Layton School of Art

The Layton School of Art was a post-secondary school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Originally affiliated with the Layton Art Gallery, it was established by Charlotte Partridge and Miriam Frink in September 1920[1] in the basement of the Layton Art Gallery. It closed as a result of financial insolvency in 1974.[2] 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.

A new campus was constructed on the east side of Milwaukee in 1951 at 1362 North Prospect Avenue. This building was razed as part of the construction Park East Freeway in 1970 and the school then moved to a new location at 4650 North Port Washington Road.[3]

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.