WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach is one of the oldest and largest art museums in Florida. It features more than 8,200 works by renowned artists such as Degas, Picasso and Monet.
WPTV recently visited the museum and spoke with Director and CEO Ghislain d'Humieres.
"For me, a museum is a hub of creativity," d'Humieres said. "It's a safe place for very difficult conversations. It's a place where you have a dialogue between generations about art from around the world."
From the Rodin exhibit to the Chihuly exhibit it's easy to see why this museum is unique.
"When you work in a museum, you see kids and even adults lying on the floor, contemplating the art," referencing the Chihuly exhibit on the ceiling.
The museum was founded in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton and his wife Elizabeth Calhoun Norton, who had a vast art collection.
"He wanted his art to be shared specifically with underserved communities," d'Humieres said. "It's important to remember that in the 1940s, West Palm Beach had a population of around 250,000 people, which were mostly 'the help,' the cook, the maid, the gardener from the island (of Palm Beach)."
The museum has inspired a diverse range of art lovers from across South Florida and the globe. That includes Asif Hoque, who first visited the museum at age 8 after moving to America from Rome.
"Norton did a wonderful job of curating a space for someone (like me), who was hungry for something like this but didn't know where to look," Hoque recalled.
More than two decades later, Hoque is now an artist featured at the Norton.
"My mom always said that I picked up a brush before I could pick up a pencil, and I started painting letters instead of writing them down," he noted.
Sometimes a hidden gem is not just a place, but a source of inspiration.
"And if we change people, then we've done our job," d'Humieres said.
