The Norton Simon Art Museum

A couple of months ago, some friends and I decided to check out the renowned Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena. Sitting right along a busy highway in the heart of one of Southern California's most historical cities, it provides the ideal home to many fantastic works of fine art.

The museum itself is comprised of two floors, one ground-level and a basement. These floors then extend outward to form massive wings on either side of the main hall. I particularly enjoyed the way the artwork was organized, the top floor housing all western works and the basement, eastern. Though one work of the same region after another could become repetitive, the separation provided that clear contrast necessary to understand the vast differences between works of the east and west.

There was not much interactivity employed by the museum, except for guided audio tours. Then again, there can only be so many interactive techniques available when dealing with priceless art.

After visiting the museum, I realized that I knew nearly nothing about some of the great artists responsible for such fine work. With this in regard, I would suggest perhaps a pamphlet that gives a background on some of the major artists represented at the museum or even added information on the cue-cards displayed directly next to the work.