Kenny Scharf, created KARBOMBZ! At a live event which was the final piece in his long-running series. Scharf spray painted a 1989 Rolls-Royce in the Museum’s Goergen Garden generously provided by Beth Rudin DeWoody. Scharf’s graffiti gained him notoriety in the New York downtown art scene of the 1980s. The work will return to DeWoody’s collection and be featured as Scharf’s final work in an upcoming publication.
On Saturday, February 3rd over 800 guests gathered for hors d’ oeuvres, cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a live auction via a partnership with Sotheby’s. The gala recognizes the significance of visionary collectors, including the founders, Ralph and Elizabeth Norton. Today their original collection stands next to headlining exhibitions, Artists in Motion: Impressionist and Modern Masterpieces from the Pearlman Collection, including Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, and Vincent van Gogh, and Presence: The Photography from the Judy Glickman Lauder Collection, with works by Richard Avedon, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, and Joyce Tenneson.
The fifth Gala Auction with the help of Sotheby’s raised $3.7 million for the Museum’s exhibitions and programs for the Palm Beach County community. The programs include school partnerships, Art After Dark, and the Community Access Program. They also bring world-class exhibitions, artists, and works of art to South Florida. The Auction showcased more than 47 works by pre-eminent artists from some of the world’s leading galleries.
“The success of the Gala Weekend is a testament to the love our supporters have for the Norton Museum of Art,” said Ghislain d’Humières, Kenneth C. Griffin Director and CEO. “We are overwhelmed by their continued commitment, and the generosity of the artists and galleries supporting this year’s auction.”
The Gala Weekend is the result of months of preparation and hard work by Gala Weekend Chairs, Gala Committee, and Auction Committee, as well as Norton Museum staff.
The Gala Weekend Chairs were Lorna James, Lisa Tananbaum, Silvia Zoullas, George Frederick Mead Merck, and Sue Wrigley. The Gala Committee was comprised of Lori Gendelman, Nicki Harris, Josephine Kalisman, Nicola Marcus, and Amy Phelan. The Auction Committee included Nicki Harris, Jane Holzer, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Waqas Wajahat, and Silvia Zoullas.
“As always, we are so grateful for the hard work our committees put into creating a special evening of support for the Museum we all love,” d’Humières said.
ABOUT THE NORTON MUSEUM OF ART
Founded in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton and his wife Elizabeth Calhoun Norton, The Norton Museum of Art collects, preserves, and exhibits art, and engages the public through diverse special exhibitions, publications, and events. Programs, lectures, and workshops are held year-round, emphasizing activating works on view and inspiring the public through the power of art. The Museum is internationally known for its collection of more than 8,500 works of art in American Art, Chinese Art, Contemporary Art, European Art, and Photography.
In 2019, The Museum underwent a comprehensive expansion and renovation, designed by London-based architecture firm Foster + Partners, adding a building that includes over 12,000 square feet of new gallery space, an educational center, a store and restaurant, a sculpture garden, and a Great Hall, serving as the Museum’s “living room.” The new campus also features renovated, Museum-owned, 1920s-era cottages that house artists-in-residence.
Visit the Museum’s website or see them on Instagram, and Facebook.
