Appropriate for tourists and tots, seniors and students, and even experts and ignorami, the Norton’s tour program offers a wide range of
topics, themes, and possibilities to enhance your group’s visit. Tours may even be customized for your specific studies or needs.
Over 20 tours create the core of our docent-lead program. Explore American History from the colonial period through the closing of the
frontier or see art in the New World evolve from the colonial Limner tradition through to 20th century Post-Impressionism. Gain insight
into highlights of our European collection or focus exclusively on 19th century French Art History. The scope and breadth of study is
entirely up to you!
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes with time for questions at the end. Guided tours are available by appointment only for groups of
10 or more people. To schedule a guided tour, call the Norton at (318) 865-4201 ext. 100 or email at least two weeks in advance of a
planned visit.
Denotes Norton Favorite
During the colonial period and the early days of the Republic, American artists
painted either imitations of European subjects and styles, or in a somewhat
primitive limner tradition. Then art met transcendentalism and the first truly
American style was born with the painters of the Hudson River School. The
wonders of the American landscape continued to enthrall native and immigrant
artists through the Luminist, Barbizon, and American Impressionist styles. At the
Norton we’ll explore the journey through American art history with the
innovations and master works of American painters like Thomas Sully, Rembrandt
Peale, Thomas Cole, George Inness, and Mary Cassatt.
How was America born? Where did her people come from? What challenges did
they face? Using paintings, porcelain, and sculpture, students explore the timeline
of American History from the first Native American inhabitants to the closing of
the frontier in 1890. Works by Thomas Sully, Rembrandt Peale, Charles Russell,
and Frederic Remington are included in this tour.
Believe it or not, bronze-casting has been with us for about 5,000 years. And still
the first question almost everyone asks is, “How in the world do they make metal
do that?” We will answer that question with a powerpoint presentation and an
exploration of the golden age of American sculptors and sculpture. Statues by
Augustus Saint Gaudens, A.A. Weinman, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Charles Russell,
and Frederic Remington are included in this tour.
This tour is a fun, uncomplicated introduction to artistic vocabulary where
students learn to appreciate artwork by putting in their “artist’s eyes.” A reading of
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See, begins a great hunt for colors, and
we’ll have fun with finding lines and forms in art work after reading Lines that
Wiggle.
America’s fascination with the West and her peoples began as soon as Europeans
landed on its shores. In the beginning, only the bravest men (fur trappers, traders)
ventured beyond the coastal regions into the wooded unknown. A steady course of
land acquisition from the Louisiana Purchase through Seward’s Folly kept
Americans and newly-arrived immigrants heading west. America’s early western
painters brought back to the east breathtaking landscapes and genre paintings of
the land’s original inhabitants that continued to encourage this westward
expansion, as well as build an image of the most profound American icon – the
cowboy. Paintings and sculptures by John Mix Stanley, A.D.M. Cooper, Solon
Borglum, C.M. Russell and Frederic Remington are included on this journey into
the Old West.
The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in
ceramic, wood, glass, metal, and textile. On this guided tour we will discuss the
Norton’s porcelain with masterworks from Cybis and Wedgwood, glass with 19th
century pressed glass and the Steuben collection, metalwork with colonial silver
and the Revere Bell, and textiles with 16th century European tapestries, and prove
once and for all that the decorative arts are more than a craft or hobby– they are
the work of true masters.
Showcasing a significant portion of the Norton’s permanent collection of arts by
European artists, this tour explores everything from Renaissance tapestries to
Neoclassical pottery to Romantic sculpture to Impressionist paintings. Titans of
the art world such as Josiah Wedgwood, Mary Cassatt, and Auguste Rodin are
introduced and their works explored and explained.
Up until the early 19th century, art was primarily for the aristocracy. One had to be
highly educated not only to create the art, but also to appreciate it. However, as the
Industrial Revolution rolled on, a new middle class emerged and soon became
dominant. A group of artists, most of whom came from this new middle class,
rebelled against the academic model and developed a new style called
Romanticism. The political struggles of France in the 1800s led directly to a
revolution in painting and sculpting practices, giving rise to painters and sculptors
like Antoine Louis Barye, Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, and Auguste Rodin.
The French Neo-Classical sculptors of the 18th century inherited the mantle of the
Italian Renaissance, creating beautiful representational statues and busts, like
those of Jean-Antoine Houdon. Soon, however, these gave way to the more
expressive sculpture of the Romantics with the marvelous wildlife pieces of les
animaliers and from there to the experimentation of French titan Auguste Rodin.
This tour explores the evolution of French sculpture from a celebration of
aristocracy to a celebration of art itself.
Any visit to a museum is automatically a visit to Greco-Roman history. The word
“museum” itself derives from a Greek phrase mean “Home of the muses”. The
Greeks and the Romans, long after they were political powers, continued to
educate, inspire, and inform Western culture; they provided the foundation for the
civilization in which we continue to live, and their thoughts and deeds continue to
awe and instruct us more than a thousand years after their world ceased to exist.
