Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens has reopened for its milestone 50th anniversary season with a new exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist and West Palm Beach resident Bruce Helander. Named the Gardens’ seventh Artist in Residence, Helander will present In Full Bloom: Flowers in the Garden from October 21st, 2026, through January 10th, 2027.
On view in the Norton House Gallery, the exhibition features approximately two dozen pressed-flower collage portraits celebrating prominent Palm Beach women, including Frances Fisher, Jill Glazer, Audrey Gruss, Amanda Schumacher and Susan Wright, alongside iconic figures such as Iris Apfel, Marilyn Monroe, Mona Lisa, Marjorie Merriweather Post and Jacqueline Kennedy. Combining photography, watercolor and pressed flowers gathered from gardens around the world, the works explore the intersection of portraiture and the natural world.
Helander’s appointment carries a special connection to the Gardens’ legacy: like its founder, sculptor Ann Weaver Norton, he has been inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. His work is represented in 53 museum permanent collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institution and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A limited number of personalized portrait commissions will also be available, incorporating photographs, memorabilia and symbolic imagery to reflect each subject’s life and legacy. Thirty percent of proceeds from commissioned works will benefit Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens.
Located at 253 Barcelona Road in West Palm Beach’s historic El Cid neighborhood, the two-acre sanctuary features monumental sculptures, exhibition galleries, an Artist Studio, an Art and Nature Conservatory and a tropical garden home to more than 250 species of rare palms and cycads. The Gardens will be open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7 for students, with free admission for members and children under five.
For more information, visit ansg.org.
