"Bravery," Donghoon Lee. Wire and screen, 14" x 14" x 10". St. Joseph High School. Grade 12. ©Donghoon Lee. All rights reserved.

In 1912, 18-year-old Norman Rockwell landed the first of many successful illustration commissions for the Boy Scouts of America; four years later, he painted the first of 323 covers for The Saturday Evening Post. In celebration of the creativity of youth, Norman Rockwell Museum is proud to present the Annual Berkshire County High School Art Show. The exhibition is generously sponsored by Berkshire Bank Foundation – Legacy Region.

An annual tradition, Berkshire County high school students submit original works to the High School Art Show in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, mixed media, and sculpture. The young artists learn how to prepare their work for a gallery show, acquire a personal understanding of the exhibition process, and have the opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional museum setting.

Exhibition Opening

Saturday, February 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. 

Multimedia artist Ricky Bernstein will offer remarks at 2 p.m., with refreshments served.

Admission to the High School Art Show is free (does not include regular Museum admission).

Robert Sabuda pop-up illustration from "Dinosaurs (Encyclopedia Prehistorica Series)" by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. Published by Candlewick Press, 2005. Artwork ©Robert Sabuda. All rights reserved.

The history and wonder of pop-up books will be brought to life in this special exhibition featuring Barbara and Bernard Shapiro’s extensive collection of movable literature for the young and the young at heart. The exhibition will feature diverse genres, from whimsy and fantasy to the worlds of art, history and science. Published books by the Munich-based illustrator Lothar Meggandorfer (1847-1925), multi-media artist Red Grooms, and pop-up masters Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart will be on view with selected original illustrations that have made these amazing published pop-ups possible.  Original book illustrations will also be on view.

"Merrie Christmas: Couple Dancing Under Mistletoe," Norman Rockwell, 1928. Oil on canvas. Cover illustration for "The Saturday Evening Post," December 8, 1928. Collection of Bank of America. ©1928 SEPS: Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.

In My Adventures as an Illustrator, Norman Rockwell’s 1960 autobiography, the artist recalled memories from his youth that were seminal to his later work as an illustrator. Of particular importance were evening readings from the classic tales of Charles Dickens by his father Jarvis Waring Rockwell, after-dinner treats that sparked his imagination and his love of narrative storytelling.

Throughout his life, Rockwell would cite the significance of those nightly readings and the influence of Dickens on his art. Not only did the author provide a lexicon of human experience and personality types for Rockwell to explore, he also inspired the artist’s portrayal of Dickensian characters throughout his career.

We are pleased to present this lively visual exploration in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, on February 7, 1812, with appreciation to our lenders, who have made rarely seen original artworks available for public viewing.

"Saturday Evening Post" cover, March 1, 1941. "Girl Reading the Post" by Norman Rockwell, 1941. ©1941 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Tear sheet from the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum.

For nearly fifty years, millions of Americans brought Norman Rockwell’s art into their homes, enjoying the artist’s Saturday Evening Post covers while seated in their favorite chairs, surrounded by their belongings in the company of their families. This intimate connection with Rockwell’s art made his images a part of the fabric of American lives. This comprehensive exhibition of original Saturday Evening Post cover tear sheets features each of Norman Rockwell’s illustrations for the publication, created between 1916 and 1963.

Art Critic (detail), Norman Rockwell. Oil on canvas, 39 1/2" x 36 1/4". Cover illustration for "The Saturday Evening Post," April 16, 1955. ©1955 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum.

The largest and most significant public collection of original works by celebrated twentieth century illustrator, Norman Rockwell, the Norman Rockwell Museum exhibits a comprehensive array of paintings, drawings, studies, photographs, and artifacts that reflect the evolution of the artist’s life and career. Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings (1943), iconic images inspired by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address; The Marriage License (1955), a witty narrative inspired by an important rite of passage; and The Runaway (1958), a poignant reflection on childhood are among the Museum’s extensive holdings. In addition, rarely seen works from public and private collections are always on view.

Senator John H. Fitzpatrick and Jane Fitzpatrick with daughter Ann posing for Carolers Photo courtesy of Norman Rockwell Museum. ©1970 Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL. Photo 1970

Stockbridge Town Hall

Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Currently on view

“Your models can make or break your work.”  -Norman Rockwell

In the fall of 1953, Norman Rockwell and his wife Mary moved from Arlington, Vermont to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the quintessential New England town which was home to the artist for his last twenty-five years. Rockwell, who then hired local people to model for the subjects of his illustrations, wasted no time employing residents of Stockbridge and the neighboring communities to pose for him. “After a while,” he said, “I knew everybody in town.”

Increasingly besieged by deadlines, Norman Rockwell began to use photographs as his primary references in the 1930s. He directed models on how to pose in his studio, and hired photographers to capture the likenesses that would ultimately inform his work. Together with his art, Rockwell’s reference photography inadvertently established an intimate and lasting record of the people of Stockbridge, who were an integral part of the artist’s most memorable images. Rockwell once noted, “I couldn’t ask for better models than my neighbors . . . I couldn’t do it without them.”

The preservation of this important legacy is made possible by The Stockbridge Models Project, a Norman Rockwell Museum initiative which has helped make the digitization and study of Rockwell’s Stockbridge photographic references possible. We are grateful for Town of Stockbridge support in this endeavor, which ensures the accessibility of these significant materials.