Portrait of Theodore Geisel (“Dr. Seuss”), Everett Raymond Kinstler, 1982. 44” x 44”. Collection of the Hood Museum, Dartmouth College. Artwork ©1982 Everett Raymond Kinstler. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, January 20, 2012—There are many ways to succeed as an artist. For Norman Rockwell, one of the ways to navigate the changing field of illustration was to accept commissions to create portraits of politicians, musicians, and movie stars. Contemporary artist Everett Raymond Kinstler faced the same issues during the 1950s, as the popularity of television, graphic design, and photography challenged the role of illustration in modern culture. Shifting his focus to portraiture, Kinstler went on to become one of America’s leading portrait artists, creating a veritable Who’s Who gallery of some of the most recognizable faces of American history and culture through the last seven decades. A new exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum examines Kinstler’s career in both the art of illustration and fine portraiture, and his ability to capture realistic likenesses infused with a passion for storytelling—Everett Raymond Kinstler, Pulps to Portraits is on view at the Museum from March 10 through May 28, 2012.

Like Rockwell, Kinstler notes that “painting people was always what I enjoyed most.” This made the artist’s transition into portraiture a natural progression, and over the years his clients have included such notable figures as Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, Will Barnet, Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Alexander Calder, Benny Goodman, Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Liv Ullmann, and Tom Wolfe. Original oil-on-canvas paintings of each of these figures will be featured in the exhibition, along with dynamic portraits of fellow illustrators Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), and Norman Rockwell. The exhibition will document Kinstler’s transition from the illustration field, through early examples of book covers, magazine illustrations, and comic book pages, created in a variety of mediums. A collection of Kinstler’s current projects reveals the continued influence of illustration and motion pictures on the artist’s canvas.

“Kinstler connects to his subjects through feeling and imagination,” notes exhibition curator Martin Mahoney. Everett Raymond Kinstler, Pulps to Portraits looks at the way illustration has shaped the artist’s work and working methods, and how such figures as James Montgomery Flagg became important mentors for him. Presented as part of Norman Rockwell Museum’s “Distinguished Illustrator Series,” highlighting the contributions of contemporary creators, the exhibition is coordinated by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration.

An accompanying exhibition catalogue contains articles that discuss Kinstler’s work and influences, including an essay from William H. Gerdts, an art historian and Professor Emeritus of Art History at the CUNY Graduate Center. Dr. Gerdts is the author of over 25 books on American art.

Support for Everett Raymond Kinstler: Pulps to Portraits is made possible in part through the generosity of The Dr. Seuss Fund at the San Diego Foundation, Mr. Ernest Steiner, Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Hilton, Mrs. Helen Powell, Mrs. Thomas Evans, Mr. & Mrs. Ray Ellis, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Horvitz, and Mr. Forrest E. Mars, Jr.

Additional support has been provided by Mr. & Mrs. Tony Bennett, Ms. Mary Higgins Clark, Mr. William J. Flynn, Mr. & Mrs. Alfred U. Elser, Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Peter Martin, Mr. & Mrs. George Munroe, Mr. Marne Obernauer, Jr., Mr. John Doyle Ong, Mr. & Mrs. Russell Palmer, Mr. & Mrs. Alex Rosenberg, and Mr. John Silber.

Exhibition Related Programs and Events

Members Opening Event

Saturday, March 10, 5 to 7 p.m.

Commentary at 5:30 p.m. by artist Everett Raymond Kinstler.

Be our guest for this special evening with Everett Raymond Kinstler, the prominent American portraitist who began his career as a comic book artist and illustrator working for the popular publications of his day. The artist’s original illustrations and portraits of noted celebrities will be on view in this exploration of his outstanding career in the arts. Reception to follow with refreshments and a cash bar. Museum members free, guests $20. RSVP 413.931.2221, or email RSVP@nrm.org.

Portrait Academy

Friday, March 30, 1 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Join us for this special weekend with the National Portrait Society. Noted artists Everett Raymond Kinstler, Dawn Whitelaw, Michael Shane Neal, and Edward Jones will demonstrate the art of fine portraiture in a series of workshops that offer creative approaches to capturing convincing likenesses. $175, $159 Museum members, for both days.

Art Lecture and Demonstration

The Art of Portraiture with Everett Raymond Kinstler

Saturday, April 14, 1 to 4 p.m.

