Saturday, July 30, 2011

Norman Hurst - In Memorium 1944- 2011

For those of you that knew Norm Hurst, you were better for it. He was a good guy, knowledgeable appraiser, and successful art dealer who managed in Cambridge to weather the storm through many decades. Norm, you will be missed. JB

Below is the obituary sent by his wife Kathy -

Norman Paul Hurst, 67, of Cambridge and Newton, MA (AB Harvard 1966), lost a lengthy battle with cancer at his home in Newton on July 27, 2011. Norman was the devoted husband of Katherine Burton Jones, loving stepfather to Gregory Burton Garmil, and beloved son of Elaine Hurst and the late Jefferson Hurst of Albany, OR. Norman is also survived by two sisters: Anne Dewey of Portland, OR and Susan Derrickson of Lebanon, OR. He was a much admired and inspirational uncle to Alex Dewey of Palo Alto, CA and Lydia Dewey of Portland, OR.
  
Norman was one of the foremost art dealers and certified appraisers of tribal art and antiquities. He was nationally and internationally respected for his professional expertise and loved for his kindness and gentle nature. Norman was an inspiration to many and will be sorely missed by those who knew him and loved him.

For over 30 years, Norman was the proprietor of Hurst Gallery in Cambridge, MA. The gallery has been a unique fixture in Harvard Square, where Norman introduced countless patrons to the beauty and significance of non-Western arts. The scholarly catalogs of specialized exhibits published by Hurst Gallery, many of them authored by Norman himself, have been circulated worldwide and constitute a significant contribution to study of the field. In addition, Norman served as a consultant to both museums and to private art collectors, providing appraisals, planning exhibitions, and advising on the development of collections. He was one of a handful of appraisers with expertise in the arts of Asia including China, India and Japan; Graeco-Roman, Egyptian and Middle Eastern antiquities; American Indian, Eskimo and Pre-Columbian art; African art; and art and artifacts of the Pacific Islands.

He was a member of the International Society of Appraisers and the Appraisers Association of America, organizations in which he earned special certification for his expertise in non-western arts. Norman was also an active member of the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (where he was one of four founding members), The Appraisers? Registry of New England, LLC, the New England Museum Association, and the Pacific Art Association. He was a supporter of many museums and cultural organizations across New England. Norman travelled widely and there was never a museum, archaeological site, or art gallery that he missed during these trips.
  
A private service will be held in his home in Newton, MA. Memorial services will also be held in Cambridge, MA and Albany, OR.
  
Norman was a competitive and accomplished tennis player; the family asks that donations be made in his name to the Museum of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, RI. Alternatively, donations may be made in his name to fund the research of Dr. Eric Wong, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA (neuro-oncology).



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