About
The Norton’s permanent collection is quite extensive, including the works of over 100 artists... from Renaissance Old Masters, to modernist iconoclasts and contemporary neo-realists.
In addition, our museum possesses hundreds of sculptures ranging from miniatures and maquettes to life-size pieces in media including bronze, silver, marble, and wood.
Among the oldest works in the Norton are pieces from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Persia and six tapestries dating from the 16th century which once graced the palace of a King of France.
Decorative arts are also featured throughout the museum, including works in porcelain, pressed and blown glass, and 18th - 19th century silver.
Visit Our Botanical Gardens,
and Enjoy the Fusion of Art and Nature
Botanical Gardens Hours: Wednesday - Sunday from sunrise to sunset
No photography or videography, private or commercial, is allowed inside the museum or on the grounds.
Weddings and private events are NOT allowed on the property.
Learn More About…Botanical Gardens
Events & Exhibitions
3 events found.
List of events in Photo View
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February 5 - March 15
Daydreams: A Pop-Up Exhibit by Whitney Pollock
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Follow us on Social Media
CALLING ALL ARTISTS! Submissions are open for the 10th Annual BLOOM! Juried Exhibition. 🌸
This wonderful exhibition is an annual favorite and we love getting to showcase the incredible talents of local, regional, national, and international artists! The submission deadline is 2 February 2026.
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Application PDF: https://shorturl.at/iD0Vy
Google Form: https://shorturl.at/jIUeW
"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."― Twyla Tharp
A new year means new acquisitions!🎉
Here is a look at a new addition to the Norton`s permanent collection, "Frida Seated on Patio with Dogs" photographed in 1943 by artist Lola Álvarez Bravo.
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Born in Dolores Martínez in Jalisco, Mexico, a small city on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Lola Álvarez Bravo (1907–1993) was one of Mexico’s most important photographers.
Orphaned at age 8, Bravo was raised by relatives in Mexico City, and in 1925, she married the young Mexican photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo. Like other women artists linked with famous male counterparts, her work has often been overshadowed by that of her husband, whom she assisted. Although Bravo soon began taking her own pictures. The couple knew many of the most important Mexican artists of the day, including José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and lifelong friend, Frida Kahlo.
In 1934, Bravo’s marriage ended. She soon established a successful independent career, beginning as a teacher, Álvarez took photographic assignments for publications, developing a reputation as one of the only women photojournalists working in Mexico City. In 1937, Bravo was hired to run the photography workshops of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she remained until her retirement. For the next 50 years, Bravo photographed a variety of subjects, creating documentary images of Mexico’s villages, city streets, and people.
Bravo`s first solo exhibition was in 1944, and soon, numerous solo and group shows followed. From 1951 to 1958, she even directed her own Mexico City gallery and, in 1953, presented Frida Kahlo’s only solo exhibition in her native country during her lifetime. Unfortunately, by the late 1980s, Álvarez Bravo had stopped making photographs because of failing eyesight.
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Also Shown:
Photograph of Lola Álvarez Bravo, date and photographer unknown.
Sneak peek 👀✨
Get a closer look at Fables de La Fontaine, published in Paris in 1867 and illustrated by Gustave Doré. Doré’s dramatic, highly detailed drawings bring La Fontaine’s timeless tales to life, blending imagination, humor, and moral reflection. This reel offers a glimpse into a remarkable collaboration between literature and 19th-century illustration.
🍃 Important Update Regarding Garden Access 🍃
Due to the increasing frequency and severity of encounters with the public regarding the Botanical Garden rules and safety, public gate access to the grounds will be restricted to the following schedule effective Wednesday, 4 February 2026.
• The Thora Blvd. and south walk-through gates will open at sunrise Wednesday - Sunday, as usual, but will now close at 3:00 PM instead of sunset.
• The Huron Street gate will open at sunrise Wednesday - Friday, but will now close at 3:00 PM Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and remain closed through the weekend.
• The Creswell gate will keep it’s normal hours.
Please be reminded that the museum and gardens are private property, they receive no public monies or free utilities and services. Even admission is free and has been for 60 years. Additionally, the building and grounds remain open to the general public only at the pleasure of the R. W. Norton Art Foundation. So, the public is asked, once again, to not lie, argue, threaten, or become confrontational with our staff, law enforcement personnel, or each other. We have now reached the point of either be civil, or be arrested. If this is too onerous, then please do not visit.
Signage will be posted at each gate as a reminder of the upcoming changes.
Happy 2026! With a new year comes new movies for our Twilight Talkies series. This year, we are celebrating 10 years of Twilight Talkies! WOW! 😮🎉
We want to hear from YOU! What movies do you want to see this season? 🎬🍿
Happy birthday, Albert Bierstadt! 🎉
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Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) is widely considered one of America’s greatest landscape artists whose paintings offer a unique picture of American natural history during the second half of the nineteenth century. Produced from photographs and sketches, he made epic panoramas of the untamed American West that proved immensely popular with the American public. Usually large in scale he applied color for romantic rather than naturalistic effect. Strongly influenced by his tours of Europe, Bierstadt’s paintings promoted the idea of conservation, culminating in the establishment of new National Parks, while at the same time highlighting the plight of Native Americans and the threat of extinction to the buffalo.
🦋✨ Exhibit Announcement 🦋✨
5 February - 15 March 2026
"Daydreams: A Pop-Up Exhibit by Whitney Pollock" invites viewers into the vivid inner world of this Texas-based, mixed-media artist, whose work spans both 2D and 3D. Bursting with color and texture, Pollock’s fine art reflects imaginative language and a playful approach to creating.
Divided into where she came from and where she is today, the exhibit explores memory, growth, and self-discovery. Through layered materials and expressive forms, Pollock offers a glimpse into a creative process where nostalgia, curiosity, and joy collide. Daydreams is both personal and immersive, encouraging viewers to linger, wander, and lose themselves in this effervescence of joy.
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Artist Social Media
Instagram • @artbywhitney
Facebook • Art By Whitney
Opening Reception • 5 February 2026 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
This event is FREE and open to the public. Enjoy mixing and mingling with the artist, live music by @q_major318, and refreshments.
Collection Highlights
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.
Schedule a Tour
Group tours are available on Thursdays and Fridays from 1:00 - 3:30 pm.
To request a guided tour for an adult group, please complete our form…