The downtown West Palm Beach sanctuary for art, history and environment lovers will host four main exhibitions this season including Ann Weaver Norton: Gateways to Modernism; Gordon Cheung: New Order “Vanitas;” Celebrating Boaz Vaadia (1951-2017); and Behold, A New Eden: Laura Woodward and the Creation of Palm Beach. The special events open to the public will be: Sculpture in Motion – The Art of Pre- and Post-War Automobile Innovation; the Annual Easter Egg Hunt; Fifth Annual Gardens Conservancy’s Evening in the Gardens; and the Second Annual Earth Day Celebration: A Partnership for Art, Science and the Natural World (*Editors, please note: A full exhibition/event lineup with details are listed below the release).
In addition to the full release and event lineup below, the following Dropbox link will take you to high-resolution images to accompany the different exhibitions/events. Each file name includes the artist/event name, title and photo credit.https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w9jeehgcany2r46/AACykiedYyZV2RK92Vb97Dd9a?dl=0
We would be grateful if Art of the Times would consider editorial coverage and/or inclusion in your calendar listings. Please be in touch with any questions. Thank you, as always, for your kind consideration.
Best regards,
Heather
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: HEATHER VIDULICH, SLATKOW & HUSAK PR
[email protected] or 561.278.0850 x4
NEW SEASON IS BLOOMING AT ANN NORTON SCULPTURE GARDENS
ANSG presents a diverse and imaginative lineup to spotlight Ann Norton’s life and career
(West Palm Beach, Fla.) – Building on the momentum of last year’s exciting season with strategic exhibitions and partnerships, new board members and new administrative leadership, Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens has announced its 2017-2018 season of events and exhibitions as an intentional love letter to its namesake, Ann Weaver Norton.
The downtown West Palm Beach sanctuary for art, history and environment lovers will host four main exhibitions this season including Ann Weaver Norton: Gateways to Modernism; Gordon Cheung: New Order “Vanitas;”Celebrating Boaz Vaadia (1951-2017); and Behold, A New Eden: Laura Woodward and the Creation of Palm Beach. The special events open to the public will be: Sculpture in Motion – The Art of Pre- and Post-War Automobile Innovation; the Annual Easter Egg Hunt; Fifth Annual Gardens Conservancy’s Evening in the Gardens; and the Second Annual Earth Day Celebration: A Partnership for Art, Science and the Natural World (*Editors, please note: A full exhibition/event lineup with details are listed below the release).
“We are thrilled to announce our 2017-2018 event and exhibition lineup,” said Dr. Roger Ward, President & CEO of Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. “Our mission is to create exhibitions which either illuminate or reflect some feature of Ann Weaver Norton’s life and career, and to produce imaginative, exciting programs which will educate and delight audiences of all ages. This year’s exhibitions will promote one or more aspects of the new identity we mean to forge for the ANSG—as the local ‘meeting place’ of art, science and history, with the preservation of both indigenous and rare species of semi-tropical vegetation.”
The historic Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Inc., is a recognized 501(c)(3) organization, established in 1977 by Ann Weaver Norton (1905-1982) to preserve the Historically Registered house and surrounding gardens in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the artist lived from 1948 until 1982. The rare palm and sculpture gardens, exhibition galleries and artist’s studio offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the sculptor’s holistic vision in its intended setting.
“With solid support from our Gardens Conservancy stewards in the business community, the ANSG board and staff is enthusiastic and dedicated to advancing Ann Norton’s vision for the Gardens as a dynamic community resource,” said Frances Fisher, chairman of the board of trustees. “We received corporate support from FPL to create an ANSG Field Guide. This much needed and anticipated piece will be developed to enhance our visitor experience by sharing the ANSG’s history and the story of the Gardens’ rare plants, trees, and monumental sculptures.
In addition, we were honored to receive a grant from PNC to present Art and Healthy Hearts in the Gardens. As part of their Arts Alive funding and Grow-Up Great initiative, PNC is supporting Art and Healthy Hearts in the Gardens’ programming which will be tied in to each of the season’s exhibitions, and offers a unique opportunity for approximately 500 of the neediest students in Palm Beach County for whom a visit to the Gardens would not otherwise be possible. Partnerships and programs like these, and the one forged with Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary last season, have elevated our profile as a unique and attractive community partner. We look forward to celebrating an exciting season filled with distinctive exhibitions, exceptional programming, creative projects and strategic partnerships.”
Located at 2051 S. Flagler Drive in the historic El Cid neighborhood of West Palm Beach, the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens are open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Normal admission is free for members, $15 for non-member adults, $10 for seniors (age 65 and older), $7 for students, and children under five are free. Special event pricing will vary. Gallery and garden exhibition talks are available on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The Gardens are also available for private events and are closed on major holidays. For more information, please visit www.ansg.org or call 561-832-5328.
