best folk work33and "best manifestation in decorative art"
that anyway had quite low assignments ($200 each). The literature
takes the first place both in the number of subcategories (here was gathered the
suggestion of the Jury of the first call) as in net amount allocated to the
prizes ($1,800 out of $5,000). Within literature, it is the novel that carries the most weight.

31
See footnote no. 6.
32
Resolution of the National Administration Council of August 18, 1927.
33
Article 7 of the decree stated: "The Folklore Award can be contested simultaneously by
authors of works included in other categories, except for those presented in section k) (unpublished).
34
The universe included in the category 'folk work' was diffuse, which made certain necessary.
precisions. For example, that the award could be contested simultaneously by works of the
literary, musical, historical, or plastic categories and that the jury would be formed in the way "that more
suitable for the nature of the presented works.

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Under what ideological, historical, or political context should we interpret this decree?
Is it a total break with the past (with the philosophy that had encouraged the
previous decrees) and the establishment of a new ideological stance on what must
What is the relationship between the State and artists? Is it a break, that due to its
anti-republican character, populist and anti-intellectualist, which in some way prefigures
the times of "return to order" that were coming? Or on the contrary, does it represent
unify in abimedel egalitarianism and the Batllista statism taken to its extremes
consequences? Perhaps, as historian Gerardo Caetano suggests41, this decree
it should be read as a representation of the ideological void that characterizes this period of
transition, a moment when a project has run its course and it has not yet
generated alternative narratives that provoke consensus.

The first call for remuneration for artistic work

The first call had a notable reception: nearly 60 books were submitted.
as proof that its author was a worker in a social function and therefore
it deserved a payment; more than twenty plastic artists did the same.
Technical Music Commission, the only specialized one created by the decree42, remitió,
after a preliminary selection among 49 works, eight, to be submitted to
consideration of the Jury. The Jury, appointed by decree of the National Council of
Administration of September 10, 1930, was comprised of: Juan A. Scasso,
Vicente Pablo, Orestes Baroffio, Julio Vilamajó, Milo Beretta, César Miranda, Eduardo
Rodríguez Larreta, Carlos Quijano, Italo Perroti, Francisco Schinca, and Leopoldo Carlos
Agorio. César Miranda is elected by his peers as President; and Carlos Princivale is
appointed by the Ministry as Secretary.

Some problems arose, as was predictable, with aspects of the

implementation. Several authors sent letters complaining upon learning that the
The National Library had not sent its works. In the visual arts, not all artists
they had the means to make a public exhibition of their works43, requirement
to be considered for compensation. On the other hand, there were no resources such as
so that such a large Jury would move to the interior towns to see
exhibitions, which means that only publicly displayed works were considered and in
Montevideo. Perhaps as a perverse derivation of the emphasis that it was not about
premios sino de remuneraciones, los escritores que se postulaban a la categoría

41
We thank Gerardo Caetano for his valuable contributions to the interpretation of this decree and in the
general discussion of the article.
42
Article 5. The authors of the musical works must provide the Jury with the respective scores,
with a minimum of three copies, which will be deposited in the Secretary's office. These works, pending an assessment for their
admission, by a special technical Commission designated by the Jury, will be executed by the
Orchestra of the Official Radio Diffusion Service.
43
In a personal note, the letter sent by Gilberto Bellini, the painter, is particularly moving.
who had lost to Domingo Bazzurro the 'Public Instruction Award' in 1925, and would die
young, at 27 years old, in 1935: "The undersigned, awarded a painting scholarship in 1926 by the government of the
Republic, requests to be registered for Artistic Salaries, as well as to be taken into account for
everything related to the Chair of your subject whether in high schools, universities or schools
Industrialists, since upon returning from their four years of studies in Europe, required by the scholarship, he is found this
national painter without means of livelihood that are favorable to him. He invites the members of the Jury to the
exhibition of his works to be held at the Moretti and Catelli Galleries. Thanking you in advance, I
greet please, SSS Gilberto Bellini

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"unpublished" were to publish their book at their own expense, and then present the receipt of the
printing house or publisher so that they would be reimbursed for expenses. But not all authors
They had the means to do it, so several must have requested exceptions,
and wait for deliberations, in order to effectively carry out the intended publication
from the announcement and the sole test of their quality as workers in social function. In the
music genre, as a worker could submit several works at once, but the
The Technical Commission had to make a selection to determine which works would be.
executed, as foreseen by the decree, by the Sodre orchestra, was presented the
problem that some author, like in the case of Cluzeau Mortet, considered that the
the chosen work to be executed was not the best among its production. In other cases, the
those involved requested to conduct the orchestra that would perform their work, as a way of
guarantee your best product, a request that was agreed upon. The decree did not foresee that the
choral works could not be performed by the Sodre orchestra. They resorted to
(fortunately successfully) to one of the choral institutions funded by the
State, the Association "Guarda e passa", which successfully fulfilled the
request.

Four rounds of voting were held on the ballots provided by the

Ministry, that the Jurors should underline with pencil and that should be destroyed afterwards
of the scrutiny. A rigorous record was kept of the actions of the Jurors regarding their
attendance on the days and times scheduled for voting in a sealed envelope. In the first
voting, 16 remunerations were awarded by relative majority. To achieve a
relative majority for the other two salaries required two rounds
more. Of the members of the Jury, Carlos Quijano was the only one who never appeared or
to the meetings or to the votes.

In February 1932, both the number of artistic remunerations are reduced.

the amount granted to each of them: it goes from $15,120 distributed among 18
remunerations of $840 each, to $6,000 (almost a third) distributed in 12
remunerations of $500 pesos. This resolution from 1932 affects the remunerations
artistic ones of 1931. At the end of the same year, there are more changes that regulate the
salaries of 1932 and 1933. Salaries are to be granted in
monthly payments (16 subsidies of $50 per month over 12 months), and appear
the feared symbolic recognitions replacing the metallic: 16 gold medals
and honor diplomas. In terms of remuneration, this amounted to $9,600, slightly more
that the sum of the previous year, but less than that established in 1930.

In light of these derivations, it may not be so risky to read the decree of

1930 as a symptom of the looming republican crisis, or as a touch of
thanks to the declining 'spiritual environment of the 1900s'.

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31