Diane Norris

Background

About Diane Norris

Diane Charyk Norris combines a practice in the visual arts, architecture, and arts advocacy. As a visual artist, Ms. Norris is currently focusing on painting and printmaking at her studio at 11 Miller Street Studios Her artwork features environmental spaces with a focus on elements of light and water influenced by her background in landscape painting and waterfront architecture. She explores the natural world of changing color, dynamic forces, geologic structures, reflection, transparency, and movement. She works in acrylics, inks, charcoal, watercolor, and As an architect, Ms. Norris collaborates with architect/urban planner, Charles Norris as a principal at Norris & Norris Associates. The firm is a consulting practice which has extensive experience in waterfront planning and urban design with a focus on climate change planning Ms. Norris has completed a wide variety of projects ranging from planning mixed use urban waterfronts, ferry systems, museums, to the design of boat houses, residential buildings & interiors. In advocating for the arts, Ms. Norris is a long term member of the Cambridge Arts Council Advisory Board and serves as current Chair. In response to COVID-19, she served on the Advisory Committee for the City of Cambridge Arts Reopening Group to assist and advocate for supporting arts organizations and individual artists (2020-21). She was a Cambridge Artist Relief Fund and Cultural Capital Fund grant reviewer for the Cambridge Community Foundation (2020-21). Ms. Norris also participated in an extensive outreach and fundraising effort for architects and designers on Black Lives Matter (2020). The initiative raised significant funds for Diversity Advancement Scholarships from the Architect’s Foundation. Ms. Norris served on the board of the Chandler Gallery at Maud Morgan Arts (2010-2020), and the Fayerweather Street School (2015-2020). In 2011, she was the Parent Liaison for the launch of the Cambridge Creativity Commons to support STEAM programs for Cambridge students. Ms. Norris received a Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, and Bachelor of Arts in Design of the Environment from the University of Pennsylvania. She attended Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts.