NEWS from SAUGATUCK/DOUGLAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Kit Lane
(269) 857-2781
kitlane@wmol.com

JULY 29 "TUESDAYS 'TIL NOON" LECTURE
TO FOCUS ON MURALIST JOHN W. NORTON
 

SAUGATUCK, JULY 18, 2008 -- "Tuesdays 'til Noon", a weekly series of one-hour lectures at the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society Museum, will feature "John Warner Norton: Telling stories with murals", a review of this renowned artist's work and local experiences presented by his granddaughter Kay Smalley on Tuesday, July 29, at 11 a.m.

Norton first came to Saugatuck in 1900 as a student at the Art Institute of Chicago, later returning as an instructor in mural painting during the early days of Ox-Bow. Having created many murals throughout the Midwest, many of which remain today, he was known for historical themes fitted into the context of the building he was decorating. As an example, in The Logan Museum of Anthropology at Beloit College in Wisconsin, he painted 12 panels depicting the physical and cultural history of man, focusing on cultures related to specimens in the museum's collection.

Smalley, a retired professor of biology at Emporia State University in Kansas, summers in Saugatuck where she is a frequent Historical Society volunteer and member of the Ox-Bow Auxiliary Board. In addition to showing photos of Norton murals and talking about the stories behind those paintings, she will offer a family perspective on her artist-grandfather's personal connections to Saugatuck.

Tuesdays 'til Noon talks are held in the south gallery of the Museum, with audience capacity limited to 50 guests so early arrival is recommended. Parking and admission are free, donations welcomed.

The program ends promptly at noon when the Museum opens for the day. Its new 2008 exhibit offers unusual insights into our area's past with "13 Moments in Time: The Artist as Storyteller". Built around a selection of seldom-seen paintings and drawings completed in Saugatuck from 1898 to 2002, this exhibit evokes historical vignettes of Saugatuck and Douglas at the time each artwork was created. For more information visit www.sdhistoricalsociety.org.

Founded in 1992, the Saugatuck-Douglas Museum occupies the historic Saugatuck Pump House at 735 Park Street, along the west shore of the Kalamazoo River at Mt. Baldhead Park, a short walk north from the Saugatuck Chain Ferry landing. Tel: (269) 857-7900.

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