Rodessa oil field fortune empowered the RW Norton family in collecting art and building a museum

Zach Provenza, Davis Knight, Andy Koerner, Alex Blandin, Cavett Feazel, Shreveport
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In the early 1930s, Richard W. Norton (1886–1940) became one of the discoverers of the Rodessa Oil Field in north Louisiana, says Wikipedia.

Over time, Mr Norton's wife and son began to amass a significant collection of fine art.

In 1946, to honor Mr. Norton and for the benefit of the community, Richard W. Norton, Jr. (1919–1974) and his mother, Mrs Richard W. Norton (1886–1975) created the R.W. Norton Art Foundation. In turn, the Foundation eventually established the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, basing its initial collection upon donations from the acquisitions of the Nortons.

When the building for the R.W. Norton Art Gallery was originally planned, it was determined to use a contemporary design that would be light, open, and possess the potential for expansion. The resulting Gallery opened in 1966 and presently contains twenty-four exhibition rooms. The long-range plans of the founders were realized when an expanding collection led to the addition of a south wing, opened in 1990, and a north wing in 2003.

The collection includes important American and European works. It is especially rich in works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, Americans who painted the vivid West.

The Gallery and its grounds are open to the public year round, attracting thousands of national and local visitors. Guided tours are available by appointment for groups of 10 or more people from Fourth Grade to adults and can be designed to relate to a specific course or topic.

The Gallery is set within 40 acres (160,000 m2) of landscaping, including azalea gardens featuring more than 15,000 plants, including several hundred native azaleas.

A winding walking path leads visitors through the grounds, which include a stream, a pond, benches within the azalea beds, and outdoor sculptures. Recently the gardens were rated as one of the South's favorite spots as featured in Southern Living's spring 2005 issue.