Shreveport's secret gallery

Don't overlook this secluded art treasure in a quiet residential neighborhood.

So many great new things sparkle, buzz, and pop in Shreveport, Louisiana, these days. An art lover's trove tucked into a wooded neighborhood, The R. W. Norton Art Gallery is one of the best. Though it sprang up here in 1966 (the architecture alone will tell you that), several exhibit areas have recently received face-lifts.

The gallery's greatest beauty lies inside, where you can happily spend a few hours gazing at paintings, sculptures, miniature portraits, hand-painted Royal Doulton china, tapestries, Wedgwood pieces, dolls, Steuben glass, and even a room of antique firearms.

This art gallery is perhaps best known for its Western collection of works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. You can step close to many of the bronze sculptures to spy the detail. Other sections afford massive wallspace for huge works, such as Peter Ellenshaw's stunning landscape of the Himalayas, and benches where you can sit in awe and take in the scope of the pieces.

Many visitors feel the grounds are as alluring as the exhibits during azalea season. Scores of the bloom-- loaded bushes have had decades to grow. Certainly enjoy, but don't forget the real reason you came. Go inside, and get lost in unexpected wonder.

The R. W. Norton Art Gallery: 4747 Creswell Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71106; (318) 865-4201.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved