Gift Idea: Peter Norton's Family Christmas Art Projects

By Laura Fenton (Subscribe to Laura Fenton's posts)
Nov 27th 2009 11:54AM

Categories: Shopping, Luxury Living, Fun Stuff, Holidays

Untitled (Glass Bowl), Do Ho Suh, 2004 7" h x 81⁄2" diam.; $250 (MoMA members $225). Photo: MoMA

Contemporary art you can actually afford? If you're looking for a unique holiday gift, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has just the thing for you this year. The museum is selling limited edition art objects, donated by MoMA trustee Peter Norton, known as the Peter Norton Family Christmas Art Projects. The sale from these objects will raise funds for MoMA's P.S.1. Contemporary Art Center.

Here's the story behind these unusual art pieces:

Peter Norton is a software entrepreneur (as in Norton Utilities) and an art collector (one of the top the world's top 200 collectors according to ARTnews). Each year since 1988, Norton has commissioned a limited edition art object from a contemporary artist to celebrate the holiday season. "Created by artists represented in Norton's own collection, and sent as gifts to personal friends and members of the art community, these art objects are designed to be interactive and playful, and to foster engagement with the world of contemporary art," reports the MoMa.

Above Teacup, Robert Lazzarini, 2003 3" h x 71⁄2" diam.; $250 (MoMA members $225). Photo: MoMA

Rather than let the objects from year's past gather dust in storage, Norton has quite kindly donated the remaining supply of these art editions to MoMA. While it's not quite the same as getting one of the highly collectible works from Norton himself, you can now purchase one through MoMA's website.

Above: III (Three Wishbones in a Wood Box), Lorna Simpson, 1994 131⁄2" h x 51⁄2" w x 2" d. #83207; $350 (MoMA members $315). Photo: MoMA

With prices ranging from $150 to $1,000, these pieces are actually quite affordable. (Think that sounds pricey? Stop to consider this: Earlier this year a piece by Kara Walker sold for $206,500 at auction, while the piece from MoMA is only $1,000 (and just $900 for members). However, if the Norton Collection is still out of your budget, samples of each available objects currently on view on the second floor of the museum in the MoMA Books space-for everyone to see.

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