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*2017-2018 ANN NORTON SCULPTURE GARDENS EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS SCHEDULE*
- WHAT: 2017-2018 Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens Events and Exhibitions Schedule
- WHERE: Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens – 2051 S. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach
- WHEN: Normal hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Gallery and garden exhibition talks are available on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.)
- ADMISSION: Unless otherwise noted below, entrance is free for members, $15 for non-member adults, $10 for seniors (age 65 and older), $7 for students, and children under five are free
- GENERAL CONTACT INFO: Please visit www.ansg.org or call 561-832-5328
- MEDIA INQUIRIES: [email protected] or 561-278-0850
PHOTOS – https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w9jeehgcany2r46/AACykiedYyZV2RK92Vb97Dd9a?dl=0
Ann Weaver Norton: Gateways to Modernism
September 14 – November 26, 2017
WHAT: Ann Weaver Norton: Gateways to Modernism
Ann Weaver Norton: Gateways to Modernism will assemble an array of Ann Weaver Norton’s drawings and pastels, maquettes and finished sculptures in various media which will bring to life both her artistic journey, over several decades, and the remarkable technical evolution of her works from small-scale figural groups to monumental and symbolic abstractions in wood, granite and brick.
WHEN: September 14 – November 26, 2017: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHY: When Ann Weaver (1905-1982) from Selma, Alabama, arrived in New York City to study art, she was not yet 20 years old. She found herself in the world of modern art which was still male-dominated and very partial to Social Realism. It was the heyday of an artist such as Thomas Hart Benton, for example, and her early works were very much influenced by both the subjects and stylistic strategies of the Realists and Regionalists. But travel and the passage of time brought her into contact with a broader range of artists and by the time she moved to West Palm Beach to teach sculpture at the Norton Gallery and School of Art, in early 1943, she had evolved into an artist whose sympathies clearly lay with those who promoted abstraction in American art.
Sculpture in Motion – The Art of Pre- and Post-War Automobile Innovation
Saturday, November 18, 2017
WHAT: Sculpture in Motion – The Art of Pre- and Post-War Automobile Innovation
During the day, Sculpture in Motion welcomes visitors of all ages to experience the history and design of more than a dozen one-of-a-kind, classic pre- and post-war automobiles in this “dream car” exhibition. During the evening, Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens will be transformed into a unique outdoor showroom for a special cocktail reception with more intimate viewing of the cars. Guests will have the chance to cast their votes for the cars with the most originality, elegance and Best in Show, and awards will be presented to collectors at the reception that evening.
John Barnes, founder of Cavallino Magazine and The Cavallino Classic, will be the guest curator for the exhibit and there will be tours and special presentations about the automobiles hosted by experts.
WHEN: Saturday, November 18, 2017
- Curated tours – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Vintage Cars and Classic Cocktails – 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
ADMISSION:
**Please note that ANSG will have special admission pricing for the entire day on Saturday, November 18, 2017 which includes:
- Daytime admission for curated tours: – $25 for adults, $15 for ANSG members and $8 for children.
- Evening admission for Vintage Cars and Classic Cocktails – $250 per person
WHY: “Innovation is the theme throughout Sculpture in Motion,” said Roger Ward, President and CEO of Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. “It confirms that art, science and technology go hand in hand. Visitors will have the opportunity to see more than a dozen rare, pre- and post-war automobiles ‘up close and personal.’ Some date back as far as the 1920s.”
“Throughout modern history, cars have been a reflection of innovation,” said John Barnes, president of Cavallino Magazine and Cavallino Classic. “Kinetic art, industrial design and skillful engineering created decades of rolling sculpture that enabled early transportation, elegant travel and racing. The rich history of some of the most extraordinary vintage vehicles is an inspiring message. I look forward to curating this unique exhibition.”
Gordon Cheung: New Order “Vanitas”
December 9, 2017 – February 4, 2018
WHAT: Gordon Cheung: New Order “Vanitas”
British artist Gordon Cheung, has created a remarkable body of paintings and prints known collectively as Breaking Tulips. These visually stunning works draw inspiration directly from the floral masterpieces of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painters such as Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1684).
WHEN: December 9, 2017 – February 4, 2018: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cheung will attend and speak about his work at an “Artist Talk” on Saturday, December 9, at 11 a.m.
