Major Retrospective of California Decorative Style Pioneers California as Muse: The Art of Arthur & Lucia Mathews October 6–December 9, 2007

West Palm Beach, Fl – The Norton Museum of Art is pleased to present California as Muse: The Art of Arthur & Lucia Mathews. This exhibition presents a major retrospective of the signature artworks, furniture and decorative objects by two of California’s most important twentieth-century artists. They developed an artistic style that drew inspiration from the California landscape with a devotion to the high art of the classical past, thereby forming what has become known as the California Decorative Style. California as Muse: The Art of Arthur & Lucia Mathews will present 60 examples of the Mathewses’ light-infused landscapes, graceful figures and intricately carved furniture and decorative objects, while the accompanying catalogue chronicles over 250 such creations.

At the beginning of the last century California was envisioned by its inhabitants as a new Arcadia, a transplanted Mediterranean zone where the pure arts would flourish, over the harsh and ugly aspects of industrialism, in the full light and warmth of the sun. This was especially true in San Francisco after the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. At the forefront of this California as “the other Europe-in-the-making” were Arthur and Lucia Mathews, a husband-and-wife team of artists who lived in San Francisco at the time.

The Norton Museum is the second venue for this stunning and comprehensive exhibition; it premiered at The Oakland Museum of California in 2006 and will travel to the Akron Art Museum, Ohio in 2008.

Organized by the Oakland Museum of California. 

The Oakland Museum of California acknowledges the following contributors: The Oakland Museum Women’s Board; The Brayton Wilbur Foundation; the Art Guild of the Oakland Museum of California; The National Endowment for the Arts; Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Holloway; and Nancy Stryble, in memory of Francis and Margaret Stryble.

Local sponsorship of this exhibition is made possible in part through the generosity of the Gioconda and Joseph King Endowment for Exhibitions, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Norton Museum of Art is open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. (Closed Mondays from May through October and on major holidays.) General admission is $8 for adults, $3 for visitors ages 13-21, and free for Members and children under 13.  West Palm Beach residents receive free admission to the Museum Collection every Saturday, with proof of residency. Palm Beach County residents receive free admission to the Museum Collection the first Saturday of each month, with proof of residency.  An additional charge may apply for special exhibitions. For general information, please call (561) 832-5196 or visit www.norton.org.