Learn the tricks of the trade from master portraitist Everett Raymond Kinstler, who will share wisdom gleaned from decades of experience as an illustrator and painter of the most notable figures of our day. $25, $20 for Museum members.

April School Vacation Week Workshops

Hold That Pose! Portraiture for Children

Monday through Friday, April 16 through 20, 1 to 4 p.m.

Explore the art of portraiture with a little inspiration from two masters of the art form, Norman Rockwell and Everett Raymond Kinstler. For ages seven and up. Take one or take them all. $15, $12 Museum members.

Have Your Portrait Painted by a Master

Norman Rockwell Museum will offer a rare opportunity to acquire a personally-created, original artwork by master portraitist, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Graciously donated by the artist to benefit Norman Rockwell Museum, the chance to sit for this portrait and own the final oil painting will be awarded to the highest bidder following a special online auction. Details and bidding instructions on this unique custom portrait will be available at www.nrm.org/2011/09/everett-raymond-kinstler-pulps-to-portraits

About Everett Raymond Kinstler

Born in 1926, Everett Raymond Kinstler was recognized early in life for his artistic talents and supported by his parents, who taught him that it is a gift to be able to work and do something one loves for a living. A native New Yorker, Kinstler developed an early appreciation for the illustration arts during this period, becoming an avid fan of the periodicals that were filled with the work of the top rate illustrators of the day.

Kinstler began his own career at age 16, drawing comic books, book and magazine illustrations, as well as covers for paperback books. As one of the “golden age” era of comic book artists, he created illustrations for such classic pulp magazines as The Shadow and Doc Savage. His early work taught him to connect with the reader and tell a story, essential skills that brought him additional work as a freelance artist.

Kinstler studied at the Art Students League, under American illustrator and impressionist painter, Frank Vincent DuMond (1865-1961). DuMond’s influence on the artist was reflected in his oft-repeated statement, “I won’t try to teach you to paint, but to see and observe.” Kinstler would later teach at the school himself, from 1969 to 1974.

In 1949, a touchstone year in his life and career, Kinstler moved into his own “real” studio when DuMond assisted him in securing a space in the historic National Arts Club, where he continues to work today. That same year, he sought out and befriended one of his artistic idols, illustrator James Montgomery Flagg. Their friendship continued until Flagg’s death in 1960, a professional relationship that Kinstler remembers as “my greatest influence.”

In the 1960s, the artist approached Portraits, Inc., a New York-based company connecting portraitists with sitters. Following several success commissions, Kinstler ultimately made the transition from illustrator to portraitist, and soon established himself as one of the nation’s foremost portrait painters.

Among Kinstler’s more than 1200 portraits are such well-known personalities as Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett, James Cagney, Betty Ford, Gene Hackman, Katharine Hepburn, Lady Bird Johnson, Paul Newman, Peter O’Toole, Gregory Peck, and John Wayne. Others include authors Arthur Miller, Ayn Rand, Tennessee Williams, and Tom Wolfe; Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Harry Blackmun; business and government leaders such as John D. Rockefeller lll, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, 6 U.S. Governors, four U.S. Secretaries of State, and the presidents of universities and colleges including Brown, Harvard, Oklahoma, Princeton, Smith, Wellesley, Williams, and Yale.

Kinstler has painted more than 50 cabinet officers, more than any artist in the country’s history. Seven Presidents — Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — have posed for him. His portraits of Ford and Reagan are the official White House portraits.

The artist has been awarded honorary doctorates by Rollins College in 1983 and the Lyme Academy College of Art in 2002. The National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., has acquired 75 of his original works for its permanent collection. He is also represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Butler Institute of American Art, Brooklyn Museum, etc. In 1999, Kinstler received the Copley Medal from the Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery, its highest honor. Memberships include: National Academy of Design (N.A.), Allied Artists of America, American Watercolor Society, Pastel Society of America (Hall of Fame), Audubon Artists, Copley Society of Boston (life), National Arts Club.

Through almost seven decades in the arts, Kinstler has kept his skills sharp and his approach to his work fresh by painting from life. Whether he is devoting time to painting portraits or landscapes, or his recent series of art inspired by classic cinema and popular American icons, Everett Raymond Kinstler continues to express his love of the artistic process and connection with his subjects and viewers.

