Education
Community Enrichment Program
Created in 2008, the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens’ Community Enrichment Program is designed to preserve and provide cultural opportunities to all populations, through innovative programming incorporating the visual arts, environmental awareness, and interpretive history of Ann Weaver Norton. The program looks to foster collaborative partnerships and set the standard for good stewardship of the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens for future generations. One way in which we achieved this is through our adult and youth educational programs.
Community Enrichment Forum
The ANSG created a Community Enrichment Forum to assess the educational and cultural needs in the community and determine how the ANSG can meet the needs of students, teachers and families in Palm Beach County. Presenting information and programs that meet the highest level of quality and utilize best practices is a priority of the Community Enrichment Program. The forum ensures accuracy and excellence of all printed materials and programs. The forum consists of qualified professionals in the fields of education, visual art, environmental science, history, preservation and hortoculture.
Curriculum Grades K-10
In conjunction with guided tours, ANSG offers (K-grade 12) Palm Beach County approved Visual Arts, Language Arts and Science curriculum. Curriculum is interactive and can be previewed on our website. A field trip to the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, with its rich history and culture and its unique hands-on field experience can have a sustainable and, positive impact on student achievement. Workshops and guided tours of Ann Norton’s studio, sculpture gardens and the current exhibition are available Monday-Sunday by appointment. ANSG offers students an innovative way to apply creative, critical and strategic thinking in a unique and challenging environment. Curriculum can be previewed on our website. For the 2009-2010 academic year and into the future, the ANSG will patner with the Kids Ecology Corp. and present exciting ANSG site-specific educational programs.
Educational Tours
The Gardens provides guided tours for adult and student groups. The tours tell the story of Ann Norton’s life, her creative influences, artwork and how she came to live in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was Norton’s specific intention that her work, studio, and garden environment be left for the enjoyment and education of the community. The ANSG’s environment teaches to multiple intelligences and is interdisciplinary in nature. Visitors will gain an understanding of the artistic mediums and techniques Norton utilized to create her sculptures. Additionally, visitors will discover the native plants, creatures, and 300 species of rare palms noted throughout the property. The property is so diverse that all visitors can find something to connect with in this local treasure. ANSG offers walking tours provided by
Literacy Day at the Gardens
In partnership with the Literacy Coalition and TD Charitable Foundation, the ANSG created a one of kind event that provides 1000 students, including under-served and at risk populations, with a new and creative way to approach reading. Participants enjoy being read to by authors, librarians and volunteers in this two day event. Live storybook characters, a bookmaking station and innovative language arts and visual arts curriculum inspire the children to read, write and embrace the mystery and power of literacy. Our rare palm and native plant gardens and our annual Festival of Trees provides the magical backdrop. Teachers and students alike voted it there favorite school visit and can’t wait to return next year.
Earth Days Celebration
Developed in 2008 as a one day school event, Earth Day now serves 1,600 students annually. School groups begin their Earth Day experience by receiving a passport and traveling throughout the garden to unique hands-on activity stations. Stations explore environmental science, preservation, conservation and environmental art. Based on the value of collaborative partnerships the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Kids Ecology Corp. The Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society, Solid Waste Authority and the Arthur Marshall Foundation join us along with other like minded organization to provide this unique Earth Day experience for school children. Earth Days creates lasting environmental stewardship by teaching students how to conserve, preserve, and recycle to keep our Earth and our local community “Green”
Internships
The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students. Interns become involved in a range of professional activities, including assisting staff with research, marketing and PR, archiving, exhibition installation, program facilitation and a variety of other duties related to the operation of a non-profit cultural institution.
The Internship Program provides college and graduate students from around the country with exciting, marketable, and useful real-world job skills while providing the gardens with much needed skills and volunteer hours. This program increases awareness and stewardship for the future of the gardens by nuturing relationships with intelligent and capable young adults who express an interest in the arts and the environment. Eligibility:
The ANSG accepts internship applications from college students or high school juniors or seniors. Selection criteria include merit, areas of interests, enthusiasm and communication skills. While an interest in art or history is preferred, students do not have to have an extensive background in these areas of study. Other interests may include administration, marketing & public relations, special events and education.
Interpretive History of Ann Norton
The Interpretive History of Ann Weaver Norton is a document of text, quotes, and images which illustrate the history of Ann Weaver Norton’s life, art, and philosophy as well as the history of the land, home and gardens in which she created and resided. This informative booklet funded in part by a grant from the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, will be available on our website for visitors, educators and partners as a piece to enhance their visit to the gardens. The Interpretive History of Ann Norton will be available September 2009.
Exhibitions
As defined by Ann Norton herself, exhibitions of aspiring artist are to be held through the home and property for the enjoyment of the community. To that end regional, national and international exhibitions are held each year. Ann Norton’s art remains permanently on display throughout the garden, artist studio and home. It is the charge of the Board of Trustees to move forward the art of Ann Weaver Norton to its rightful place in American Art History.
Plein Air in the Gardens
Plein air is a term derived from the French phrase en plein air, which literally means 'in the open air'. It's a familiar concept today, but in the late 1800s when the Impressionists ventured out of their studios into nature to investigate and capture the effects of sunlight and different times of days on a subject, it was quite revolutionary. The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens offers students and artists of all ages the unique opportunity to be inspired by and paint, draw or photograph the beautiful palms and foliage in the Gardens’ safe environment.
For information contact Pamela at 561-832-5328 or click here to email
