The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach is hosting a pair of sculptures that will later be part of a trio of them on display in the garden of Forte on Flagler, a luxury condominium complex set to open in 2025.
The two sculptures at the Norton are part of West Palm Beach Art Walk, a collaboration between Forte on Flagler’s developers and the city of West Palm Beach through its ArtLife WPB program.
“The collaboration between Forté on Flagler, the city of West Palm Beach and the Norton Museum of Art further integrates our dedication to the local arts community, providing residents and the entire neighborhood access to world-class sculptures in a peaceful, natural oasis in downtown West Palm Beach,” said Reid Boren, managing partner of Two Roads Development, one of the developers of Forté on Flagler. “This permanent installation will help foster a deeper connection between art and the broader public and for visitors to experience the magic of art in unexpected places.”
Each sculpture in Forte on Flagler’s sculpture garden was made by a woman.
“Pineapple” by Rose Wylie and “The Weather” by Kiki Smith are on display at the Norton. The third piece, “Great Miami Hurricane of 1926” by Allison Janae Hamilton will be displayed at Forte on Flagler with “Pineapple” and “The Weather” when the construction of the condo complex is complete.
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James said culture and the arts are “crucial drivers in creating the city in which we want to live. Through the city’s partnership with Forté on Flagler and the Norton Museum of Art, this puts on full display West Palm Beach’s commitment to our vibrant artist community and gives our residents the opportunity to experience artwork created by prominent women artists.”
Here is a detailed look at all three as described by the Norton:
‘Pineapple’ by Rose Wylie
After purchasing a pineapple at her local market in 2013, Wylie made multiple drawings, intrigued by its vaguely human proportions, prickly exterior and unusually large crown of leaves. For Wylie, working in three dimensions represents a further act of translation from original image to painting to sculpture that equally brings out the formal qualities of these shapes as well as their symbolic resonances. Produced in an oversized scale, “Pineapple” extends Wylie’s distinctive visual language to the realm of the viewer.
‘The Weather’ by Kiki Smith
“The Weather” is a self-portrait that dually represents the changing seasons and the wind. The sculpture depicts a woman’s face with enigmatic rays streaming from her mouth, eyes and hair, evoking the many emanations of a potent female body such as speech, tears, breath and thoughts. Though large in its form, “The Weather” preserves the linearity of Smith’s works on paper through its cross hatching and sinuous planes. Despite the heavy material, the work exudes the dynamism and lightness evocative of nature’s mercuriality.
‘Great Miami Hurricane of 1926’ by Allison Janae Hamilton
The 20-foot sculpture, made from tambourines, was inspired by “Florida Storm,” a 1928 hymn written by Judge Jackson, as well as accounts of the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane referenced in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” It was selected for the West Palm Beach Art Walk to honor South Florida’s unique history and geography and to inspire viewers to marvel at the city’s natural wonder.
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.