Learn more about the artist at his website: www.everettraymondkinstler.com

About Norman Rockwell Museum’s Distinguished Illustrator Series

The Norman Rockwell Museum Distinguished Illustrator Series honors the unique contributions of outstanding visual communicators today. Presented by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration, the Distinguished Illustrator Series reflects the impact and evolution of Norman Rockwell’s beloved profession, exploring a diverse and ever-changing field.

"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.

“Charles Dickens provided a great lexicon of human experience and personality types for Norman Rockwell to explore,” notes Joyce K. Schiller, Ph.D, who curated the exhibition. “He also inspired the artist’s portrayal of Dickensian characters throughout his career. Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to present this lively visual exploration in celebration of the anniversary of Dickens’ birth, on February 7, 1812.”

“Norman Rockwell and The Ghost of Dickens” presents a rare opportunity to view a collection of original Rockwell artwork from both the Museum and private collections. Highlights include Dickens-inspired drawings from Rockwell’s autobiography; the 1937 “Reader’s Digest” painting, “A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!”; and original oil on canvas paintings for such classic “Saturday Evening Post” covers as “Christmas Trio” (1923), “Merrie Christmas: Couple Dancing under Mistletoe” (1928), and “Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit (God Bless Us Everyone)” (1934). Original cover tear sheets and charcoal studies will also be on view, further illustrating the artist’s elaborate process in creating his work.

Norman Rockwell once remarked that “(Charles) Dickens wrote about the kind of people I paint.” In Rockwell’s Dickens-inspired view of life, his neighbors served as important references for his art, compelling “types” in his visual narratives. A device the artist used in his illustrations, for which he credited the author, was the placement of tragedy and comedy together, believing that when used jointly in a work of art, an image would have a greater impact on its viewers. In his autobiography the artist wrote, “The variety, sadness, horror, happiness, treachery, the twists and turns of life… in Dickens shocked and delighted me.”

Holiday-Related Programs and Events

Enjoy a variety of family-friendly events scheduled for the holidays. The Museum will once again display our specially designed Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas train set, and don’t miss the town’s annual recreation of Rockwell’s classic 1967 painting during the weekend of December 3 and 4.

TEA AND PERFORMANCE
Norman Rockwell and the Ghost of Dickens
Saturday, November 19, 2:30 p.m.

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth with a traditional English tea. Cast members from Berkshire Theatre Group’s production of “A Christmas Carol” will read excerpts from the play, along with dramatic readings of the author’s classic works. Original Rockwell art inspired by the literary giant’s books, which were among his favorites, will be on view. Free with Museum admission, members free.

POP-UP FESTIVAL
Pop-Up Books and Cards: The Art of Paper Engineering
Saturday, November 26, 1 to 4 p.m.

Learn about the art of paper engineering during this fun-filled afternoon of workshops, tours, and talks exploring the world of mechanical books and cards. Design your own holiday gifts to share! Free with Museum admission, members free.

The Art of Snowflakes: An Afternoon with Pop-Up Engineer
Yevgeniya Yeretskaya
Saturday, December 3, 12 p.m.

Meet internationally acclaimed paper engineer and illustrator, Yevgeniya Yeretskaya. The artist will talk about her work and then demonstrate her remarkable paper engineering process. Ms. Yeretskaya’s most recent work is showcased in “Snowflakes: A Pop-up Book,” published by Jumping Jack Press. A book-signing with the artist will follow. Free with museum admission.

Linwood Holiday House Tour
Saturday, December 3, and Sunday, December 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Enjoy a rare opportunity to tour historic Linwood House, the 19th century Berkshire cottage located on the Museum’s campus. The former home of New York attorney Charles E. Butler, Linwood’s interior will be dressed up for the holidays. $2, Museum members free.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
Cabaret for Christmas
Saturday, December 3 , 4 to 6 p.m.

Enjoy an old-fashioned afternoon of music, art, and heartwarming treats! At 4 p.m., Curator of Education Tom Daly will explore the spirit of the holidays in Norman Rockwell’s art, and at 4:30 p.m., the Sherri James Buxton Trio will perform seasonal favorites. Sample Norman Rockwell’s favorite cookie recipe with hot chocolate, and make a holiday pop-up card to take home. Free with Museum admission, members free.

SANTA’S WORKSHOP ON STOCKBRIDGE MAIN STREET
Creative Christmas Stockings
Sunday December 4, 12 to 2 p.m.

