The Norton Museum of Art is celebrating 75 years with a variety of fun and free events.
Since the Norton opened in February of 1941, the museum is going retro with visitors with several musical performances
Visitors can enter the museum for free Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
That evening, the weekly Art After Dark event which is presented every Thursday will be elevated with some special features. Swing music and show tunes will be performed and dance lessons will be taught in the spirit of the 1940s. Newsreels from the 1940s will play as a backdrop. Period costumes will be displayed. Visitors can learn about works of art that were on display when the museum first opened, and create miniature artworks based on 1940s masterpieces from the Norton’s Museum Collection.
The schedule for the 75th Anniversary Art After Dark event:
5-9 p.m. The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum displays costumes from the period / Atrium
5-7 p.m. Cast members from Wick Theatre productions pop up throughout the evening to pay musical tribute to the 1940s. / Atrium
5-7 p.m. Chloe Dolandis sings classics from ‘40s / Shapiro Great Hall
5:30-6 p.m. Tour: Art of the 1940s in the Museum Collection
6-8 p.m. DIY class: Make a miniature version of a Norton Collection favorite / Reynolds Classroom
6-9 p.m. Newsreels of the 1940s / Terrace Room
6:30 p.m. Tour: Highlights of Mr. and Mrs. Norton's Collection
7-9 p.m. Concert: The Swing All-Stars perform; dance lessons provided / Schwartz Theater
The free festivities also extend to the popular Chinese New Year celebration at the museum. Saturday, February 13, 2016 you can celebrate the Year of the Monkey for free from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Festivities begin at noon.
Last year, the event drew more than 2,000 visitors. A dragon dance, music performance, martial arts demonstration and fireworks finale and more have been scheduled. There will also be gallery talks about a recently acquired Chinese painting called, Majestic Mountain Retreats. This free celebration is made possible in part through the generosity of John and Heidi Niblack.
The schedule for Chinese New Year celebrations:
Noon - 3 p.m. DIY: Celebrate the Year of the Monkey by making a monkey mask
12:30 - 1 p.m. Tour: Masterpieces of Chinese Art
1-5 p.m. Art Workshop: create traditional Lunar New Year decorations
1:30-2 p.m. Children’s concert and chat: Music for the Chinese Lute with Sun Li
1:30-2 p.m. Curator’s Conversation by Laurie Barnes: Majestic Mountain Retreats: 17th-and 18th-Century Monumental Chinese Landscape Paintings
2-2:30 p.m. “Storytainer” Monica Ladd presents Chinese New Year Tales
2-2:40 p.m. Docent-led Spotlight Talks in the Chinese Collection
2-2:50 p.m. Tour: Museum Highlights
3 p.m. Dragon Dance (and photo op) outside the Museum’s entrance
3:15-4 p.m. Tour: Degas, van Gogh, and Impressionism at the Norton
4-4:30 p.m. Chinese New Year Tales encore presentation with Monica Ladd
4-4:40 p.m. Docent-led Spotlight Talks in the Chinese Collection
4-7 p.m. Art Workshop: Xu Bing’s Square Word Calligraphy
5-6 p.m. Concert: The Sound of the Pipa: A Spring Festival Concert with Sun Li
6:15-6:45 p.m. Tour: Masterpieces of Chinese Art
7 p.m. Fireworks over the Intracoastal viewed from the East Courtyard
7:15 p.m. Last seating in The Café for dinner
To learn more about the Norton Museum of Art and upcoming events and shows, visit www.norton.org or call 561-832-5196.