The tour explores the classical influence of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire
on works and artists in the gallery, and unravels in depth the history depicted in the
tapestries.
In the early years of the Republic, America was still struggling with self-definition,
still feeling entrapped by older European models of culture, feeling
most keenly of all, its own perceived lack of history. Then an English immigrant
named Thomas Cole, influenced by a love of the natural world and transcendental
philosophy, took up his paintbrush and began the first American art movement:
The Hudson River School. America’s landscapes unfold from East to West as
Manifest Destiny is manifested in paint with a bevy of works in the Norton’s
permanent collection including Thomas Cole, Thomas Moran, and Alfred
Bierstadt.
A common misperception is that "the folk" and folklore exist only in remote or
isolated regions and that both are rapidly disappearing in the modern world.
However, from the samples students will hear of Louisiana's inexhaustible
storytelling tradition, it is evident that this tradition is a vital part of the state's
personality. Louisiana's storytelling tradition serves as more than a superficial
source of entertainment. It teaches values, reflects shared beliefs, and draws people
together. Students will enjoy folktales performed by a professional storyteller,
chosen to correspond to works in the museum. Stories occasionally rotate, but the
favorites of Jean Malin and the Bull Man, and Wiley and the Hairy Man are
always on the docket.
Trying to incorporate as many senses as possible into a museum visit, students will
pop in their “artist’s eyes” and tune their “musician's ears” to explore selected
works throughout the gallery. Some songs will be sung, others will be played on a
boom box, but all songs include participation, observation, and critical thinking
skills. The soundtrack on our journey of paintings and sculptures includes such
favorites as “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain,” “The Green Grass Grows
All Around,” and the campfire favorite “The Bear.”
The painter Piet Mondrian once said, “Creativity is allowing yourself to make
mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” The great artists were great because
they did something that no one else could do; when you see their work, you
recognize it as uniquely theirs. But before artists can make their own unique
“mistakes”, they have to learn the craft of painting. This tour is an introduction to
the tools of the trade and artistic vocabulary, where students will have the chance
to identify the painting techniques of some of our most famous artists, including
George Inness, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, and Peter Ellenshaw.
This tour was born with a young man’s questions: “When was color invented?”
The Norton explored the history of painter’s pigments, delving into how the old
masters created their first paints. We uncovered some gruesome discoveries:
20,000 insects expired for a scintilla of scarlet; 12,000 mollusks gave their lives
for a pinch of purple, and countless artists paid the price for color in infirmity,
invalidism, and even death. The high cost of art hasn’t just been measured in
dollars and cents. Combining science and history, we’ll identify which artists used
what type of paints to create their masterpieces.
One was a professional artist and an amateur cowboy, while the other was a
professional cowboy and an amateur artist. Exploring the painting and sculptures
of the powerhouses of cowboy art - Frederic Remington and Charles Russell -
students will learn how the mythology and legends of the Old West were created
or captured.
Intended to immerse all students into the arts, this tour presents an introduction to
sculpture in the permanent collection that students (and chaperones!) may explore
with their hands. This very special tour includes works by Augustus St. Gaudens,
Frederic Remington, and Auguste Rodin. Please limit the group to no more than
10.
Inspired by classic stories from childhood and painting and sculptures in the
museum, a professional storyteller will present tales involving the baddest of the
bad in storybook land. Have no fear: the program is not nearly as scary as it
sounds. We’ll hear the tale of the “Seven Brothers,” a Caddo Indian tale that uses
Native American Sign Language, listen to the brave feats of daring and cunning of
a small boy in Wiley and the Hairy Man, and even have the chance to let a puppet
wolf tell HIS side of the story with The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.
Mystery lies at the heart of every horror experience: who’s that tap-tap-tapping on my
window? Why is that shadowy figure lurk-lurk-lurking in the corner? What IS that how-how-
howling at the moon?! Delve into the deep mysteries of the R.W. Norton Art Gallery on this
terrible tour of terror!
Get revved up for Halloween with this story filled-tour inspired by our spookiest art. All
new ghost stories await those brave enough to attend. Our professional storyteller is fully
capable of protecting even the youngest of our visitors from the fearful denizens lurking in
our midst, so feel free to bring the whole class. We’re just DYING to meet y’all....
This tour is free of charge and limited to groups of 30 people.
What makes gift-giving so precious has nothing to do with money. It has everything to
do with the quality we might call mindfulness – paying attention, knowing what was
really important, giving something that reflects an understanding of those often
intangible things that are most important to the recipient. Join us as we explore the gifts
our artists have given to friends, family, and the world at large with this guided tour of
our permanent collection.
Our professional storyteller will spin all new yarns about the days of yore, warming
hearts and eliciting grins about the spirit of the season.
This tour is free of charge and limited to groups of 30 students.
Celebrate the season with the Spring Walking tour! We'll take the guided tour outside
for a tip-toe through the tulips. Wear your walking shoes - we have 40 acres of
manicured gardens, including our famous azalea beds, bronze statues, and
watergardens to explore.