Join Museum Staff in the Children’s Center at St. Paul’s Church on Stockbridge’s Main Street for fun hands-on crafts during a village-wide celebration of the season! Tickets to the event can be purchase from the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce. This event is presented through The Town of Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas event.

Just Curious! Drop-in Art for the Whole Family
Monday through Saturday
December 26 through 31, 1 to 5 p.m.

Step into the world of children’s books during these inspiring art workshops that explore the Museum’s family-friendly Curious George and Pop-Up exhibitions. Take one or take them all! Free with Museum admission, members free.

Holiday Exhibitions

“Curious George Saves The Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey”
On view through February 5, 2012

America’s favorite monkey, the irrepressible Curious George, is always in trouble. In a great turn of fate, the beloved children’s book character actually helped his creators out of a life-threatening situation. Nearly 80 original drawings for Margret and H. A. Rey’s children’s books and documentation related to their escape from Nazi-occupied Europe will be on view. The exhibition is organized by The Jewish Museum, New York City, and drawn from the H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi.

“Pop-Up! The Magical World of Movable Books”
On view through April 22

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. The exhibition will feature published books covering diverse genres, from whimsy and fantasy to the worlds of art, history and science.

“Norman Rockwell’s 323 ‘Saturday Evening Post’ Covers”

Take a trip back in time through this comprehensive exhibition of original Saturday Evening Post tear sheets, featuring every one of Norman Rockwell’s cover illustrations for the publication, created over the course of 47 years (1916-1963). Highlights include the seasonal favorites, “Christmas: Santa with Elves” (1922), “Extra Good Boys and Girls” (1939), “Christmas Homecoming” (1948), and “The Discovery” (1956).

Cartoonist/animator Scott Lincoln, and students who took part in his July 2011 animation workshop at Norman Rockwell Museum. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, September 22, 2011—Norman Rockwell Museum recently received a grant from Time Warner Cable to support its current exhibition, “’Ice Age’” to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios,” and related animation workshops. The grant was awarded through the company’s “Connect a Million Minds” initiative, designed to introduce students to opportunities and resources that improve their performance in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt observed that “with growing discussion about including the arts into the STEM equation (think STEAM), the Museum is pleased to provide this kind of interactive programming for students through our new exhibition and related workshops.”

“Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds partnership with the Norman Rockwell Museum brings the technology behind movie animation front and center for students,” notes John Quigley, Area Vice President for Time Warner Cable. “A first of its kind initiative for this area, the Museum’s exhibitions and animation programs engaged students in STEM learning through exciting hands-on methods, inspiring them to be the creative thinkers and problem solvers of tomorrow.”

“’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age” explores the technology behind Blue Sky Studios’ computer animated movies, including the company’s innovative application of such technical, scientific and mathematical elements as lighting, modeling and rigging. Several interactive stations in the galleries allow visitors to try their hand at digital drawing tablets and sculpting tools like those used by professional animators. The Museum also presented two well-received animation and film workshops for teens during consecutive weeks this summer. “Just to create a few seconds of film, it’s a lot of work,” notes animator Scott Lincoln, who taught the first week-long workshop. “I think this helped the students better appreciate the creative process behind the movies they enjoy.” The grant also created three scholarships, which were awarded to select need-based students to attend the workshops. The Museum will continue to offer animation-related programming and a Career Day this fall, also made possible by the Time Warner Cable grant. The “’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age” exhibition runs through October 31, 2011.

AFTER SCHOOL ART WORKSHOP SERIES

Moving Pictures: The Art of Animation
with Cartoonist/Animator Scott Lincoln
Five Wednesdays, September 28 through October 26, 3 to 5 p.m.

Get animated! Character design, storyboard illustration, and digital animation techniques will be explored during this exciting hands-on series about the art of animation—from concept creation to the final, moving image. Students will learn from talented professional cartoonist and animator, Scott Lincoln, the creator of “Ralf the Destroyer,” a long-running digital comic strip. Teens will get interactive with professional Wacom digital tablet work stations, Zbrush, the Sculptris drawing tool, and Toon Boom Studio animation software, in our galleries and classroom. For children ages 11 and up. Materials provided. $65, $50 members. To register, contact 413.931.2260, or email mgeorgeson@nrm.org.

