The Norton Simon Museum of Art essay

The Norton Simon Art museum is situated in Pasadena, the state of California, in the USA. The museum was formerly known by different names such as the Pasadena Art museum and the Pasadena institute of Arts. The Norton Simon has a wide variety of historical collections and artifacts which range from tapestries and sculptures, Ancient European paintings, Asian woodblocks, paintings and sculptures. The Museum includes the Norton Simon Theater, where films, lectures, musical and dance performances as well as symposia are hosted daily, and all the year-round. The museum is sited along the road of the Tournament of Roses’ Rose Parade, where it’s characteristic, exterior brown tiles can be perceived in the locale on television (National Magazine, 2010).

The Norton Simon Museum is a house for large historical collection which has an extreme international repute. The Museum also builds up provisional exhibitions that centers on a certain artistic period or art movement, focus on a particular artist, or deal with a particular piece of art that is indigenous to a specific country or region. The Norton Simon Museum is made up of two levels namely; the upper or main level, which houses the American European art of between the 14^th and the 20^th century. The second level is the lower level, which is made up of an extensive collection of architectural features and works of arts from the south Asian.  In addition, impermanent exhibit galleries may also be found downstairs, with the three sculpture gardens being accessed from both the lower and the middle level (Norton Simon Museum 2011).

There is a 300 seat theater that is located on the main level. Sparing some time to watch the orientation films being shown throughout the day provides one with an added insight and understanding of the collection. For instance, one of the films shown is a 30 minute documentary with reference to Norton Simon and his obsession for art; while the other 20 minutes film segments are created by PBS special in relation to Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum. All galleries found on the main level are arranged in a row so that a person can walk down one side and up the other side of each wing and be able to see everything (Deioma, 2011).