Norton Simon Museum Schedule Of Exhibitions And Events

Special Exhibitions

Ooo: Early Prints by Ed Ruscha : September 22, 2006 - January 22, 2007

One of today's most influential and celebrated American artists, Ed Ruscha (b.1937) has been an avid printmaker for more than forty years. This intimate exhibition presents a glimpse of his early experiments with lithography at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles in 1969.

From the minimalist Ooo to the iconic Hollywood in the Rain, this selection of 14 works demonstrates Ruscha's interest in language and popular culture, and his masterful ability to use text as subject.

The Collectible Moment: Photographs in the Norton Simon Museum : October 13, 2006 - February 26, 2007

The Norton Simon Museum presents The Collectible Moment, a first-ever survey of the Museum's photography collection, featuring 163 photographs by 104 artists along with ephemera from the Museum's archives. During the 1960s and early 1970s the Norton Simon Museum, known then as the Pasadena Art Museum (PAM), earned an international reputation for organizing critically acclaimed exhibitions featuring the work of established and emerging artists. In 1969, PAM distinguished itself again by establishing a photography department that advocated the collecting and exhibiting of contemporary work rather than an exclusively historical collection. In so doing, PAM stood in the vanguard of a small but
determined movement to validate photography as a major art form.

A Centennial Celebration: The Life of Norton Simon : Opens February 9, 2007

As part of a year of celebration in honor of the centennial of Norton Simon's birth, the Museum presents A Centennial Celebration: The Life of Norton Simon. This graphic timeline, pairing informative text with rarely seen photographs from the Museum's archives, explores Simon's many accomplishments in business and in the art world. This chronology includes his childhood in Oregon, his swift ascent in the business world, the important relationships he developed and the pivotal moments in his life. Simultaneously, the timeline follows Simon's interests and acquisitions as a collector, from his first purchase in the 1950s, to several memorable moments in auction rooms.

Events Calendar

Artist Talks : January 13, 11:00 a.m.

Bay Area photographer Judy Dater discusses her artworks featured in the exhibition The Collectible
Moment: Photographs in the Norton Simon Museum. Curator Gloria Williams Sander moderates the
discussion. Space is very limited. Please call (626) 844-6905 to make reservations.

February 3, 11:00 a.m. : Encounters: Darryl J. Curran

Los Angeles photographer Darryl J. Curran discusses his work and those of his contemporaries
featured in the exhibition The Collectible Moment: Photographs in the Norton Simon Museum. Curator
Gloria Williams Sander moderates the discussion. Space is very limited. Please call (626) 844-6905 to
make reservations.

Lectures

Friday, January 19, 7:00 p.m.: Where Images Come From:

The Photography of Frederick Sommer Leland Rice, Photographer Curator, author and Sommer scholar Leland Rice shares his first-hand knowledge of the innovative work of this great photographer. In this lecture, Rice speaks specifically about the impact that drawing and music had on Sommer's art.
Friday, February 9, 7:00 p.m.

From a Curator's Perspective: Norton Simon as a Collector

The Museum launches a year-long series of public programs surrounding the centenary of Norton
Simon's birth with this special lecture. Curators Sara Campbell, Gloria Williams Sander, Christine
Knoke and Michelle Deziel investigate Simon's interest in and building of specific segments of the
collection, including 19th-century Impressionist works, Old Master paintings and prints, South and
Southeast Asian sculpture and 20th-century art.

Friday, March 16, 7:00 p.m. : A Masterpiece from the Collection of the Last Duke of Mantua: Guido Cagnacci ' s Martha Rebuking

Mary for her Vanity Eliot W. Rowlands, Independent Scholar Among the masterpieces of large-scale, Italian Baroque pictures acquired by Norton Simon is Cagnacci's Martha Rebuking Mary for her Vanity, one of the painter's late works probably produced in Venice. The sacred subject done in a distinctly sensuous style must have had strong appeal to its first documented owner, the profligate Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, 10th and last Duke of Mantua. The colorful story of the dispersal of the Gonzaga collection will be highlighted with documentary information about the picture's early history and glimpses into the international art market of the time.

Film

Friday, February 23, 6:30 p.m. : Lust for Life (1956)

In this award-winning film directed by Vincente Minnelli, actor Kirk Douglas offers a fierce portrayal of
tormented artist Vincent van Gogh. The obsessed van Gogh painted the way other men breathe,
driving away family and friends, including artist Paul Gauguin (played by Anthony Quinn, who won the
1956 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role). Beautifully shot to capture the hues of
van Gogh's sea, field and sky, Lust for Life explores the ecstasy of art, and the agony of one man's
short life.

