Art in Martin September-October 2024: M.D. Norton

Art in Martin’s featured artist for September and October 2024 is M. D. Norton. You can see her work in the Lounge on the ground floor of Martin Library.

About the Artist

Michelle Denise Norton is an artist who works in many mediums, both solo and collaborative. She has exhibited visual art locally, nationally, and in Canada. She is inspired by daily life, interactions with people, nature, dance, music, and sitting with tea. This connection to the many realms of life can be seen in the whimsy of her work, perhaps no greater than in the recurring characters of Robot and Turtle. Robot and Turtle are a team—“Like Laurel and Hardy or Shaggy and Scooby,” says Norton—whose only limits and measures are the imagination. Visit the exhibit to learn more about this dynamic duo, or to pick up a souvenir postcard of Norton’s painting “The Perfect Pumpkin” ($5), pictured below.

But visual art is not the only creative outlet for Norton. As she explains, “Words are also a huge part of my creativity. I love to dive into a good poem or play. I love to watch anime and cartoons and read comics. The interplay of visual art, emotion, and words seems like a complete package.” Norton’s years of experience in the local theatre community also allow her to enjoy that interplay. She spent 18 years touring York County with Theatre Under the Trees, and she is currently the creative engine for Upstart Arts, an all-volunteer nonprofit theatrical collective based in York, where she is developing a radio play adaptation of a P.G. Wodehouse novel.

Sources of Inspiration

Unsurprisingly, Norton’s inspiration comes from many places, too. The Martin Library books that pair well with her work run from one by a New Yorker cartoonist to a picture book. As you view the Art in Martin exhibit, you might detect the influence of New Yorker cartoonists Charles Addams and George Booth, of whom Norton says, “It’s amazing how much personality can be created in one image. I find as I continue that the simpler the lines are, the more vitality each line can carry.” Norton’s other book-related touchstones include the satirical science fiction novel Bellwether by Connie Willis.

Visit the library and view her work

Be sure to enjoy M.D. Norton’s pieces the next time you are in Martin Library. Her pieces are currently on display on the east wall of the Lounge (opposite the Help Desk). All pieces are available for purchase, including a souvenir postcard. Hurry in—this exhibit comes down October 31, 2024!

Martin Library
159 E Market St.
York, PA 17401

Hours:

Mon–Th, 10:00am–6:00pm
Fri–Sat, 10:00am–1:00pm
Sunday, closed