Something borrowed: Norton Museum of Art celebrates borrowing and lending at annual gala

The Norton Museum of Art's annual gala was an early Valentine to the people who love art, the people who collect art and above all, the people who loan art.

The event took place Feb. 3 and celebrated the season's headline exhibitions, which brought rarely exhibited masterpieces and transformative works of art to the public, thanks to the foresight of visionary collectors.

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Artists in Motion: Impressionist and Modern Masterpieces from the Pearlman Collection included Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet and Vincent van Gogh. Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder shared works by Richard Avedon, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks and Joyce Tenneson.

Lorna James and Lisa Tananbaum were co-chairwomen of the committee for the gala, which began with cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres in the Great Hall, a leisurely look at the featured exhibitions, and a walk in the garden to view the vintage Rolls Royce spray-painted by artist Kenny Scharf.

Less enlightened communities would call that "vandalism." But here in the Palm Beaches, art, like love, is where you find it.

After cocktails, guests moved to a large clear tent, transformed into an Impressionist painting with trellised greenery and tables covered in linens of varying blue hues, set with gold-and-white dinnerware and centered with arrangements of roses and gypsophilia.

Ghislain d’Humières, museum director and CEO, spoke briefly.

“The success of the gala weekend is a testament to the love our supporters have for the Norton Museum of Art,” he said. “We are overwhelmed by their continued commitment.

The evening continued with dinner ― shrimp, avocado and tomato salad; filet of beef with potato gratin and Mediterranean vegetable; and meringue tart ― a live auction and dancing that went on until some guy named Vincent called and said the music was hurting his ear.

OK, not really.

Lori Gendelman, Nicki Harris, Josephine Kalisman and Amy Phelan were committee members.

Proceeds from the event assist the Norton Museum of Art in its mission to collect, preserve and exhibit art; and to engage the public through diverse special exhibitions, publications, and events.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Society: Norton Museum gala celebrates borrowing, lending