Faythe Levine

Charlotte Partridge and Miriam Frink

2017 - ongoing

 

I first really learned about Charlotte Partridge (1882-1975) and Miriam Frink (1892-1978) in 2017 while doing peripheral research for a reginal exhibition I was assisting with. I was intrigued by their combined roles as founders and co-directors of the Layton School of Art, involvment with the Wisconsin WPA, numerous community groups, and their domestic relationship of over 50-years. Their history is a mostly untold story with Wisconsin milestones and many contradictions. 

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In order to further establish their undervalued roles, I spent time with their papers housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries’ Archives Department and created timeline of their combined lives to better understand the impact they had on the Milwaukee landscape. Using that information, I began updating Partridge’s existing Wikipedia page to encompass a wider scope of her work in order to make it more visible and will be establishing a page for Miriam next. 

 

In 2022, I revisited the archive and spent a week specifically focusing on personal photographs and correspondence between Miriam to Charlotte. The resulting material will be published by OK Stamp Press in 2024 with a related exhibition at Layton Sculpture Garden in 2025.