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Welcome to the R.W. Norton Art Gallery
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BOTANICAL GARDENS
"I would like to paint the way a bird sings" - Claude Monet
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Museum
"Art is not what you see, it is what you make others see" - Edgar Degas
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE R.W. NORTON ART GALLERY: 14 March 2021
We are pleased to announce that the museum will re-open to the public on a limited basis beginning 8 April 2021. Initially, we will be offering three private tours a week.
Thursdays at 10:00 am: A Family Tour focusing on exploring the museum from a child’s point of view.
Thursdays at 11:15 am & Fridays at 1:00 pm: Adult Tours visiting a different part of the museum’s permanent collection each week.
Tour Guidelines:
• Tours are limited to 20 people.
• You MUST have a ticket to attend a tour. Free tickets are available online HERE and must be reserved online prior to arrival.
• Please respect a 6’ social distancing when on the museum grounds.
• We require face coverings for all staff and visitors ages 5 and up.
• If you are not feeling well, please enjoy our online content from home and plan to visit another day.
Tickets will be made available on the Monday of each tour week.
Norton Botanical Gardens Hours
Monday - Wednesday: 4:00pm - Sunset
Thursday - Sunday: Sunrise - Sunset
We must emphasize that Monday - Wednesday, unlike our old operating hours, the gardens are closed to the public during the day until 4:00pm.
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.
Please be respectful of your fellow visitor by maintaining the approved social distance.
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.
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.
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Collection Highlight
Where Fools Build Fires by Charles Marion Russell
In most of Russell’s paintings involving Native Americans, his sympathies are clearly with the Indians rather than the white men. He once wrote to a friend:
I remember one day we were looking at a buffalo carcus and yousaid Russ I wish I was a Sioux Indian a hundred years ago and Isaid me to Ted thairs a pair of us [.] I have often made that wish since and if the buffalo would come back tomorrow I wouldent be slow shedding a brich clout [breechcloth]. . .
This included sharing much of their sense of humor regarding the foolish ways and absurd arrogance of the settlers. That’s exactly what’s on view here as the whites making their camp on the riverbank clearly fail to realize how visible they are to the highly amusedscouting party on the bluff.