The mission of R. W. Norton Art Gallery is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and stimulate appreciation for and advance knowledge of works of art and literature.  Surrounding the R.W. Norton Art Gallery are 40 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and botanical gardens, where tens of thousands of plants, including several thousand of introduced and native azaleas burst forth in spring.  The Gallery houses an exceptional collection of art spanning more then four millenia.  The R.W. Norton Art Gallery is a teaching museum. Using the art as textbooks, the entire curriculum for an academic school day can be taught in a rich and rewarding environment.