WHY: “Cheung starts with the exotic tulip as the ultimate symbol of financial speculation and financial disaster in the burgeoning capitalist society of 17th century Netherlands. His works position the tulip as the object of irrational pursuit to the point of frenzy which led to one of the most spectacular “bubbles” in the economic history of western Europe. His paintings use various sumptuous still life compositions as the starting points for variations on the theme of gradual and cyclical (but ultimate) collapse of over-heated commodities and securities markets in the contemporary world.” – Roger Ward, President and CEO, ANSG
Celebrating Boaz Vaadia (1951-2017)
January 11 – April 29, 2018
WHAT: Celebrating Boaz Vaadia (1951-2017)
Presented in partnership with the Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary Art Fair
Corporate Sponsor: Wilmington Trust
WHEN: January 11 – April 29, 2018: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHY:
- Israeli-born Boaz Vaadia is best known for the figurative sculptures which he made by carving and stacking stones that he found in the area surrounding his New York studio. Vaadia said, “I work with nature as an equal partner…That’s still the strongest thing I deal with today, that primal connection of man to earth. It’s in the materials I use, the environments I make and the way I work.”
- In 1975 Vaadia relocated to New York, where he studied at the Pratt Institute. He began collecting materials such as slate, shingles, bluestone, and boulders after he discovered an on-going construction project near his studio in SoHo. As workers ripped up the bluestone sidewalk, Vaadia carried the discarded material to his loft, where he worked with a hammer and chisel to further expose the sedimentary layers of the rocks. Inspired by the stratified layers, he began creating sculptures that echoed the natural composition of his materials.
- Primarily named after biblical figures, his public works can be found outdoors in parks and in front of public buildings, as well as in the collections of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco MoMA, the Bass Museum of Art, and the Tel Aviv Museum.
Behold, A New Eden: Laura Woodward and the Creation of Palm Beach
February 10 – May 20, 2018
WHAT: Behold, A New Eden: Laura Woodward and the Creation of Palm Beach
WHEN: February 10 – May 20, 2018: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHY:
- Laura Woodward (1834-1926) was Florida’s most important female artist of the 19th century, one of its greatest publicists, and integral to the development of Palm Beach County. Born in up-state New York, and very accomplished as one of the Hudson River School painters, by the late 1880s Woodward had joined others of that group for their winter sojourn at Henry Morrison Flagler’s famous Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida. But she tired of the landscape and ventured farther south in search of the more lush, tropical “jungles” of which she had heard intriguing reports. By 1893 she had convinced Flagler to extend his East Coast Railroad and to build the Royal Poinciana Hotel which thereafter both enabled and drove tourism in Palm Beach and all around the Lake Worth Lagoon, as it was called.
- This exhibition will bring together numerous of the extant oil paintings and watercolors of sites from Jupiter to Miami which Woodward used to entice Henry Flagler to look southward—to Palm Beach and Boca Raton—in search of the “New Eden” of oceanside tourism.
Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, March 31, 2018
WHAT: Annual Easter Egg Hunt
The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens welcomes families for a spectacular Easter egg hunt. Children are invited to explore the two acres of lush palms and native plants, along the garden trails and among the sculptures for brightly colored eggs. After the Easter egg hunt, children can take a picture with the Easter Bunny and cool down with refreshments.
WHEN: Saturday, March 31, 2018 – Doors open at 10 a.m. The egg hunt starts promptly at 10:15 a.m.
ADMISSION: Regular Gardens admission with advance reservations required.
INFO: Please bring your own basket.
Fifth Annual Gardens Conservancy “Evening in the Gardens”
Friday, April 6, 2018
WHAT: The Gardens Conservancy will hold its annual cocktail reception to present the Ann Norton Award for Philanthropy.
WHEN: Friday, April 6, 2018 at 6 p.m.
ADMISSION: Gardens Conservancy membership starts at a $500 donation
WHY: A multi-category membership and stewardship program, the gifts from Conservancy members help support the preservation and restoration of Ann Norton’s art and archives, her home and studio, and horticultural initiatives. Of particular interest, the Conservancy is engaged in projects that raise awareness of Ann Norton’s art and gardens through ongoing cultural and horticultural education via school and community enrichment programs and partnerships.
Second Annual Earth Day Celebration: A Partnership for Art, Science and the Natural World
Sunday, April 22, 2018
WHAT: Second Annual Earth Day Celebration: A Partnership for Art, Science and the Natural World
ANSG will expand upon its inaugural event in partnership with five Palm Beach County non-profit institutions to provide a community day forum for the dynamic intersection of art, science and the natural world. Educators from organizations with environmental missions explore their current plans and educational programs to enhance preservation and raise awareness of the South Florida environment. Members and guests of each organization participate in a question and answer session. Following the panel discussion, guests can visit and learn more about the mission of each organization through interactive “learning stations” presented by educators throughout the garden.
WHEN: Earth Day – Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 2 p.m.
WHY: The Ann Norton Partnership for Art, Science and the Natural World embraces Ann Norton’s vision for maintaining an urban preserve that supports the coexistence of art and nature. Ann Norton described her legacy to the community as “an environmental showplace” intended to display her nine monumental sculptures and the work of visiting artists amidst her collection of over 250 native plants, rare palms and cycads. She defined its purpose as an “educational museum and urban sanctuary” for the public enjoyment of art, garden and natural history enthusiasts of all ages.
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