THE BUSINESS OF ART
Careers in Animation
Saturday, October 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Thinking of a career in computer animation? Enjoy this inside look at animation today with the talented artists of Blue Sky Studios, creators of such acclaimed feature length films as “Robots,” “Ice Age,” “Rio,” and more. Outstanding professionals will discuss the narrative, artistic, and technical skills that make 21st century animation possible, and explore the range of opportunities available to aspiring creators. Talks and exhibition tours will provide a rare chance to connect with an accomplished team of artists working in diverse aspects of the field. School representatives will also be on hand to discuss educational opportunities. Free with Museum admission.

About Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds

Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. Program highlights include: original PSAs that challenge public perceptions of STEM; a unique website, www.connectamillionminds.com, where parents and community members can pledge to connect young people with the wonders of science; “The Connectory”, a one-of-a-kind online resource that makes it simple and easy for parents and students to find informal science and technology learning opportunities in their communities; grants to support non-profit organizations that bring stimulating, high-quality and affordable after-school STEM learning to students; TWC employees, over 47,000 strong, who volunteer their time at community events like science fairs and robotics competitions, and share their passion for engineering and technology with students at CAMM career days. TWC’s national CAMM partners are CSAS (Coalition for Science After School) and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).

“’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios”
On view through October 31, 2011

Go “behind the scenes” with a look at the world of digital animation with the artists of Blue Sky Studios, creators of the blockbuster films “Ice Age” (and its popular sequels), “Robots,” and the recently released hit, “Rio.”

This first-ever exhibition brings art and technology together to explore how visual concepts are transformed into believable worlds for the big screen. Rarely-seen original character drawings, storyboards, and background paintings reflect the conceptual process, and a recreated sculpture studio will bring you face-to-face with Blue Sky’s amazing sculptural maquettes. Interactive stations reveal how today’s stunning computer generated imagery is built, from initial concept to finished frame.

Blue Sky Studios is the Academy Award©-winning, feature CG animation studio behind the wildly successful “Ice Age franchise. Using their propriety rendering software, CGI Studio©, Blue Sky creates photo-realistic, high-resolution, computer-generated character animation and rendering to create timeless stories for children of all ages. Blue Sky Studios’ films include: “Ice Age” (2002), “Robots (2005), “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” (2008), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009) and “Rio” (2011). Blue Sky Studios is wholly owned by Twentieth Century Fox.

“’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios” is sponsored, in part, by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Wacom Technology Corporation, Pixologic, Inc., and Time Warner Cable’s “Connect A Million Minds.”

“We are delighted to welcome our new board members,” says Norman Rockwell Museum Chairman Thomas L. Pulling. “These talented individuals offer us a great breadth of experience in the dynamic forces shaping the world today. They bring expertise in the illustration arts field, community connectivity, as well as corporate experience, especially valuable during these challenging economic times. We also express sincere thanks to our off-going trustees, who have given immense service to the Museum and have graciously offered to continue serving on important Museum committees.”

Norman Rockwell Museum’s Board of Trustees are dedicated to supporting the Museum’s mission to preserve, study and communicate the life and art of Norman Rockwell and the field of illustration with a worldwide audience. Immediate capital priorities include space and management plans for a record number of recent illustration art donations, implementation of the organization’s master plan, and building the Museum’s endowment. The Museum announced the retirement earlier this year of its $3.5 million MIFA bond issued in 1993 to build the new museum building; trustees turned immediately to securing the Museum’s financial foundation through endowment.

The Museum’s staff, trustee members and national council are also working to connect new audiences through enhanced educational experiences and innovative programs, with increased accessibility through digital technologies. This year’s successful launch of ProjectNORMAN expands these possibilities with over 40,000 digital records from the Museum’s vast collections and archives, now available worldwide online. The Museum’s collections continue to be sought around the world.

New Trustees

Peter D’Ambrosio, of Arlington, VA, is a partner with Winston & Strawn, in Washington, D.C., specializing in construction law and contracts.  Mr. D’Ambrosio served as Norman Rockwell Museum’s legal counsel for construction of the new Museum building, which opened in 1993.  He and his wife, Pamela are long-time friends and former National Council members of the Museum, which they joined in 2007.

Johnny Haney, of Bentonville, AR, heads Alliance Industries, a sales company, and is past District Chair for the Boy Scouts.  Mr. Haney is a collector and an authority on Norman Rockwell limited-edition prints, which he has researched extensively, sharing his knowledge with Norman Rockwell Museum.  He and his wife Beth are former National Council members of the Museum, which they joined in 2004.

