Edith L. King

[2] Here she studied under Maurice Prendergast, who was an esteemed Post-Impressionist American painter who worked with the painting mediums of monotype, oil, and watercolor.

The historical Armory Show of 1913 was one of the first American exhibitions to showcase a form of art that had yet to reach the United States.

There were nearly 300 artists on display at the Armory Show and among these painters were other modern powerhouses like Vincent Van Gogh, Oscar-Claude Monet, and Theodore Robinson, amongst others.

After only a mere matter of weeks Edith was able to sell every piece she had on display and firmly cemented herself as one of the most important women at the Armory Show.

Following the Armory Show King was invited in early 1915 to showcase her paintings at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) in San Francisco.

[2] The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was the World's Fair that was held in San Francisco, California during the time span of February 20 to December 4, 1915.

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was held in order to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was also used to showcase the recovery of San Francisco from the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire which destroyed a large portion of the city.

After several years of failed attempts to reestablish herself in the mainstream art world King began to shift her professional work focus.

This endeavor was incredibly fruitful for both Coit and King and they were able to put together enough money to found the King-Coit Children's Theatre and School.

[4] Edith Lawrence King and Dorothy Coit founded the King-Coit School and Children's Theater in 1923, which continued to operate until 1959.

People like Anne Baxter, Madeleine L’Engle, and Lee Ramick, alongside others, are some of the most notable students to attend the King-Coit Children's Theatre and School.

The lack of ticket sales due to capacity limitations, the length of time it took to put on each play due to the unique pre-production phase, and the limited number of students meant that the school relied heavily on private donations and grants in order to continue its operations.

Following her retirement Dorothy Coit refused to continue the King-Coit Children's Theatre and School without her longtime friend and business partner.

Even while teaching, however, she never lost her passion for art and for this reason we have dozens of paintings and photographs that survive to this day in museums all around the nation.

King, alongside her contemporary female artists, helped break down barriers all throughout the art world and her legacy lives on through those she taught and through her works.