Do dark skies threaten on the day of the tour? Fear not! We'll enjoy an indoor Rainy-
Day tour, exploring spring-themed artwork throughout the museum.
This tour is free of charge and limited to groups of 30 students.
The First Saturday Tour program was launched in February 2007 as an opportunity to present thematic tours to the general
public at a regular intervals.
These tours have explored such serious matters as “Depictions of Native Americans in Art,” comparing and contrasting the
evolution of American thought and attitudes towards the continent’s original inhabitants and the plight of female artists in
“Great Artists Who Just Happen to be Women”.
We’ve also taken a light-hearted view of our collection with the “Guys and Dolls” tour, which explored the complex (and
sometimes comical) battle between the sexes, as well as touring our Antique Dolls and Firearm collection.
We’ve even tackled the technical aspects of our works with the “Painting Techniques” tour, answering the age-old (and
often asked) question: How do they do that? We have even offered performance based tours centered around our spookiest
art with the Halloween Tour and shared stories of the season with the Christmas tour.
Thought-provoking, chuckle-inducing, and all around good fun, the First Saturday Tours are completely free to the general
public every first Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. No reservation is needed, but groups of 10 or more are asked to call in
advance.
March 3, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
We haven’t found a connection to Kevin Bacon yet, but many of our artists had interesting relationships with each other and other important historical figures, all of which we'll explore on this trip through the mysteries of human connections.
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April 7, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
Join us on an outdoor walking tour exploring Native American myths surrounding not only our flora and fauna, but also the animals depicted in our collection of outdoor sculpture.
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May 5, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
On this Tour, we explore the colorful history of our state through works of art either by Louisianans or depicting Louisiana accompanied by readings from Louisiana writers and historical figures.
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June 2, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
From soaring church naves to dogtrots in soggy swamps, gothic flying buttresses to Palladian palaces, we'll explore the art in architecture (or vice versa!) in our permanent collection.
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July 7, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
On this tour, we¹ll explore the art and literature of the transcendentalist movement which marked the first truly American movement and the moment we stepped away from European models of thought, literature, and art.
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August 4, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
Reading and art will illuminate the doldrums that accompany the end of the summer and the tingle that comes with the anticipation of the onset of autumn.
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September 1, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
The frame that surrounds a painting not only adds to the experience of the work, but is often a work of art in its own right. On this tour, we¹ll explore the art of frame-making and look at some of the Gallery¹s most spectacular examples.
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October 6, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
On this most frightening of tours, we¹ll examine the things that can leap out of paintings and grab you trolls under bridges, witches in mountain caves, spirits in streams, banshees on the moor...and that¹s in only one of our many galleries!
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November 3, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
Since America was itself a work of creative imagination, it's not surprising that the country has given birth to a number of innovative figures in various professions, which we'll explore through their depictions or inventions within our collection.
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December 1, 2012 @ 02:00 pm
Enjoy stories and artworks on this guided tour that explore the beauty and spirituality of this most special of holiday seasons.
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For those who wish to see the Norton at their own pace, we offer Self Guided tours. These brochures and a Norton map may be picked up in the lobby or by downloading them.
American Art History
Traces the evolution of painting styles in America from Birch to Bierstadt and beyond
Decorative Arts
An appreciation of the decorative arts including our collections of Steuben glass, colonial silver, Cybis porcelain, and Wedgwood
Hudson River School
A complete walk through the first significant American art movement from Cole and Durand to Bierstadt and Sonntag
American History
A journey through early American History which includes our Civil War Gallery and the conquest of the West
European Experience
A look at significant European works including our tapestries, paintings by Dutch masters, Les Animaliers sculpture, and works by Rodin
Painting Techniques
Answering the question, "How did they do that?", this tour explores several works of art and their techniques and terminology
American Sculpture
Takes a look at great American sculptors, including Borglum, Farnham, Russell, Remington, Saint-Gaudens, and others
French Art History
Explores Barye to Barbizons, Romantics to Rodin, complete with French art terminology
Perils of Pigment
Uncovering the artistry and history of color and divulging the dangers of painting
Cowboy Artists
Covering Russell and Remington, but also the works of other significant
"cowboy" artists like Stanley, Shreyvogel, and A.D.M. Cooper
French Sculpture
Explores French sculpture from neo-classical to the Romantic to the Modern using the works of Barye, Dalou, Rodin and others in the permanent collection
Remington/Russell
An in-depth look at two of America's premier western artists in galleries dedicated to their work
To schedule a guided tour, call the Norton at (318) 865-4201 ext. 100 or
email
at least two weeks in advance of a planned visit.
Copyright © 2012 The R.W. Norton Art Gallery ◊ 4747 Creswell Ave.
◊ Shreveport, Louisiana ◊ (318) 865-4201 ◊ All rights reserved ◊ Best viewed at 1024 X 768
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