Louise Norton
| Louise Norton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Louise Norton June 19, 1888 Kansas City, Missouri |
| Died |
September 6, 1941 (aged 53) Tucson, Arizona |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Missouri and Kansas City Art Institute |
| Known for |
Art Painting |
| Movement | Desert Landscapes |
Louise Norton (June 19, 1888 – September 6, 1941) was a Kansas City born American artist who was a founding member of the arts colony in Tucson, Arizona in the early part of the twentieth century. She was a pioneering female painter who helped shape the culture of Arizona and the Southwest.
Life and Art
Norton was born on June 19, 1888 in Kansas City, Missouri to Ruth Moore and John W. Norton. Her family moved a ranch five miles outside of Prescott, Arizona when she was four years old. She attended Prescott High School and graduated with honors from the University of Missouri. She then attended the Kansas City Art Institute.[1]
She traveled abroad throughout Europe and Tahiti to paint. She was lauded for her portraits and still life paintings.[1]
During WWI she was in government service in Washington D.C.
Norton was one of the original four members of the Pallet and Brush, the original art colony of the southwestern city Tucson. She also served on the first board of directors of the Tucson Fine Arts Association which would ultimately become the Tucson Museum of Art. Her paintings were exhibited at the New Mexico Museum of Fine Art at Santa Fe, in Kansas City, New York, Washington and throughout Arizona.
Works Progress Administration (WPA)
She was responsible for setting up and organizing women’s work projects under the WPA in Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pima and Pinal counties. After five and a half years, her title for the WPA was Area Supervisor for Community Service.[2]
Death
After a multi-month illness Norton died on September 6, 1941 at her home in Tucson, Arizona located at 346 East Speedway Boulevard in the West University Historic District.[2]
Legacy
Her work is in the permanent collection of the National Gallery in Washington D.C. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and the Altrusa Club. And in 1930 she was awarded first prize in painting from the Northern Arizona Museum.[3]
Notes
References
- Tucson Daily Star, Pioneer Artist Dies in Tucson, September 7, 1941
- Tucson Daily Citizen, Louise Norton, Noted Artist Dies at Home, September 6, 1941
- Tucson Daily Star, Tucson Woman Awarded Prize, July 23, 1930
- Tucson Daily Citizen, Miss Norton Reviews Brandiff Pictures, November 15, 1930