Charlotte Partridge (November 24, 1882 – 1975) was an artist, arts educator, community organizer and the co-founder and co-director of the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1920 to 1954, with her life partner Miriam Frink. They were credited with having developed a nationally accredited art school, recognized for excellence. Partridge was also a State Chair (1933-1934) and Director (1935-1939) of Wisconsin's Works Projects Administration, and published a national survey of art institutions and contemporary art for the Federal Works Agency in 1940. Partridge received a number of awards recognizing her lifetime of contributions to "the cause of art".
Life and career
1882–1919: Early life and education
Partridge was born in Minneapolis, MN. in 1882 (although a passport issued later in life lists her birth year as 1886) to Frederick and Carrie Partridge. Partridge spent her childhood in Duluth, MN. She was enrolled in Dana Hall, a preparatory school in Massachusetts paid for by her mother's wealthy brother, and returned home after her father's death. Her mother, sister and brother relocated to Illinois where her mother later remarried. Partridge graduated from the Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1905 and taught second grade at the Whittier School in Oak Park, IL. In 1910, she enrolled in Emma Church's Chicago School of Applied and Normal Art (later renamed Church School of Art) and received her diploma in 1912 for a two-year course in normal art. Partridge taught at the Church School of Art one year after receiving her diploma and also taught at the Francis Parker School in Chicago and the Chicago Kindergarten College. During this time, Partridge also had a studio where she devoted herself to design work, freelanced as a commercial artist, and studied painting at the traditional Chicago Art Institute night school. In 1914 she joined the Fine Arts Department faculty at the Milwaukee Downer College and later became head of the Fine Arts Department where she initiated one of the first occupational therapy courses in the country, and remained on staff there through 1922. Partridge taught art as self-expression, a new concept in art education at the time. She also taught summers at Commonwealth School of Art and Industry in Boothbay Harbor, Maine until 1916 with her mentor and former teacher, Miss Emma M. Church. In 1915 Partridge met her life partner Miriam Frink who had returned to Downer College (where she held a degree) to teach freshman English.
1920–1954: Layton School of Art and Layton Art Gallery
In 1920 Partridge and Frink became co-directors of the newly founded Layton School of Art. The trustees of Milwaukee's Layton Art Gallery committed their gallery basement to the school that became incorporated as a non-profit institution of higher learning that year. The school opened in the fall with 26 students enrolled for day classes and another 60 for evening school; there were also free Saturday classes for children. The furniture and supplies came from Partridge's mentor Emma Church (of the Church School of Art), who had recently closed her school. (Partridge declined the offer to be named director, not wanting to relocate to Chicago.) For the first few years the co-directors both continued teaching at Downer College while sharing the administrative duties and educational responsibilities at Layton. Partridge taught art classes and oversaw faculty and community activities while Frink taught literature appreciation and oversaw business and student activities. The Layton School of Art was considered non-traditional in many way compared to other contemporary art schools. Partridge and Frink believed by including a diverse curriculum including literature, psychology, drama, poetry, and music the students would learn to appreciate art in a more holistic manner, with the end goal to train students to earn a living in industrial art, commercial art, interior decoration, costume design, illustration and "normal" art.
In 1921 Partridge joined the Layton Art Gallery board of trustees and served for 51 years, until 1973. In 1922 she was appointed director and curator of the Layton Art Gallery, a position she kept for 31 years, until 1953. During her tenure as director of the Layton Gallery she modernized the space, showing local artists and contemporary exhibitions including people such as Frank Lloyd Wright who had his first-ever controversial exhibition there in 1930. Miriam Frink is quoted saying "Charlotte was the first person to give real understanding and support to the painters of Wisconsin and give them a gallery where they could exhibit."