Norton Museum of Art

05/16/2025

We wanted to look closer at "Suspended Column Melting" by Toshio Odate as we celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. ❤️

This sculpture is made to be an optical illusion — as the wood section appears to "melt," we imagine it being suspended from the aluminum section. However, the wood column is actually supporting the aluminum.

Odate is a Japanese-born American artist, and his art is deeply rooted in his cultural heritage. Trained in cabinet making in Japan, he later expanded his practice with works like this one. It pushes the boundaries of traditional woodworking, transforming the wood into a gently fluid and organic form that contradicts what we know about gravity.

As we explore the duality of this work, we invite you to celebrate the ways in which artistry connects us across humanity. And, of course, we'll invite you to come see Toshio Odate's "Suspended Column Melting" during your next visit to the Norton!

Toshio Odate (American, born Japan, 1930), "Suspended Column Melting," 1976, Wood and aluminum, 84 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (215.3 x 24.1 x 24.1 cm), Purchase, R. H. Norton Trust, 77.10

05/14/2025

Join us for our final concert of the season! 🎶

The Angel and The Devil: Music of the French Baroque explores music that likely would have inspired Old Master painters. It will celebrate the music of Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray, composers known as masters of the viola da gamba.

Mik Groninger will play the viola da gamba, an ancient instrument which originated in 15th-century Spain and is of a distinctly different family than the violin. He'll be joined by Michael Leopold on the archlute.

You'll definitely love this concert that will transport you back to the era of kings and queens in the French Baroque. Purchase your tickets now!

🎶 The Angel and The Devil: Music of the French Baroque
🗓️ Sunday, May 18 from 3 – 4:30 pm
📍 Norton Museum of Art, Stiller Family Foundation Auditorium
🎟️ Cost: $35 General Admission / $15 Members
💻 Space is limited; online registration required. Walk-ins welcome if tickets remain on the day of the program.

05/12/2025

International Museum Day is this coming Sunday, and we are celebrating with FREE admission all day long! We'll see you here on May 18 🖼️🎉

🖼️ International Museum Day
🗓️ Sunday, May 18 from 11 am – 5 pm
📍 Norton Museum of Art
🎟️ FREE Museum Admission for all

Featured artwork: Rob Wynne (American, born 1950), "I Remember Ceramic Castles, Mermaids & Japanese Bridges," 2010 – 2018, Poured and mirrored glass, Dimensions variable, Purchase, R. H. Norton Trust, 2019.250

05/11/2025

As we celebrate Mother's Day, we were inspired by a mother-daughter duo who both have work on display at the Norton! ❤️

You can see Rose B. Simpson's "Vital Organ: Gut" on display across from three masks made by her mother, Roxanne Swentzell. Both women are talented artists from the Santa Clara Pueblo (Tewa: Kha-'Po Owingeh). The two descend from a matrilineal line of sculptors dating back an estimated 70 generations.

Family and motherhood have a huge influence on both artists' body of work, and it is truly special for us to be able to display these recently acquired works of art together.

We hope you'll come see these works during your next visit to the Norton, and have a lovely Mother's Day!

[1] Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo, born 1983), "Vital Organ: Gut," 2022, Clay, twine, grout, and glaze, 91 x 19 x 13 in. (231.1 x 48.3 x 33 cm), Purchased with funds from the Lisa and Steven Tananbaum Fund for Art of Our Time, 2024.101
[2] All works by Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo, born 1962)
(Left) "Concerned," 2023, Ceramic, 9 1/2 x 8 x 5 in. (24.1 x 20.3 x 12.7 cm), Purchase, R. H. Norton Trust, 2024.198
(Middle) "Earth's Thoughts," 2023, Ceramic, 16 1/4 x 11 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (41.3 x 29.2 x 14 cm), Purchase, R. H. Norton Trust, 2024.196
(Right) "Layers," 2023, Ceramic, 14 3/4 x 9 1/8 x 5 1/2 in. (37.5 x 23.2 x 14 cm), Purchase, R. H. Norton Trust, 2024.197

05/10/2025

LAST CHANCE to see "DREAMLAND: The Intriguing World of the Subconscious" before it closes on May 18! 💭

This exhibition features all student artworks. Made by local middle and high school artists, these works are all inspired by Surrealism, an art movement that recently marked its 100th anniversary.

We have been so glad to exhibit these works by these emerging art-makers, and to support them on their creative journeys. Thank you to all the teachers who worked with their students to make this exhibition possible!

Next up, see works by students who have participated in our Afterschool Arts Outreach program. That exhibition will be coming this summer to the Norton.

05/09/2025

Listen to an Artist Talk by Penelope Umbrico! 📸

Umbrico's work is represented in "Blur / Obscure / Distort: Photography and Perception." This colorful grouping of images was made by rephotographing mountain images from Aperture’s "Masters of Photography" book series. By using iPhone camera apps and different filters, Umbrico mimics analog effects like chemical burns, light leaks, and photo grain. The resultant group of 37 individually-framed prints destabilizes the monumental quality of the mountainscape.

You can hear about Umbrico's process as she joins in conversation with Lauren Richman, Ph.D., William and Sarah Ross Soter Senior Curator of Photography. It's sure to be illuminating, so reserve a seat now!

