M. Louise Stowell

[1][2][3] Dow taught extensively on Japanese art and aesthetics, as well as watercolor painting; it is through his teachings that she found inspiration for her artistic style.

[1][2][3][6] Returning to Rochester, she held a studio space in the Powers Building with Ada Howe Kent.

Stowell and other local artists, including Harvey Ellis, founded the Rochester Arts and Crafts Society and held the position as their secretary.

[1][2][3] “Women in the nineteenth century often were taught fancy needlework and other home crafts as part of the preparation for the roles they were expected to assume as adults.

With the emergence of the Arts and Crafts movement, and its emphasis on handicrafts, women were provided an opportunity to exert an influence outside the home by participating in clubs, guilds, workshops, and exhibitions.