Gladys Ferree Stilwell

Gladys Ferree Stilwell was an artist, author, and inventor. She developed new tools and processes for elementary school art education while actively practicing as an artist, using a range of media to capture life around her.

Gladys Louise Ferree Stilwell was born on October 10, 1910 in Clay County, Kansas. She graduated from Emporia High School in 1929, then attended business college and worked as a legal secretary in Topeka, Kansas during the early 1930s. Then, from 1935-1939 she attended the Kansas City Art Institute, majoring in interior design. Stilwell studied with faculty including P.C. Beam, Ethel B. Guy, Joe D. Murphy, and Thomas Hart Benton, for whom she worked as a studio assistant when she was a student. In 1935, she married Wilber Moore Stilwell, an artist from Emporia. In 1940, she won an award at the Kansas Free Fair in Topeka for her watercolor painting. She later attended art and education classes at the University of Iowa, where she learned stone lithography from artist Emil Ganso.

In 1941, Gladys Ferree Stilwell moved to Vermillion, South Dakota where Wilber Stilwell was hired at the University of South Dakota. Both Stilwells went on to devote themselves to enriching the local arts community and creating new opportunities for young artists.

Gladys and Wilber Stilwell collaboratively wrote about art education and published many articles outlining their ideas. They invented new craft methods for children, including techniques called blottergraphs, transwax, and mobile printing. They patented a design for some of the first child-safety scissors in 1952. Gladys Ferree Stilwell sketched ideas for many innovative household items and craft tools.

The couple received awards from the American Artists Professional League for books they jointly published documenting South Dakota's annual celebration of American Art Week in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965. In recognition for her contributions to the worlds of art and education, Gladys Stilwell was listed continuously in Who's Who of American Women between 1959 and 1971.

After Wilber Stilwell's death in 1974, Gladys Stilwell organized The Stilwell Annual Student Awards Exhibition at the University of South Dakota, a competition highlighting the work of young artists. The exhibition is still held today, and the Gladys Stilwell Freshman/Sophomore Award is given to a student each year. Gladys Stilwell lived in Kansas City to care for her mother from 1974-1988, then later moved to Ionia, Michigan. Gladys Ferree Stilwell died on October 21, 2003, leaving behind a rich legacy of creativity and collaboration.