📸 Artist Talk: Penelope Umbrico
🗓️ Friday, May 16 at 6 pm
📍 Norton Museum of Art
💻 Space is limited; online registration required. Walk-ins welcome if tickets remain on the day of the program.
🎟️ Cost: Museum Admission / Members FREE

Featured artwork: Penelope Umbrico (American, born 1957), "Mountains, Moving: Of Dr. George C. Poundstone, 1926-2013," 2013, Archival pigment prints, Overall: 34 x 85 in. (86.4 x 215.9 cm), Purchase, acquired through the generosity of the Photography Committee of the Norton Museum of Art, 2014.22.1-.37

05/08/2025

In case you haven't heard, you can get BOGO admission to the Norton in May! 🌴

With the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County's MOSAIC, there are all sorts of offers available to enjoy culture around the county. Through this partnership, you can use the code "NortonMosaic2025" for prepaid online admission to get a second ticket for FREE.

Plus, we'll let you in on a special not-so-hidden secret: MOSAIC gives you offers for other cultural institutions throughout Palm Beach County! Take advantage of these perks all throughout the month of May at the link in our bio.

Valid from 5/1 - 5/31 for prepaid online admissions only. Use code NortonMosaic2025 upon checkout. This code is case sensitive. Not valid for additional ticketed events. Please note that a $1 convenience fee will be charged for online purchases.

Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

05/06/2025

Have you seen "Art of the Word: Calligraphy and Chinese Artists" yet?

This fascinating exhibition examines the role that calligraphy plays in Chinese art. Both monochromatic ink works in this installation are based on ancient Chinese epigraphy.

Pictured here is Lee Chun-yi's "Heart Sutra Landscape," which displays the formation of a mountain shrouded in mist. At closer inspection, you'll see that the long handscroll actually bears repeated calligraphy characters recounting the Buddhist "Heart Sutra." It is this "unity of calligraphy and painting," as the artist calls it, that shows a new side to the art form.

See this exhibition during your next visit to the Norton!

Lee Chun-yi (李君毅, born 1965), "Heart Sutra Landscape," 2008 (detail), Handscroll, ink on paper, 10 x 138 in. (25.4 x 350.5 cm), Purchase, acquired by exchange, Gift of Mrs. Eugene L. Garbaty, 2009.29 © Lee Chun-yi

05/05/2025

International Museum Day is coming up, and we want you to celebrate with us! 🖼️🎉

We will be commemorating the day on May 18 with FREE Museum Admission for all! With hundreds of works of art on view, there's always plenty to see, not to mention our special exhibitions. It's sure to be a fun day, so we hope to see you there!

🖼️ International Museum Day
🗓️ Sunday, May 18 from 11 am – 5 pm
📍 Norton Museum of Art
🎟️ FREE Museum Admission for all

Featured artwork: Dan Flavin (American, 1933 – 1996), "Untitled (to Janie Lee) two," 1971, Blue, green, yellow, and pink fluorescent lights with fixture, Edition 1 of 5, 96 in. length (243.8 cm), Purchase, acquired through the generosity of the Contemporary and Modern Art Council of the Norton Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Fine, Lord and Lady Jacobs, Mr. and Mrs. James Mayer, and the R. H. Norton Trust, 2005.15

05/04/2025

ONE MORE WEEK until the opening of "Laddie John Dill: Eastern Standard Time" 👀💡💙

Dill's vibrant, immersive work is sure to be mesmerizing. The large-scale sandscape glows blue, illuminated by handmade glass tubes filled with argon and mercury.

You can even hear from the artist himself ahead of the exhibition opening at an Artist Talk at Art After Dark! Be sure to stick around after the lecture for a sneak peek of the exhibition. There are only a few seats left, so reserve yours soon!

💡 Artist Talk: Laddie John Dill
🗓️ Friday, May 9 at 6 pm
📍 Norton Museum of Art
💻 Space is limited; online registration required. Walk-ins welcome if tickets remain on the day of the program.
🎟️ Cost: Museum Admission/Members FREE

Laddie John Dill (American, born 1943), "EST (Eastern Standard Time)," 2022 (detail), from the series "Silica Lightscape," Argon, mercury gas, sand, electrodes, transformer, and neon wiring, Dimensions variable, Purchase, through the generosity of George Frederick Mead Merck, 2024.104, © Laddie John Dill

05/03/2025

For National Textiles Day, let's look at Alvin Loving's "Untitled" 🪡

Known for his work in abstraction, Loving was the first Black person to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1969. He was later inspired by an exhibition at the museum, called "Abstract Design in American Quilts," and began his own experiments with fabric constructions in the early 1970s.

Loving would tear cotton duck canvas, often painting and dying it. Then, he would stitch it together. This flowing textile art contrasted with his earlier practice, which was primarily of hard-edged abstract shapes. The material abstraction is evident in his "Untitled," 1981, with soft, draped fabric panels in a colorful configuration.

See this work by Alvin Loving during your next visit to the Norton!

Alvin Loving (American, 1935 – 2005), "Untitled," 1981, Dyed cotton duck canvas and rope, 79 x 102 in. (200.7 x 259.1 cm), Gift of Maddy and Larry Mohr, 2011.17

05/01/2025

Sending many congratulations to Laurie Barnes, our Elizabeth B. McGraw Senior Curator of Chinese Art, as she retires ❤️

Click below to view our tribute to her 19 years at the Norton.

Sending many congratulations to Laurie Barnes, our Elizabeth B. McGraw Senior Curator of Chinese Art, as she retires ❤️