Gary Simmons, Lorna Simpson, Kellie Jones & Ingrid Schaffner on ‘Destiny Is a Rose’

Why It Matters

Norton’s model demonstrates that collector‑driven network support can reshape institutional programming and elevate marginalized artists, offering a blueprint for future arts philanthropy.

Key Takeaways

• Eileen Harris Norton’s collecting emphasizes network support over commodity.
• Artists recall personal encounters shaping their careers via Norton’s patronage.
• Norton funded groundbreaking exhibitions, including 1994 Black Male at Whitney.
• International trips, like 1997 Johannesburg, expanded curatorial exchange.
• The “Destiny Is a Rose” catalog documents 83 artists, 100 works.

Summary

The event marked the launch of “Destiny Is a Rose,” a catalog and exhibition that brings together 83 artists and more than 100 works from the five‑decade‑long Eileen Harris Norton collection, coinciding with Freeze Week at Hower and North Los Angeles.

Panelists—Gary Simmons, Lorna Simpson, Kellie Jones and curator Ingrid Schaffner—emphasized Norton’s distinctive collecting philosophy: she prioritized long‑term network support over market speculation, funding emerging artists, curators, and institutions. Her patronage enabled landmark shows such as the 1994 “Black Male” exhibition at the Whitney and a 1997 Johannesburg biennial trip that brought ten curators and several South African artists into the U.S. collection.

Simmons recalled meeting Norton in the late ’80s as a “collector who wasn’t after commodity,” while Simpson highlighted Norton’s “awareness of black intellectual networks.” A vivid anecdote described Thelma Golden’s near‑violent rap‑show encounter that sparked the urgency of the “Black Male” project, and Lorna’s impromptu photograph under an arch in South Africa became a visual hallmark of the trip.

The conversation underscores how a single collector can act as a cultural catalyst, shaping exhibition histories, expanding global artistic exchange, and reinforcing the importance of sustained, relationship‑based patronage for under‑represented voices in contemporary art.

Original Description

On the occasion of ‘Destiny Is a Rose: The Eileen Harris Norton Collection’ and the launch of the exhibition catalogue, the Downtown Los Angeles gallery hosted a conversation with artists Gary Simmons, Lorna Simpson and Dr. Kellie Jones and curator Ingrid Schaffner.

Together, they discussed Eileen Harris Norton’s influence, examining her impact on the art community as well as the ways her guidance and philosophy have shaped the careers of individual artists.

Renowned for her generosity to artists and institutions, Harris Norton has built a collection and philanthropy actively focused upon the work of women, artists of color and her native California. Marking fifty years since Harris Norton’s first acquisition—a print purchased directly from Los Angeles artist Ruth Waddy in 1976—‘Destiny Is a Rose’ presents more than 80 works that together reflect Harris Norton’s prescient vision and commitment to social justice and learning.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Hauser & Wirth Publishers has released ‘Destiny Is a Rose: Art from the Eileen Harris Norton Collection,’ a catalogue with texts by art historian Kellie Jones and curator Ingrid Schaffner, which delve into the critical role that education and philanthropy, representation and identity, and personal relationships with artists and curators have played in shaping Harris Norton’s visionary collecting practice. Offering deep insight into the act and impact of collecting, 'Destiny Is a Rose' is a tribute to Harris Norton’s ongoing role as a vital agent of change and growth within the contemporary art world.

–

Hauser & Wirth is an international contemporary and modern art gallery with spaces in Zurich, London, Somerset, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Gstaad, St. Moritz, Monaco, Menorca, Paris and Basel.

–

Subscribe to Hauser & Wirth’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HauserWirth

Sign up to Hauser & Wirth’s Newsletter: hauserwirth.com/subscribe

Follow Hauser & Wirth on:

https://instagram.com/hauserwirth/

https://facebook.com/hauserwirth/

https://twitter.com/HauserWirth