Celebrating Our Past While Looking to the Future

On October 24, 1975, the former Pasadena Art Museum announced its name change to the Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena, formalizing the foundation of a new museum in Southern California that brought together Norton Simon’s internationally renowned collections of European and Asian art with the important holdings of European and American modernism held by the Pasadena Art Museum. Much has changed in the 50 years since the Norton Simon Museum’s creation. The interior of the modernist Ladd & Kelsey building, completed in 1969 for the Pasadena Art Museum, was renovated between 1996 and 1999 by the noted architect Frank Gehry to better suit the collections. The Sculpture Garden underwent a significant renovation designed by landscape architect Nancy Goslee Power, transforming it into the tranquil, inviting space that is familiar to visitors today. Over the past year, as many of you have witnessed, we have continued to improve conditions in the outdoor areas of our campus, including conservation work on the Heath tiles that clad the building, accessible pathways, new gates, walls and signage, pond and drainage repair and landscaping that enhances the Museum’s biodiversity.

I feel privileged to have witnessed firsthand much of this history. In 1982, I joined the staff as assistant to the president, Norton Simon, with whom I worked closely for the next 11 years. It was under Norton’s guidance and example that we built the institution into the remarkable place that it is today. This journey has involved many people, including members of our staff, boards and the community, who have worked with me to faithfully preserve and strengthen Norton’s basic principles and realize them through the operations of the museum he founded. While the Museum has evolved in many ways since our founder’s death in 1993, our Board of Trustees and staff remain committed to Norton’s primary goal for this institution: creating opportunities for visitors to engage closely, one-on-one, with great works of art. We hope our spacious galleries, serene Sculpture Garden and engaging interpretive programs encourage you to take a moment to slow down, linger and immerse yourselves in the outstanding art collections that Norton Simon left as a gift for all of us to enjoy.

Anniversaries offer opportunities to take stock and reflect on achievements past as well as set new goals for the years ahead. As we celebrate our 50th year in Pasadena, I want to express my appreciation for the staff of the Norton Simon Museum today, whom I am deeply fortunate to work with on a daily basis. Their commitment and contributions inspire great confidence in our future. And to you, our visitors, members and friends, thank you for your support and dedication to this institution. We look forward to seeing you in the galleries and garden in the weeks ahead as we unveil the improvements to the Sculpture Garden and debut our fall exhibition Gold: Enduring Power, Sacred Craft.

—Walter W. Timoshuk, President & CEO
This article first appeared in the Museum’s Fall 2025 Newsletter.