Making Her First Visit to the World-Famous Museum

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life
August 3, 2019.

With first grade looming just around the corner, Pam and I wanted to take our six-year-old granddaughter, Cate, to the Norton Museum. It would be her first visit, and our first time since the $100 million in major renovations were made. A big bonus was finding out that thanks to some generous grants, admission is free on both Fridays and Saturdays. What a wonderful gift to the residents of Palm Beach County and beyond. 

While it was Cate's first time, it felt like ours as well. The changes that have been made are, in a word, awesome. It's like a brand new museum, filled with larger exhibit spaces, a new auditorium, a revamped cafe and so much more. The flow from room to room is so much better. If you haven't been there lately, make it a point to go. 

Cate, who is quite the artist herself, took it all in and loved seeing art in all its diverse forms, from the Masters to modern light sculptures. Join her for a tour of the Norton Museum 2.0.

Photos by North Palm Beach Life

Pam and Cate at the reflective pool in front of the museum.
​Cate, see the giant typewriter eraser? "What's a typewriter?"

There are lots of places to sit and chat

One of the Toulouse-Lautrec
​ posters on exhibit

Learning about Toulouse-Lautrec

A short walk and we are transported to the Far East
​ and an exhibit of its amazing art treasures.

​Whether it's Picasso or something
more traditional, we're sure Cate will be
inspired as she creates
​her own "masterpieces."

​Classic movie posters --
that's something both
Cate and Pam love!

"Gigi  (Cate's name for Pam) let's go this way!"

...​or maybe this way.

​We're longtime admirers of Dale Chihuly's amazing glass creations. This ceiling of Chihuly glass is called "Persian Sealife Ceiling," and is just breathtaking. 

Cate wonders: "It's so big -- how did they ever carry it?"

Cate and I flash the "peace sign" in front of this fluorescent light sculpture

We had to try the new cafe before we left. Cate gives the lemonade with strawberries two thumbs up!

There's much more to see and do at the Norton,
but we'll save that for the next time!