The first exhibition of the current season will be, “Painting in Oil and Water Color by a Group of Milwaukee Artists.”
Period of exhibition: November 7- December 4
The exhibition will be open to the public daily except Sunday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Saturdays 9:00A.M. to 12:00 M.
Thirty artists are represented in this exhibition. Of these, seventeen were born in Wisconsin and seventeen received their art education there. Some have exhibited nationally but the majority of them are known mainly through Wisconsin exhibits.
This exhibition gives an opportunity to the Chicago public to become acquainted with a group of artists who are working constantly and actively, who, almost without exception have a common background of profound study and independent work, who are so close to Chicago both in distance and point-of-view, yet are unfamiliar to the Chicago gallery visitors.
From the press release, Sunday, November 14, 1943:
The Renaissance Society of the University of Chicago presents as its opening exhibition Painting in Oil and Water Color by a Group of Milwaukee Artists. The exhibition will be open to the public November 7 to December 4. Goodspeed Hall, Room 108 1010 East 59th Street
This is the first comprehensive exhibition of Milwaukee art ever to have been held in Chicago. It was unusually well received on the opening day November 7, by a large and representative Chicago art audience who came despite rain and gas rationing. Mrs. Robert Mulliken, the Social Chairman designed the tea table and had as her assistants Mrs. Dallas Phemister, Mrs. Fay-Cooper Cole and Mrs. George Shambaugh, Jr. Others attending the opening were Mrs. John U. Nef, who, with Mr. Nef, is the owner of an outstanding collection of French paintings; Mr. Frederick Sweet, Assistant Curator of Painting and Sculpture of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Mrs. Sweet; and Mr. Cecil Smith who has recently been appointed Chairman of the Music Department of the University. Among the Chicago artists attending were Gertrude Ambercrombie, Gustaf Dalstrom. Francis Foy, Fred Biesel, Ethel Crouch Brown, Beatrice Levy and Laura Van Pappelendam.
The galleries of the Renaissance Society are located in the Department of Art of the University, of which Mr. Ulrich Middeldorf is Chairman. The exhibition includes the works of thirty artists and was assembled by the Society with the help of Miss Charlotte Partridge who offered the facilities of the Layton Art Gallery for the collection of pictures.
Biographies:
**Abstetar, Stanley F. ** Born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1916. Pupil: Carl Holty. Awards: 2nd prize, 1938; 3rd prize, 1939, Wis. State Fair. Exhibited: Wisconsin Art Salon, 1938, 1939; Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, 1938, 1939; WPA Exhibits. Represented: WPA Public Buildings, Wisconsin. This painting was allocated to the Layton Art Gallery the WPA.
Bakker, Gerhard H. Born in Solingen, Germany in 1906. Pupil of Kunstgewerde, Schule, Solingen; Boardman Robinson, Ward Lockwood, Layton School of Art, Broadmoor Art Academy. Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, Wisconsin Print Makers; Prairie Print Makers; Southern Print Makers Society. Awards: First prize, watercolor, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1932; first prize, annual exhibition Block prints, Wichita, Kansas, 1936, honorable mention, 1937; honorable mention, Denver Art Museum 1936; honorable mention, annual exhibition Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, Milwaukee, 1936. Represented by watercolor, Milwaukee Art Institute; wood cut, Wichita Art Museum, Wichita Kansas; ten woodcuts for US Government- about 800 prints under the Public Works of Art Project, 1934. Designer, Van Dyke Products Company, Milwaukee. Instructor, Layton School of Art.
Clemens, Paul Lewis Born in Superior, Wisconsin in 1911. Pupil of Oskar Hagen, University of Wisconsin (graduated); Art Institute of Chicago. Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors. Awards: First honorable mention, oil, Wisconsin Salon of Art, Madison, 1935, 1936; second honorable mention, watercolor, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1936, Milwaukee Journal Prize, 1937. Exhibited: Art Institute of Chicago; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo; Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC. Represented: US War Department; Milwaukee public schools; Milwaukee Art Institute; Butler Art Institute, Youngstown, Ohio. Also has exhibited at Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee.
