A GENEROUS DISPLAY NORTON SIMON MUSEUM OPENS GALLERY OF RECENTLY DONATED WORKS.

Byline: Linda Hutchinson Staff Writer

WHEN A MUSEUM receives an art piece as a gift, it's normally set into the general landscape of works, and that is that. But almost like spring debutantes, the Norton Simon has chosen to exhibit some of its new arrivals exclusively.

``The Art of Giving: Recent Acquisition of the Norton Simon Museum'' includes approximately 75 recently acquired works offering a range of styles, eras and countries of origin.

Particularly strong are new Asian works from Eastern and Central Tibet, Burma, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Java. Also interesting are contemporary works on paper by Los Angeles artist June Wayne, as well as Pasadena artist Walter Askin.

A newly acquired work by Lyonel Feininger will add to the museum's famed ``Blue Four'' collection. And don't miss a view of an etching, ``Beggar Leaning on a Stick, Facing Left,'' by Rembrandt.

While most of the works are on display for the first time, a number of pieces, like ``Death Mask of Amedeo Modigliani'' by Jacques Lipchitz, have been on display, briefly, and were ``deinstalled'' in order to be included in the lower gallery exhibit.

``This is really a wonderful opportunity to get them into the galleries and on display. It really is a debut,'' said exhibit curator Christine Knoke. ``I think this exhibition is a really great opportunity to display and debut the gifts we've received over the years that we've (previously) been unable to bring together in a group setting.

``I think the real strength of this exhibition is that we're not limited to just filling some spaces in the permanent collection galleries,'' she said. ``We were able to put them in their own gallery.''

Since the museum doesn't buy pieces, the only way for a permanent collection like the Norton Simon to grow is through gifts.

``What we try to do is accept donations in those fields that (industrialist and museum namesake) Norton Simon collected so that we are not going on a different path; we are not going to go in a different direction,'' said Knoke. ``But we can strengthen the collection in different areas.''

While some were in need of minor restoration, a majority of the new pieces came to the museum in good shape.

A series of lectures that will accompany ``Acquisitions'' will include those who have actually created works that hang in the Norton Simon galleries. Artists to speak include Wayne, Gwynn Murrill, George Herms and Walter Askin.

``I like being the context of history,'' said Askin, whose work is not limited to the most recently donated lithograph to the museum. His inclusion into the collection actually dates back to the Norton Simon's predecessor, the Pasadena Art Museum.

A Pasadenan, Askin enjoys being a native plant in the crop of artists.

``I'm indigenous!'' said Askin.

Of the recent acquisitions in Asian art, Knoke credited the contribution of Pratap Pal.

``We were fortunate to receive a number of the Asian gifts because of Pal, who's been with the museum since 1995, and is a fellow for research.''

Pal, formerly the senior curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for 25 years, worked very closely with Norton Simon.

``Often the collectors follow the curators,'' said Knoke. ``And many people were interested in giving to the Norton Simon because of Dr. Pal's work.''

Los Angeles artist June Wayne, whose work is on display, said, ``I don't think most people realize how generous artists are about contributing works to the museum.''

Wayne will give a lecture on art at the museum Oct. 4. Although her most recent works were donated to the museum by a collector, Wayne pointed out that a certain number of gifts to museums are directly from the artist.

And, Wayne pointed out, ``For many kinds of artists, their lives are a kind of philanthropy. An artist that has a particular kind of talent - it might take a lifetime of work to consolidate that. It has to carry beyond the season. The life of an artist is very often a gift, a kind of philanthropy to society.''

Said Wayne, ``How do you pay for a life like an artist's?''

THE ART OF GIVING: RECENT ACQUISITIONS OF THE NORTON SIMON MUSEUM 

Where: Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

When: Noon to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 9 p.m. Friday; closed Tuesday. Through Nov. 4.

Tickets: Free to $6. Call [phone].

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Among the works on display is the 10th-century Hindu god Brahma, from Indonesia, Central Java.