Norton Museum gets $750,000 in federal funding for structural, safety improvements

The Norton Museum of Art has been tapped to receive federal funds for structural and safety improvements.

During a press conference Friday, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel announced $750,000 in new funding for the museum, which opened in 1941 and features approximately 9,000 works of art in five curatorial departments.

It is the first donation from the federal government in the Norton's 82-year-history, museum officials said, and they expressed gratitude to Frankel for prioritizing the arts during her time in Washington, D.C.

The money will be used to improve the structural integrity and security of the Norton's facilities and overall energy efficiency in order to better protect its valuable art collection, the museum said.

"This museum and museums all over the world go far beyond the study of painting and beauty," Frankel said during a presentation at the Norton's outdoor plaza. "To me, it's just a place of joy. Most importantly, museums get to the minds of people. Art is like the maps and oceans of the human mind.

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"In this day and age of such polarization, museums are places where people can bond, all walks of life and all ages. It doesn't matter what your political positions are. You can feel it when you walk around."

"We believe that the arts and thriving art institutions are essential to the well-being, success and prosperity of any community," said Bruce Gendelman, the Norton's board chairman. "And that's even more true in a community like this one, which, due to incredible opportunity and great leadership, is growing exponentially every day.

"We also know that arts in this country don't often receive the support from our government that they do in different parts of the world, and that is why I'm so grateful to Rep. Frankel, my friend for a long time, for her dedication, hard work and vision to make the Norton a priority."

The Norton is one of 15 local non-profit projects that Frankel submitted for funding through the Community Project Funding process, which allows members of Congress to secure investments for specific non-profit or governmental programs in their communities.

The Norton, Frankel said, is an important economic generator for the community, supporting 650 full-time equivalent jobs and generating an economic impact of over $20 million a year.

"The money will go to help with the structure and energy, and to make sure this museum is here for lots of generations. This museum has been here for 80 years, making art accessible to hundreds of thousands of visitors to our schoolchildren and to our residents," Frankel said.

The money will be used specifically to redo the museum's roof and boost its overall energy efficiency, said Ghislain d’Humières, the Norton's director and CEO.

"We're making sure the museum is really in the best condition for the collection," he said. "A museum is a hub of creativity. It's a place where you have a dialogue between generations. It's a place where the younger generations can learn from others around the world. It's very vital for every community to have a museum, because it's a place where you're going to learn about what the world is going to be."

The Norton Museum of Art, at 1450 S. Dixie Highway., West Palm Beach, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Wednesdays through September.

For information, visit www.norton.org or call 561-832-5196.

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: U.S. Rep. Frankel announces $750,000 in federal funding for Norton Museum