Performances

Saturday, February 24, 8:00 p.m. : Southwest Chamber Music

The Grammy Award¯winning ensemble performs music by Edgar Varèse, William Kraft and Igor
Stravinsky in the Museum's theater. For information and to purchase tickets, please call Southwest
Chamber Music at (800) 726-7147.

Friday, March 30, 7:00 p.m. : Courbet and Liszt: Revolution in Art and Music

Polli Chambers-Salazar, Pianist In the mid-19th century, French painter Gustave Courbet challenged the prevailing standards of landscape painting held by the French Academy. At the same time, composer Franz Liszt was a foremost figure in the "Progressive" school. His music broke away from the conservative traditions of the past, and dazzled audiences with its sheer virtuosity. Pianist Polli Chambers-Salazar presents a program on the works of these two revolutionary artists and their colleagues. She will perform piano music composed during the 19th century and examine the interconnections between the art and music of that era.

ArtNight

Friday, March 9, 6:00-10:00 p.m.

Twice a year, Pasadena's cultural institutions partner to present a citywide open house, offering free
admission, shuttle buses to each venue and extended hours. Enjoy the best of Pasadena's museums,
galleries, performing arts groups and more-and take this opportunity to see A Centennial Celebration: The Life of Norton Simon. For more information, please visit www.artnightpasadena.org.

Guided Tours

A staff educator leads these informative sessions. Tours at 1:00 or 7:00 p.m. are one hour, and those
at 2:00 p.m. are twenty minutes.

Friday, January 5, 7:00 p.m.: At Home in 17th-century Holland Enter the realm of Dutch domestic life, from its interiors to its customs.

Saturday, January 13, 1:00 p.m. : Seeing Photography: Experiments in Process and Technique
Investigate the innovative practices forged by photographers of the 20th century in this tour of the
exhibition The Collectible Moment.

Sunday, January 21, 2:00 p.m. : The Art of Collecting: Bassano's The Flight into Egypt , c. 1544-1545
Join in this painting's journey from a Benedictine monastery to the Norton Simon Museum's collections.

Friday, February 2, 7:00 p.m. : Fixed in Light Explore fleeting moments captured by historical and modern photographers.

Saturday, February 10, 1:00 p.m. : Seeing Photography: Process and Technique Investigate the innovative practices forged by photographers of the 20th century in this tour of the exhibition The Collectible Moment.

Sunday, February 18, 2:00 p.m. : The Art of Collecting: Shiva , Cambodia, Angkor period, c. 925
Hear the story of how the head and body of this colossal sculpture were reunited.

Friday, March 2, 7:00 p.m. : More than Meets the Eye Unlock hidden meaning in artwork through signs and symbols found in some of the Museum's most compelling paintings.

Sunday, March 18, 2:00 p.m. : The Art of Collecting: Rembrandt's Portrait of a Boy, Presumed to be the Artist's Son, Titus , c. 1645-1650 In 1965, Norton Simon purchased the famous Rembrandt painting at a Christie's auction in New York. That acquisition, involving a complicated bidding system, a Greek shipping tycoon and a great deal of media attention, illustrates Simon's passion and drive to build an outstanding art collection. Learn about the dramatic way this masterpiece was acquired.

Spotlight Talks

Enjoy a 15-minute focused discussion every Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

January 5, 12, 19, 26 : Explore the land and people of Mexico through the lens of the master photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo.

February 2, 9, 16, 23 : Meet the man who amassed one of the country's most significant art collections through Don Bachardy's portrait Norton Simon.

March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 : Learn about Holi, the Hindu spring festival commemorating the legend of an evil king, beside Man-Lion Avatar of Vishnu.

Programs for Children

Wednesday, January 3, 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 28, 2:00 p.m. : Stories in the Afternoon: Meet Some Shutterbugs Delve into the adventures of photographers through books, then make a "Look, it's Me!" box based on images in the exhibition The Collectible Moment.

Saturday, January 20, 1:00 p.m. : Family Day: Rattles, Flutes, Bells and Vinas Explore the world of sound in Hindu sculpture, then create your own special musical instrument.

Wednesday, February 7, 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 25, 2:00 p.m.: Stories in the Afternoon: Let it Snow! Cozy up with stories about wintertime, then make delicate snowflakes and icemen marionettes beside Sisley's Louveciennes in the Snow (1872).

Saturday, February 17, 1:00 p.m. : Family Day: What Do Photos Say? Look for telling details in photographs, then create your own storybook.

Wednesday, March 7, 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 25, 2:00 p.m.: Stories in the Afternoon: Wondrous Creatures Get acquainted with some fantastic animals through books, then craft your own animal mask beside Rousseau's Exotic Landscape (1910).

Saturday, March 17, 1:00 p.m. : Family Day : What Is the Color Green? St. Patrick's Day, nature, envy-explore this verdant hue in artworks, then make a shamrock color wheel.

By www.nortonsimon.org