Artist Annie Weaver Norton will be brought to life from the pages of Caroline Seebohm’s latest book and into one of her favorite settings at a book signing and lecture reception on April 9 at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens at 6 p.m. The evening’s events will spotlight Seebohm’s Monumental Dreams: The Life and Sculpture of Ann Norton.
In Monumental Dreams, Seebohm tells the story of how Ann Norton, a quiet and focused child of the South, left her native Alabama roots to become a sculptor in New York City. There the petite powerhouse studied with John Hovannes and Jose de Creeft and was studio assistant to Alexander Archipenko. Her work was well received, and by age 35, she had already participated in group shows at MOMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Despite her burgeoning career, Norton found New York a difficult place to live. In search of paying work, she moved to West Palm Beach, where she became a teacher at the Norton Gallery and School of Art, founded by retired Acme Steel president Ralph Hubbard Norton. The two built a relationship based on love as well as common aesthetic values, and after his death, she built her finest and most lasting work. Today, her monolithic sculptures—in the spirit of Stonehenge, Henry Moore and Buddhist temple art—can be admired just behind the magical garden gates, amidst the high rises along West Palm Beach’s waterfront.
The book signing and lecture event will mark an inaugural community outreach effort of the newly launched Gardens Conservancy at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. Conservancy projects will aim to open hearts and minds of all ages to the art and nature of these surroundings, cultivate creative community partnerships to enhance educational programs and cultural awareness, and implement exciting horticultural projects to maintain the garden as a vibrant feature of our community.
Tickets to the book signing and reception are $50 per person or $75 per couple. Each reservation includes a copy of Monumental Dreams. ANSG members’ tickets are priced at $35 per person or $50 per couple.
For more information about the Gardens Conservancy at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens or to make advance reservations for the April 9 book signing event, call 561-832-5328 or visit ansg.org.
Caroline Seebohm
Photo Credit: Karen McLean Peterson
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
2051 South Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach
561-832-5328 | ansg.org
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