Got his professional start on the Federal Art Project leading to his first New York Exhibition at the Walker Gallery.
Now living in Los Angeles, California and teaching at the Otis Institute.
Friedlander, Louise Graduate of Smith College. Has two officer sons overseas and has been studying at the Layton School of Art and painting during the last four years.
Groom, Emily Born in Wayland, Massachusetts in 1876. Pupil of the Art Institute of Chicago; School of Music of Fine Arts, Boston; Brangwyn in London. Member: Philadelphia Water Color Club; Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors; New York Water Color Club; National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors; American Water Color Society, New York. Awards: Gold medal, St. Paul Institute, 1917; honorable mention Milwaukee Art Institute, 1918, medal of honor, 1920, Fausett Prize, 1925, Bain prize, 1926; Wisconsin Art purchase prize 1928 and water color purchase prize, 1931; Shortridge prize, St. Louis, 1926. Work: Hillside-November, St. Paul Institute; Milwaukee Art Institute; Vanderpoel Art Association Collection, Chicago/ Instructor: Layton School of Art and Milwaukee-Downer College.
Grotenrath, Ruth Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1912. Pupil of Milwaukee State Teachers College (graduated). Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors. Awards: First prize, Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1935; Chicago Woman’s Aid prize, Chicago and vicinity Art, Art Institute of Chicago, 1937; Madison Art Association, purchase prize, Wisconsin Salon, 1937; Wisconsin Print-makers purchase prize, Wisconsin Art Institute, 1939. Exhibited: Golden Gate Exposition, 1939; 48 States Competition, 1939. Work: Murals, Milwaukee State Teachers College; Sleeping Girl, Milwaukee Art Institute, Mural, U.S.P.O., Hart, Michigan, Section of Fine Arts, Federal Works Agency. Wife of Schomer Lichtner.
** Friebert, Joseph** Born in Milwaukee in 1908. Graduate of Milwaukee State Teachers College. Exhibited: Chicago and vicinity exhibits, Layton Art Gallery, Madison, Buffalo, etc.
Works 16 hour stints as a pharmacist so that he can take every other day off to devote to his sculpture.
Harlos, Stella Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Graduate of the Layton School of Art and on the faculty. Taught at the Frances Parker School in California. Received several awards in painting and in sculpture. Exhibited frequently since 1925 here and other major shows. Painted in Mexico and Europe. Did a P.O. mural for Section of Fine Arts.
Miss Harlos is a creative teacher and worker in painting, designing, and ceramics.
Jansen, Richard Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1910. Studied to be a professional musician until a sudden whim sent him to the Layton School of Art (graduated). Exhibited: nationally since 1934.
Resettlement Administration sent him to Key West to paint there, also to paint the Dust Bowl. Reproduced in Fortune Magazine. Did several murals (P.O.) for Section of Fine Arts as a WPA artist contributed to that program poster designs, watercolors and murals.
Mr. Jansen is now a Technical Sergeant in the Army commissioned to do art recordings in the Near East.
Kotilainen, Hans Pvt F.C. (US Army) Born in Finland in 1913. Graduated from the Layton School of Art, Milwaukee. Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors; Milwaukee Print-makers. Exhibited: Wisconsin Salon of Art, Madison, 1938; International Watercolor Annual, Art Institute of Chicago, 1938; World’s Fair, New York, 1939. Represented: The Art Institute, Milwaukee. Had several one man shows at the Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee. Won first award in 1942 Wisconsin Painters Annual.
Krasnan, Anne Born in Milwaukee in 1909. Graduate of the Layton School of Art. Unusually gifted designer of toys, wallpapers, fabrics or paintings. Sensitive color, whimsical humor or pathos, each painting is a mood. She says, “When I paint a picture I find I must keep at it and complete it regardless of day or night passing, or else when I try later to finish the painting that first mood is gone and I so change the picture plan that I am dissatisfied with it and throw it away.” Exhibited frequently in Wisconsin and elsewhere. One man show of paintings and textiles at the Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee, in 1942.
