The Texas School of Fine Arts, in Austin, was established as a private fine-arts school in 1930 with accreditation from the State Department of Education. Anita Storrs Gaedcke and Miriam Gordon Landrum shared responsibilities for the school's direction until 1942, when Landrum became the sole owner and director. The institution offered both preparatory and college courses in music, speech and drama, and art. Certificates of achievement were completed through private lessons; there was no age limit. Enrollment during the 1965–66 term was 170 students, taught by eight teachers. The school offered two six-week summer terms in addition to the long session. It was a charter member of the Texas Association of Music Schools. The school was incorporated on May 20, 1968. By 1973 the speech, music, and drama courses had been dropped, but art instruction continued on an individual basis, and an art gallery had been added. The director was Charles Berkeley Normann, who also served as president and treasurer. Mrs. Eva Huesser joined Normann in partnership in May 1972, as vice president and corporation secretary. Both Normann and Huesser taught full-time, and a part-time instructor was also engaged. By 1973 the school had adopted a minimum age limit of twelve years; at that time the enrollment was about 120. The school had been located at three different places before its final move to West 11th Street in 1969. The Texas School of Fine Arts was dissolved voluntarily on August 6, 1973.
TSHA is a proud affiliate of University of Texas at AustinAustin American-Statesman, January 29, 1972. Mint O. James Reed, Music in Austin, 1900–1956 (Austin: Von Boeckmann-Jones, 1957).
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Anonymous, “Texas School of Fine Arts,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed September 06, 2024, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-school-of-fine-arts.
Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Original Publication Date: 1976 Most Recent Revision Date: July 1, 1995This entry belongs to the following special projects: