-
Welcome to the R.W. Norton Art Gallery
-
BOTANICAL GARDENS
"I would like to paint the way a bird sings" - Claude Monet
-
Museum
"Art is not what you see, it is what you make others see" - Edgar Degas
Welcome To Our Museum
History Of Our Museum
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery houses an exceptional collection of art spanning more than four millennia. Since its opening in 1966, the museum has become particularly well-known around the country for its impressive collections of works by those titans of western art, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. The R.W. Norton Art Gallery is a teaching museum that uses the art to encourage community participation in thoughtful interpretations and discussions.
In the early 1920's, Richard W. Norton (1886-1940) became one of the discoverers of the Rodessa Oil Field in north Louisiana. Over time, Mr. Norton's wife and son began to amass a significant collection of fine art. In 1946, to honor Mr. Norton and for the benefit of the community, Richard W. Norton, Jr. (1919-1974) and his mother, Mrs. Richard W. Norton (1886-1975) created the R.W. Norton Art Foundation. In turn, the Foundation eventually established the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, basing its initial collection upon donations from the acquisitions of the Nortons. Today, due to the on-going efforts of the Board of Control and the Foundation's work, the R.W. Norton Art Gallery's offerings continue to expand, grow, and contribute to their community.
Current hours of operation:
Monday through Wednesday: CLOSED
Thursday - Sunday: 1:00-5:00 PM
Holiday Hours:
Thanksgiving and Black Friday: CLOSED
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: CLOSED
No reservations or tickets are required and admission is free.
If you have any questions, please contact info@rwnaf.org or call (318) 865-4201.
Request a Tour:
To request a guided tour for an adult group, please CLICK HERE to fill out our Adult Tour Request Form.
To request a tour for a children's group, CLICK HERE to fill our Teaching Tour Request Form.
Norton Botanical Gardens Hours
Monday - Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday - Sunday: Sunrise to Sunset
None of the above restrictions apply to the garden area west of Creswell Ave. or the “island” in front of the museum’s main entrance, both of which will be open dawn until dusk, year round.
No photography or videography, private or commercial, is allowed inside the museum or on the grounds with the exception of school-affiliated educational photography classes which have made advance appointments.
Weddings are not allowed on the property.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP FOR OUR
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE
R.W. NORTON ART FOUNDATION
About Our Museum
On View at the Museum
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery boasts an extensive permanent collection that includes more than 400 paintings and a plethora of sculptures representing over 100 artists. Our collection represents a wide variety of styles, time periods, and historical importance.
Collection Highlights
Fragelina by Attilio Piccirilli (1866-1945) Marble, c. 1923
Attilio Piccirilli was born in Massa di Carrera, Italy to Giuseppe Piccirilli (1844 – 1910), a well-known stone carver. The elder Piccirilli immigrated to New York in 1888, bringing his 6 sons along with him. All trained as marble cutters and carvers, they became the famous Piccirilli Brothers, responsible for carving many major public monuments, including the massive sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln designed by Daniel Chester French for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Attilio created some of the most notable New York architectural sculptures, including Patience and Fortitude (the two lions that flank the entrance to the New York Main City Library).
The Snow Squall by Thomas Cole (1801-1848) Oil, 1825
An immigrant who arrived in America at the age of 17, Thomas Cole’s only art training was in making panels for wallpaper, yet he became the “father” of the first great American art movement, the Hudson River School. These works presented an expansive landscape evoking the grandeur of God via the careful selection of particular perfected landscape elements. A “Renaissance man”, Cole was a poet and philosopher as well as an influential artist and his early death was a tragedy.
Mother and Daughter Both Wearing Large Hats by Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) Oil on canvas, unknown date
Born in America to a wealthy Pennsylvania family, Mary Cassatt moved to Paris as a student, swiftly finding success at the Paris Salon. An introduction to artist Edgar Degas changed the direction of her own art and she became one of several women associated with the Impressionist movement. She lived the majority of her life in France, becoming well known for her fine draftsmanship, vivid palette, and a lack of sentimentality, and is considered one of the original French Impressionists.