Lee, Lowell Merritt Born in Oscoda, Michigan in 1905. Pupil of Cleveland School of Art; Western University graduate. Member: Cleveland Print-makers; Milwaukee Print-makers; Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors. Award: Honorable mention, Cleveland Museum of Art, 1934. Represented in Cleveland Museum of Art and Milwaukee Institute. Professor, Milwaukee State Teachers College
Lewandowski, Edmund Born in Milwaukee in 1914. Pupil of Layton School of Art. Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors; Polish Fine Arts Society; California Watercolor Society; Wisconsin Federation of Art. Awards: Honorable mention Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, 1935; first prize Polish arts exhibit, Milwaukee, 1936; Purchase prize, Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1938; Watercolor prize, Wisconsin State Fair, 1939; Winner, 48 States Competition, Mural. U.S.P.O., Hamilton, Illinois. Represented in Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee; government Collections, Warsow and Krakow, Poland. Articles in New York Times; New Republic; Nation; Chicago Tribune; Milwaukee Journal. Instructor, Forest Home Avenue Social Center. Assistant Supervisor, Federal Art Project, Wisconsin.
Now a Technical Sergeant in the Army doing art work. Is one of the Downtown Gallery, New York, group of painters.
Lichtner, Schomer Born in Peoria, Illinois in 1905. Studied at the Milwaukee State Teachers College, University of Wisconsin, Chicago Art Institute, Layton School or Art, Art Students’ League, National Academy of Design. Frequently exhibited in local and national shows. Was one of the artists on WPA who worked in graphics, watercolors, oils and murals for it. Aldo executed several murals in Post Offices for the Section of Fine Arts Federal Works Agency. His wife, Ruth Grotenrath, is also an artist.
Logan, Clarice George Born in New York in 1909. Graduate of Milwaukee State Teachers College. Winner of several state honors. Frequent exhibitor in major exhibits- had a joint exhibit with her husband Frederick Logan at the Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee.
Meredith, Dorothy Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1906. Pupil of Sinclair, Emily Groom, Charlotte R. Partridge, Nutting; Ryoho Senda, Tokyo, Japan; in Peiping, China. Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors; Wisconsin Art Federation; Wisconsin Designers Club (president); Walrus Club. Awards: First prize rhythmic landscape, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1927; first prize, Landscape, Wisconsin State Fair, 1929; award merit, Purchase prize, weavings, Annual C. Exhibition, Art Institute, Milwaukee, 1938. Work: Coasting, Lake Bluff School Shorewood, Wisconsin; public schools, and National Soldiers Home, Milwaukee. Lectures: “Mexico, It’s Arts and Crafts.” “The Orient, It’s Art and Life.” Teacher of art, Packham Jr. High School, Milwaukee.
Pauley, Floyd Born in Kansas in 1909. In 1931, penniless, with a burning interest in painting he appeared at the Layton School of Art. Here he remained for four years learning and painting. For his compositions he drew almost entirely on his memory of Kansas plains, people and suffering.
He began to make juried shows in 1933, was a prolific worker and painter until he died in 1935. His work has been shown in Wisconsin fairly often since then as he was a great influence here among the young artists.
Miller, Donna Born in Macon, Michigan in 1885. Pupil of Robert von Neumann; Emily Groom. Member: Milwaukee Printmakers; Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors. Awards: Purchase prize, Wisconsin Print Exhibit 1937. Represented: Prints, Wisconsin Art/ Calendar, 1937, 38; American Blockprint Calendar, 1939.
Potterveld, Burton Lee Born in Iowa. Graduate of the Layton School of Art. Exhibited Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors Annual show, Chicago Art Institute, Layton Art Gallery; Madison, Wisconsin.
