Norman Rockwell Museum

March 6 through June 20, 2010

 

“If you can’t be original, be as common as you can.”
—Norman Rockwell

Narrated by photographs, artwork, and personal effects, this engaging biographical study examines the life of artist Norman Rockwell, from New York City beginnings to his later Stockbridge years. Rarely viewed collections―from baby clothes to the artist’s vertical bifocals―offer unique insights into the life of one “common” man who produced indelible images of twentieth century America.

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July 3 through October 31, 2010

Though Norman Rockwell is often identified with home town life in New England, he was a frequent visitor to California, and was called upon by Hollywood to create imagery for posters advertising entertaining feature films of his day.

This installation exploring Rockwell’s art for the movies features original paintings, vintage posters, lobby cards, and original portraits of movie stars drawn form the Museum’s Art and Archival Collections and private collections of Rockwell’s art. The Magnificent Ambersons (1941), The Song of Bernadette (1943), Along Came Jones (1945), The Razor’s Edge (1946), Cinderfella (1960) and the 1966 remake of the classic, Stagecoach, are among the films the artist branded with his signature style of realism and narration.

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November 13, 2010 through May 31, 2011

Experience the art of Jerry Pinkney, a master of the American picturebook whose unforgettable visual narratives reflect deeply felt personal and cultural themes, bearing witness to the African-American experience, the wonders of classic literature, and the wisdom in well-loved folk tales. A belief in the ability of images to speak about and to humanity is at this legendary artist’s core. His artworks celebrating life’s small but extraordinary moments and significant historical events reflect the  power of visual storytelling in our lives, “becoming the voice that others may not have had.”

Honoring an artistic journey that has continued for fifty years, Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney features luminous watercolor paintings and richly detailed drawings created for best-loved books and carefully-researched historical commissions. Original illustrations for The Lion and The Mouse, The Old African, John Henry, Black Cowboys/Wild Horses, Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales, The Sweethearts of Rhythm, The Little Match Girl and other books, and for such site-specific commissions as the African Burial Ground Interpretive Center in New York City; National Parks Service Carver National Monument in Missouri; and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio, will be on view.

A popular and critically acclaimed artist, Jerry Pinkney was recently presented with the prestigious Caldecott Medal, awarded to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picturebook for children that year. The recipient of five Caldecott Honor Medals, five Coretta Scott King Awards, four Coretta Scott King Honor Awards, and a life time achievement award from the Society of Illustrators in New York, the artist has also served on the Board of the National Endowment for the Arts, and on the National Postal Service’s Citizen Stamp Advisory Council.

 

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January 16, 2009 through May 16, 2010

Step back in time to explore Rockwell’s imagery for The Saturday Evening Post, which prompted an outpouring of reader reaction during the artist’s forty-seven year tenure with the magazine. Shifting American values, reform and the New Deal, World War II and the rise of national identity, the Baby Boom and the rise of the middle class, and the politicization of the American populace are some of the themes that will be brought to life in this engaging and informative installation organized by Archivist Jessika Drmacich. Fan correspondence received by Rockwell himself, archival photographs, and the original Saturday Evening Post tearsheets that inspired such lively public response will be on view.

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The enthusiastic stewards of the world’s largest, most significant collection of original artworks by Norman Rockwell, the Norman Rockwell Museum is also fortunate to hold a growing collection of illustration art highlighting the contributions of historic and contemporary masters. Many important artworks have come to us through the generosity of caring donors who seek to find an appropriate home for their treasured collections. This is the first among several upcoming posts sharing stories of the art that have been entrusted to us, and the individuals whose passion has, most fortunately, led them to our door.

Recently, internationally renowned portrait artist Everett Raymond Kinstler invited us to his light-filled studio in southern New England to pick up the latest of his extraordinary gifts to the Museum’s permanent collection. These stellar Golden Age illustrations by Charles Dana Gibson, seen here, and James Montgomery Flagg, a close friend of the artist, are significant additions, the best possible representative works by America’s top illustrators during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A master draughtsman and an astute humorist, Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944) was the creator of the Gibson Girl, the confident, refined beauty who graced the pages of our nation’s most popular magazines, inspiring millions to emulate her style and presence. This outstanding work, one of the great Gibson illustrations, has been in Mr. Kinstler’s collection for forty years. Look carefuly at Gibson’s inscription, which dedicates the piece to the great James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). Widely published and admired, Flagg’s art was the gold standard for many, including  aspiring illustrator Everett Raymond Kinstler, who in his youth, sought Flagg out hoping to learn all that he could from a true master. With thanks to Mr. Kinstler, the Norman Rockwell Museum is also fortunate to own his heartfelt personal remembrance of his friend and mentor, a very fine portait painted from memory after Flagg’s death.

