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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
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.
To request a tour for a homeschool group, CLICK HERE to fill out our Homeschool Visit Request Form.
Norton Botanical Gardens Hours
Monday - Wednesday: 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.
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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 Highlight
A Hole in the Roof by Kadir Nelson (1974 - ) Oil on canvas, 2014
A major contemporary illustrator and artist, Kadir Nelson is also an award-winning author. Born in Washington, D.C., he received his earliest lesson from his uncle and won an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. His work came to the attention of DreamWorks and the studio hired him as a conceptual artist for the film Amistad, during the course of which he met Debbie Allen who hired him to illustrate two of her children’s books. He later collaborated on children’s books with both Will Smith and Spike Lee. By then, Nelson had launched a career illustrating and writing children’s books on African-American history, including Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Nelson declared, “My focus is to create images of people who demonstrate a sense of hope and nobility. I want to show the strength and integrity of the human being and the human spirit . . . if you look at contemporary images of African-Americans . . . it’s not always positive. But it’s important to have heroes. I hope a kid can look in my books and see him- or herself in a positive way.”