Priebe, Karl Born in Milwaukee in 1914. Graduate of the Layton School of Art. Now Director of the Kalamazoo, Michigan Institute of Art. Exhibited in Perls Gallery. Milwaukee. Also exhibited at the Arts Club, frequently at the Chicago Art Institute and major exhibits in the country. Is a prolific painter, sensitive, with grace of line and color in the realm of fantasy sometimes sad, often slyly humorous, always charm.
Redell, Ray Born in Milwaukee in 1913. Graduate of the Layton School of Art. Earned his own way through high school and art school working for the Milwaukee Journal beginning as a newsboy. Exhibited frequently in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Did three murals (post offices for Section of Fine Arts) won several prizes. Married a classmate, has two children, paints when not making illustrations for national accounts.
Schaefer, Josephine Studied at the Chicago Art Institute, Layton School of Art. Exhibited in Chicago and vicinity- shows of 1935-39. One man show at Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee. Represented at various major shows in Wisconsin.
Schellin, Robert Born in Akron, Ohio in 1910. Graduate of Milwaukee State Teachers College. Exhibited frequently since 1936. Art teacher at Milwaukee Country Day School.
Sessler, Alfred A. Born in Milwaukee in 1909. Pupil of Layton School of Art; Milwaukee State Teachers College. Member: Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors; Milwaukee Print-makers; Wisconsin Art Federation. Awards: First prize, black and white, Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, 1935; first prize, graphics, Wisconsin Salon of Art, 1934, first prize, meritorious work, 1935, honorable mention, oil painting, 1935, 1936; purchase prize, lithograph, Milwaukee Art School award, Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors Annual, 1938; Art Institute Milwaukee; first prize Wisconsin State Fair, 1938. Exhibited: 48 States Competition, 1939. Represented in University of Wisconsin, Madison; Milwaukee Art Institute. On WPA, contributed fine drawings, paintings, and murals.
Sinclair, Gerrit Born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1890. Pupil of Art Institute of Chicago. Member: Wisconsin Printmakers. Awards: Medal, 1921-1928, landscape prize, 1924, figure prize, 1926, Milwaukee Journal Purchase prize, 1929, Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors; purchase prize, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1939. Work: Murals— Christ Before Temple, St. James Church, painting, County Court House, Milwaukee; La Salle and Tonty, Sherman Park, Chicago; murals in schools, Walsworth, Shorewood and Port Washington, Wisconsin: US Post Office, Wausau, Wisconsin; Section of Fine Arts Federal Works Agency; painting, Milwaukee Art Institute. Instructor, Drawing and Painting. Layton Art School, Milwaukee.
Thwaites, Charles Studied at the University of Wisconsin, Layton School of Art. Awards: Prize for oils Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, 1933, purchase prize, 1936; winner 48 States Competition, US Post Offices Chilton, Wisconsin. Represented: US Post Office, Greenville, Michigan, Section of Fine Arts, Federal Works Agency. Represented in frequent exhibits, Layton Art Gallery, and major shows in Chicago, Carnegie, Corcoran. His wife is also a graduate of Layton School of Art and a painter and she is his favorite model. She is Antoinette Gruppe Thwaites.
Tillotson, Alexander Born in Waupun, Wisconsin in 1897. Pupil of Maurice Sterne, Max Weber, Kenneth Hayes Miller. Member: Wisconsin Art Federation. Awards: Gold medal, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1926, honorable mention, oil, 1935. Lectures, “Art Philosophy,” “Art Appreciation.” Director of Art Department at Rufus King High School. Head of children’s classes at Layton School of Art. Frequent exhibitor in national shows.
Zingale, Santos Born in Milwaukee in 1908. Graduate of Milwaukee State Teachers College. Won several prizes in water color and oil, and exhibited frequently in Wisconsin shows. Did mural for Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for Section of Fine Arts Federal Works Agency. Also represented on several murals and paintings under the Federal Art Project where he made an excellent record for the WPA.
