Fifty years ago, the Pasadena Art Museum teetered on the edge of extinction. Its daring spirit had put modern art on the map — but by 1974, its debts had nearly buried it.
Today, that same museum stands reborn as one of Southern California’s cultural crown jewels: the Norton Simon Museum.
And this weekend, it’s throwing a three-day celebration worthy of the man who saved it.
From Nov. 7–9, visitors can enjoy free admission, live performances, extended hours, and a lineup of community-minded festivities — all in honor of the museum’s 50th anniversary.
But behind the golden glow of celebration lies a remarkable story of rescue, reinvention, and one man’s vision for what art could mean to Pasadena.
The Rescue That Changed Everything
By the early 1970s, the Pasadena Art Museum — once a bold hub for contemporary experimentation — was running out of time and money. Its striking new building on Colorado Boulevard, completed in 1969, had strained the budget far beyond repair.
By 1974, the museum was more than $1 million in debt and owed an $850,000 loan it couldn’t repay. The doors were about to close.
Enter Norton Simon: an industrialist, philanthropist, and one of the most prolific private art collectors in America. Where others saw a failing institution, Simon saw a lifeline. He offered to pay off the museum’s debts — but only if he could use its galleries to display his world-class collection.
The deal was controversial. Pasadena lost its modern art museum, but gained something extraordinary in return. And what could have been a cultural casualty became the cornerstone of the city’s artistic identity.
A Collection Worth Saving
Simon’s personal collection was more than a trophy case — it was a love letter to art across centuries and continents.
Visitors today can trace that passion through masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Renoir — and works by Van Gogh including six paintings, an early drawing, an etching, and a handwritten letter.
The museum also boasts more than 100 works by Degas, from luminous pastels to dynamic bronzes, and one of the finest holdings of South and Southeast Asian art in the country — including Chola bronzes, serene Khmer sculptures, and sacred relics spanning 2,000 years.
More than 12,000 objects make up the museum’s collection, with roughly 800 on view at any time. Simon’s minimalist philosophy — quiet galleries, spare wall text — still invites visitors to connect directly with the art, free of distraction.
A Building That Shines — Literally
Anyone who’s watched the Rose Parade has glimpsed Norton Simon’s distinctive curves. The 1969 structure, designed by Ladd & Kelsey, gleams beneath 115,000 hand-glazed Heath tiles, their bronze-brown sheen catching the California light.
Renovated in the late 1990s by Frank Gehry, the museum balances mid-century modernism with a serene sense of space. Its sculpture garden, originally designed by Nancy Goslee Power, has been refreshed just in time for this year’s milestone — a tranquil oasis where Rodin bronzes reflect in the lily ponds.
A Legacy That Endures
When Norton Simon passed away in 1993, he left behind more than a museum — he left a philosophy: that art, at its best, should belong to everyone.
This weekend, Pasadena gathers to celebrate his legacy — honoring both the museum’s enduring presence and its ever-evolving spirit.
Major exhibitions featured include:
- Gold: Enduring Power, Sacred Craft — approximately 60 objects spanning 3,000 years, from Roman jewelry to Asian religious sculpture.
- Retrospect: 50 Years at the Norton Simon Museum — archival photographs, installation views, and a timeline of key acquisitions.
- 50 Objects — fresh research and rediscovered stories behind longtime favorites.
- Recollections — a new publication of essays by current and former staff, reflecting on five decades of art and stewardship.
The Norton Simon Museum is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd. in Old Pasadena. For more information call (626) 449-6840 or visit https://www.nortonsimon.org/
Free admission all weekend (Nov. 7–9). Extended hours: Friday & Saturday, 12–7 p.m.; Sunday, 12– 5 p.m.
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