Creative Expression

Margaret Anderson and The Little Review: Margaret Anderson was a writer and co-editior of the influential literary journal The Little Review. Published from 1914 to 1929, The Little Review was a direct predecessor to the independent publications eventually published by the Beats and the New York School poets in the 1950s and 1960s. The journal published art and writing by cutting edge artists such as Man Ray and James Joyce. When it published segments Joyce's Ulysses, The Little Review courted controversy and issues of the Little Review were seized and burned by the postal service.

Milwaukee Repertory Theatre: Founded in 1953, the theatre began by performing Broadway hits. Within the period of twenty years, the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre grew from a community theater with a primarily local orientation into a professional repertory company with a national reputation. Many aspects of theatre history, from the evolution of set style, play writing and ensemble acting, are reflected in the history of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.

Charlotte Russell Partridge and the Layton School of Art: The story of the Layton School of Art and its founder provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of art and art education in the twentieth century. The school was regarded as one of the top five art schools in the country and enjoyed a historical reputation for innovative methods in art education. Charlotte Partridge was a leading force not only in the art world of Milwaukee, but also on the national scene where she helped lay the basic principles of the Federal Arts projects that gave financial support and creative impetus to America's unemployed artists during the Depression.

The Kingston Trio: Beginning in the spring of 1957, the Kingston Trio launched a career in popular music that would top the charts for over the next several years with dozens of top selling records and number one hits. Their major hits, "Tom Dooley," "Tijuana Jail," "Scotch and Soda," "MTA," and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" made them a major influential force in the American music scene by bringing folk music to the forefront of popular music.