Lucy Holland, of Lenox, MA, is the incoming Chairman of the Board of IS183, Art School of the Berkshires in Stockbridge, MA. She previously served as that organization’s Founding Chairman of the Board and Interim Executive Director from 1991 to 2001. A seasoned not-for-profit development and special events professional, Ms. Holland has held positions at The Museum of Modern Art, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Hemming + Gilman Special Events, Harbor Festival of New York & New Jersey, and The Hoboken Cultural Council.

Robert T. Horvath, of St. Michaels, MD, and Monterey, MA, and his wife Lynne are former National Council members of Norman Rockwell Museum, which they joined in 2007. A painter, Mr. Horvath began collecting illustration art in the 1960s, and he and his wife have donated illustration art and promised a bequest to the Museum of works by illustrator Howard Pyle and his students.  He is Executive Director of the Talbot County Free Library, president of the Talbot County Visual Arts Center, and VP of St. Michaels Art League.

John Hyson, of Stockbridge, MA, is president of the Stockbridge Land Trust and vice-president of the Stockbridge Library Association.  For 36 years, Mr. Hyson served on the faculty of the School of Law of Villanova University, specializing in environmental law.  He has published articles in the fields of environmental and land use law and has authored a book on the federal Superfund law.  While at Villanova, he served on the board (including a term as president) of Regional Housing Legal Services.

Ned Lamont, of Greenwich, CT, is Founder and Chairman of Lamont Digital Systems, Inc, a privately held company which delivers foreign language, distance learning, and cable television programming to college campuses. In 2006 he was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut.  Mr. Lamont is on the Board of Conservation Services Group, one of the nation’s largest energy efficiency companies, and Mercy Corps, an NGO providing economic development assistance in developing countries. He has taught at the Kennedy School of Government, the Yale School of Management, and is currently a distinguished professor at Central Connecticut State University.

Photo ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

STOCKBRIDGE, MA, November 3, 2011—Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt was nominated into National Arts Strategies‘ highly competitive Chief Executive Program. As one of 100 executive leaders in the cultural sector chosen to participate in the program, Ms. Norton Moffatt will take part in a series of meetings with her peers to discuss key issues facing the cultural industry today.

Over the course of the next two years, Ms. Norton Moffatt will engage in discussions with colleagues from the U.S. and abroad about concrete issues like budgeting, financial stability, marketing, and development, as well as abstract problems like the role of the arts in modern life and maintaining relevance in a diverse, rapidly changing world. The group had their first meeting at the University of Michigan Ross Business School in October.

About National Arts Strategies’ Chief Executive Program

National Arts Strategies (NAS) runs leadership programs for organizations from all disciplines, and its underwritten tuition and travel expenses make events accessible to organizations of all budget sizes. This investment in leadership capacity has produced the sector’s most diverse leadership community of alumni and faculty. It has also generated changes in the language and core management frameworks used by grantee organizations; partnerships to advance the full range of educational services available to the field; and policy discussions with leading grantmakers to enhance field capacity building.

NAS’s Chief Executive Program is a two-year initiative designed to unleash the collective power of 100 of the top executive leaders in the cultural sector to solve problems facing the industry. These leaders will re-imagine what cultural institutions will be and how they can contribute to civil society. The Chief Executive program was developed through the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Fidelity Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation. For more information, visit www.ArtStrategies.org.

"The Problem We All Live With," Norman Rockwell, 1963. Oil on canvas, 36” x 58”. Illustration for "Look," January 14, 1964. Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. ©NRELC, Niles, IL.

Stockbridge, MA, July 5– Norman Rockwell Museum announces the loan of Norman Rockwell’s iconic painting “The Problem We All Live With,” part of its permanent collection, to The White House, where it will be exhibited through October 31. The loan was requested this year by President Barack Obama, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Ruby Bridges’ history-changing walk integrating the William Frantz Public School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960, that later inspired Rockwell’s bold illustration for the January 14, 1964 issue of “Look” magazine. “The Problem We All Live With” was the first painting purchased by Norman Rockwell Museum in 1975. The White House loan was made possible through the support of the Henry Luce Foundation.

“Norman Rockwell Museum is deeply honored that the White House has requested the loan of one of Rockwell’s most important paintings,” says Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt. “The painting has come to serve as an important symbol of civil rights, and Museum Trustee Ruby Bridges’ historic journey. We are enormously grateful for the support of the Luce Foundation, that made the loan possible.”

