Layton School of Art
Encyclopedia
The Layton School of Art was a third level institute based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. It was established by Charlotte Partridge
and Miriam Frink in 1920 and closed as a result of financial insolvency in 1974. At its closure, the school was regarded as one of the top five art schools in the United States
and enjoyed a historical reputation for innovative methods in art education. Viewed by some as one of the most progressive art schools in the country, Layton made design the core of its curriculum and pioneered several movements now considered standard practice in art education. It was the first professional art school to require a year of foundation courses prior to specialization. One of these foundation courses was appreciation of literature, thereby exposing students to different means of artistic expression. It abolished an old taboo by conducting its life drawing (nude) classes with male and female students together. Courses were arranged to allow students exposure to the methods and viewpoints of different instructors.
Over the years, Layton students included:
Ann Elizabeth Bradley
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. It was established by Charlotte Partridge
Charlotte Partridge
Charlotte Partridge and her life partner Miriam Frink founded the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1920. The two women worked for over 30 years to build the Layton School, which started in the basement of the Frederick Layton Gallery and later moved to a building on Milwaukee's east...
and Miriam Frink in 1920 and closed as a result of financial insolvency in 1974. At its closure, the school was regarded as one of the top five art schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and enjoyed a historical reputation for innovative methods in art education. Viewed by some as one of the most progressive art schools in the country, Layton made design the core of its curriculum and pioneered several movements now considered standard practice in art education. It was the first professional art school to require a year of foundation courses prior to specialization. One of these foundation courses was appreciation of literature, thereby exposing students to different means of artistic expression. It abolished an old taboo by conducting its life drawing (nude) classes with male and female students together. Courses were arranged to allow students exposure to the methods and viewpoints of different instructors.
Notable members
Over the years, Layton faculty included:- Knute HeldnerKnute Heldner-Biography:Knute August Heldner was born in Sweden. He lived in the village Vederslöv, Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Småland, Sweden. His early formal training was at Karlskrona Technical School and the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm. He migrated to America around 1902. He lived...
- William OwenWilliam OwenSir William Francis Langer Owen, KBE, PC , Australian judge, was a Justice of the High Court of Australia....
- Karl PriebeKarl PriebeKarl J. Priebe was an American painter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin whose studies and paintings of birds, exotic animals, and African-American culture won him international recognition.- Biography :...
- Walter ShefferWalter ShefferWalter S. Sheffer was an American photographer and teacher, born in Youngsville, Pennsylvania. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1945 to work at the studio of John Platz, Milwaukee's main society photographer. When Platz retired, Sheffer inherited his clientele and was able to establish his own...
- [Myron Kozman]
Over the years, Layton students included:
- Larry ClarkLarry ClarkLawrence Donald "Larry" Clark is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for the movie Kids and his photography book Tulsa...
- Lois EhlertLois EhlertLois Ehlert is an author and illustrator of children's books, most having to do with nature. Ehlert won the Caldecott Honor for Color Zoo . She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.-Background:...
- Roy StaabRoy StaabRoy Frank Staab was born in Milwaukee on September 9, 1941, the son of Roy William Staab, an artist, painter, and advertising designer. Staab studied painting and graphics at the Layton School of Art and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In the 1970s, he lived and traveled in Europe, based in...
- David Dozier
Ann Elizabeth Bradley