About
Gwen Norton

“My art is about finding myself in the world — how I belong, how I should exist, how I relate to others. Finding my own worth and having my own voice, it is about joy tempered by a sense of alienation. I try to capture isolation, weariness, silence, melancholy, and mystery with the hope of stirring unexpected and unanticipated emotions in the viewer.
My practice is about resilience.”

Photo by Timothy Greenfield Sanders

After a 28-year career in banking and finance, Gwen began studying photography with several renowned fine art photographers and at the International Center for Photography. She is currently in her thesis year of the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in the Photography, Video and Related Media Department.

Her work has been exhibited in solo, two-person, and group shows in New York City and Martha’s Vineyard, and is included in collections such as The Whitney Museum of Art Library. She was awarded the Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society in 2022 and serves on several boards, including the American Academy in Rome and Photoville.

She lives in New York City and Martha’s Vineyard with her husband, Peter Norton.

Rendering the invisible visible
— in the liminal space between people and place.

Creative Practice

Gwen reimagines her work through both digital and film photography, as well as nontraditional, noncommercial printing processes. She values the knowledge and skill these methods demand and the tactile connection they provide with the image. As in life, the outcomes are unpredictable—but uncertainty nurtures possibility.

Drawing inspiration from both international travels and places close to home, she engages with the world with curiosity and passion. Her award-winning images focus on varied environments that stir unexpected emotions. Through her creative practice, she seeks to capture isolation, silence, estrangement, mystery, and loneliness — hoping the viewer will feel invited to inhabit the image or sense they are looking into a memory.

Residencies

Her recent residencies include the Savannah and Lacoste Campuses of the School of Art and Design (2022) and the American Academy in Rome, where she was a Visiting Artist in May 2023. These experiences deepened her ongoing exploration of place, memory, and cultural context, while offering new opportunities to engage with international artistic communities. She is currently pursuing her MFA at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she continues to refine her practice through both research and creation.

Board & Affiliations

Gwen serves on several cultural and arts boards, including the American Academy in Rome, Photoville, and the Chautauqua Institution. In addition, she contributes her expertise on the boards of Bessemer Trust and Acorn Technologies.

Awards & Reviews

2022 — Awarded the Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society

2024 — Honor, Praxis Photo Arts Center International Juried Photography Exhibition: Nude Geographies (exhibited September 21 – October 21, 2024, and included in the Directors Gallery Exhibition Book)

between solitude and connection — between silence and presence.