Museums and Art Galleries (Self Guided), West Palm Beach

Located in West Palm Beach on Barcelona Road, the Norton Ann Sculpture Gardens features a beautiful presentation of the artwork of the late artist, Ann Weaver Norton. The gardens, home, and studio feature sculptures made of bronze, stone, and wood. In addition, the garden contains over 300 species of tropical palms.

Established by Ann Weaver Norton in 1977, the objective of the garden is to allow visitors to enjoy the artist’s work and to learn about her life. Patrons are encouraged to explore and to ask many questions. In addition, the works of other artists, such as Rene von Richthofen, Dennis O’Kain, Andrè Masson, Austin Manchester, and John James Audubon, are featured. There are also guest lectures on the works of artists such as Ansell Adams.

There are many activities that children will enjoy at the gardens. One of the highlights of the garden that everyone will enjoy is the annual Festival of the Trees. The Read-Write-Recite, Egg Hunt, Earth Days at the Gardens, Halloween in the Gardens, Literacy Days, Story Times, Writing Workshops, and the Little Explorers Summer Program are some of the programs developed specifically for children.

The garden is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Those wishing to schedule student tours or workshops should do so three weeks in advance. The garden was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The location is popular among the locals for weddings, professional photos shoots and private events.

The Art Center is currently located in the building of the old Palm Beach County Armory. This location has been rented from the Palm Beach authorities for 1 dollar per year since 1986. The building itself was designed in Art Deco style by architect William Manley King in 1939. During the 1950s and 1960s, the building was used for Palm Beach High School dances and other community events. In 1987, the Norton School of Art decided to close their doors. The Center opened its doors in 1987, becoming the meeting place of many young artists and musicians. No major architectural changes have been made to the building since that period. This edifice was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Located on South Olive Avenue, the Norton Museum of Art was created in 1941 by businessman Ralph H. Norton to house his art collection. The mission of the exhibition hall is “to preserve for the future the beautiful things of the past." Marion Sims Wyeth designed the neoclassical style building.

The museum’s collection contains European and Chinese art from the 19th and 20th century to the present, and contemporary art and photography. Visitors will enjoy works from greats such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Monet, and Pollack. Current and past exhibits have displayed the works of Van Gogh, Jenny Saville, George O’Keefe, Mary Cassatt, and Andrew Wyeth.

The exhibition hall contains 14 galleries and an enclosed courtyard for special exhibitions. Outdoor sculptures, bronze vessels, and carved jade, are just a few of the items you will see when you visit. Chinese artifacts, such as the ritual wine pouring vessel, are simple yet beautiful.

In addition, the museum presents lectures, concerts, and programs that children and adults will enjoy. The onsite Café 1451 offers tasty meals and the museum shop sells a variety of gifts.

The museum is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Noon – 5 p.m.
Thursday: 10 – 5 p.m.
The museum and café are closed during major holidays.

The Palm Beach Photographic Center is a visual arts organization, founded by Fatima Nejame. The center hosts free-of-charge workshops and is involved in a number of other projects. It seeks to actively promote the art of photography, particularly among the new generation. It also houses a year-round museum and regularly organizes exhibitions. The center moved to the new library center in West Palm Beach in 2009, where they opened in a modern facility with more than 30,000 square feet. In the 1990s, the Center developed the annual FotoFusion photography festival, which has hosted international photographers such as Gordon Parks.

The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum opened in March 2008 thanks to the efforts of the Palm Beach Historical Society. Located within the 1916 Courthouse, its exhibitions include some of the two million photographic images, maps, newspapers, journals, periodicals, architectural drawings and research files that the Historical Society has been carefully preserving since its foundation in 1937. Thus, the museum offers insight into more than 12,000 years of Floridian history. The museum's collections include artifacts that once belonged to the Pre-Columbian inhabitants, Seminole Indians, early pioneers and more recent inhabitants of Palm Beach.