During the past forty years, Everett Raymond Kinstler has painted official White House portrtaits of two presidents, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, likenesses of Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, and cabinet members from every administration since that of John F. Kennedy. His painting of John Wayne is considered by many to be the actor’s definitive portrayal, and Carol Burnette, Tony Bennett, Tom Wolfe, Katharine Hepburn, James Cagney, James Montgomery Flagg, and many others famous American’s have been immortalized in his art. Recently, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery installed Mr. Kinstler’s life-size portrait of baseball legend Tommy Lasorda, the Hall of Fame manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. We are grateful to Everett Raymond Kinstler for sharing his own art, and the art of those who inspired him, with the Norman Rockwell Museum. He has learned their lessons well, and we look forward to preserving and presenting these important works for many years to come.

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Norman Rockwell Museum Associate Registrar Rob Doane, Exhibitions Manager Russell Horton, and Collections Manager Martin Mahoney (left to right) put Rockwell on the road again this Fall.  American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, the Museum’s national traveling exhibition, was recently packed for transit and accompanied by curatorial staff to warmer environs for its recent opening at the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale. By all reports, the exhibition is beautifully installed, and is complimented by many exciting learning opportunities throughout its stay in Florida, which is ongoing until February 7, 2010. After its close, our staff will hit the open road again, this time traveling to Wichita, Kansas, where American Chronicles opens on March 6, 2010.

“Couriering reflects what registrar’s do best, which is to ensure the care, condition, and safety of artworks,” said Martin Mahoney. “When we unpack Norman Rockwell’s paintings at other museum sites, the enthusiasm of staff who have grown up with Rockwell images, but who may be seeing his original paintings for the first time, is palpable. This aspect of the experience is always rewarding and is just the beginning, since audiences expressing similar sentiments will soon follow.” After packing and loading artworks for travel, couriers “ride shot-gun in direct non-stop transit,” often for many hours until reaching their final destination. After unloading, unpacking, and checking the condition of each object, curatorial staff oversee the installation before heading back to Stockbridge to take on their next challenge.

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Last week curator Joyce K. Schiller and I had the pleasure of visiting with illustrator Jerry Pinkney, a gifted narrative artist who is truly a legend in the field. We are honored to be working with him on Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney, an exhibition that will preview at the Norman Rockwell Museum in November 2010, celebrating an extraordinary artistic journey that has continued for fifty years.

Jerry’s powerful imagery for picturebooks and historical commissions surrounded us in his light-filled studio, and we began imagining how this exciting exhibition might take shape in the Museum’s galleries. His luminous watercolor paintings communicate compelling personal perspectives on life’s small moments and important cultural themes, conveying the richness of the African American experience, the transformative power of classic literature, and the meaning of visual storytelling in our lives. Jerry looks almost as happy as we are in this picture. Stay tuned for more updates on this project with an artist who “chose legacy” by ”becoming the voice that others may not have had.”

Visit Jerry at his studio website.

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September 25, 2009 through February 7, 2010

Norman Rockwell Museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of original artworks by legendary American illustrator, Norman Rockwell. First assembled by the artist himself and placed in trust to the Museum in 1973, the Museum’s collections have continued to grow to include the artist’s Stockbridge studio, its contents, and an archive of over two hundred thousand objects illuminating Rockwell’s life, times and unparalleled career.  Collections of original illustration art by other noted creators reflect America’s vibrant visual culture and represent the evolution of Rockwell’s beloved profession.

This intimate exhibition organized by Joyce K. Schiller, Curator, Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, offers engaging perspectives on recently acquired works by Norman Rockwell and other accomplished illustrators from the collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum. Original artworks by such masters of American illustration as Thomas Fogarty, James Montgomery Flagg, Rolf Armstrong, Worth Brehm, George Harding, Orson Byron Lowell, Fletcher Martin, Frank C. Bensing and others are on view.

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