Ruby Bridges’ historic walk took place six years after the 1954 United States Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education ruling declared that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional, and represented a definite victory for the American Civil Rights Movement. Among those Americans to take note of the event was artist Norman Rockwell, a longtime supporter of the goals of equality and tolerance. In his early career, editorial policies governed the placement of minorities in his illustrations (restricting them to service industry positions only), however in 1963 Rockwell confronted the issue of prejudice head-on with one of his most powerful paintings–”The Problem We All Live With.” Inspired by the story of Ruby Bridges and school integration, the image featured a young African-American girl being escorted to school amidst signs of protest and fearful ignorance. The painting ushered in a new era in Rockwell’s career, and remains an important national symbol of the struggle for racial equality.

“I was about 18 or 19 years old the first time that I actually saw it,” says Ruby Bridges Hall, who now serves on the board of Norman Rockwell Museum. “It confirmed what I had been thinking all along–that this was very important and you did this, and it should be talked about… At that point in time that’s what the country was going through, and here was a man who had been doing lots of work–painting family images–and all of the sudden decided this is what I am going to do… it’s wrong and I’m going to say that it’s wrong.”

The illustration appeared in the January 14, 1964 issue of “Look” magazine, and earned Rockwell letters of both praise and criticism from readers unused to such direct social commentary from the illustrator. Rockwell would revisit the theme of civil rights in several other illustrations from the period, and in 1970 received the Million Dollar Club Award from The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), for having contributed $1000 to the organization.

Ms. Bridges Hall, who founded The Ruby Bridges Foundation in 1999 to promote the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences, commends Rockwell for having “enough courage to step up to the plate and say I’m going to make a statement, and he did it in a very powerful way.” Learn more about the Ruby Bridges Foundation at www.rubybridges.com.

Digital production still of Blu, Jewell and Rafael from "Rio." TM & ©2011 Twentieth Century Fox Films Corporation. All rights reserved.

Thomas Cardone, the art director behind the recent blockbuster animated film “Rio,” will present a talk at Norman Rockwell Museum on Thursday, July 14, starting at 5:30 p.m. Mr. Cardone, whose credits include “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” will talk about what it takes to create the overall look and feel for animated films. In addition to his work for Blue Sky Studios, Cardone creates traditional paintings, and will talk about how the timeless art of craftsmanship and storytelling remains important in this modern, digital age. The evening talk is presented as part of the Museum’s “Blue Sky & Beyond” summer program series, held in conjunction with its new exhibition “‘Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios.” The event is free for Museum members, or with regular Museum admission.

Upcoming “Blue Sky & Beyond” Events:

The Art of Animation:
Behind the Scenes of Blue Sky Studios
Thursday, July 21, 5:30 p.m.

Movie Night!
Screening Under the Stars: “Robots”
Thursday, July 28, 5:30 p.m.

Steampunk Night!
Thursday, August 4, 5:30 p.m.

The Berkshires! Filmmaking & Special Effects in Our Backyard
Thursday, August 11, 5:30 p.m.

Lights, Camera, Action! Lighting Design for Animated Films
Thursday, August 18, 5:30 p.m.

Movie Night!
Screening Under the Stars: “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
Thursday, August 25, 5:30 p.m.

“‘Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios”
On view June 11 through October 31, 2011

Go “behind the scenes” with a look at the world of digital animation with the artists of Blue Sky Studios, creators of the blockbuster films “Ice Age” (and its popular sequels), “Robots,” and the recently released hit, “Rio.”

This first-ever exhibition brings art and technology together to explore how visual concepts are transformed into believable worlds for the big screen. Rarely-seen original character drawings, storyboards, and background paintings reflect the conceptual process, and a recreated sculpture studio will bring you face-to-face with Blue Sky’s amazing sculptural maquettes. Interactive stations reveal how today’s stunning computer generated imagery is built, from initial concept to finished frame.

Blue Sky Studios is the Academy Award©-winning, feature CG animation studio behind the wildly successful Ice Age franchise. Using their propriety rendering software, CGI Studio©, Blue Sky creates photo-realistic, high-resolution, computer-generated character animation and rendering to create timeless stories for children of all ages. Blue Sky is the studio behind “Ice Age” (2002), “Robots” (2005), “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” (2008), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009) and “Rio” (2011). Blue Sky Studios is wholly owned by Twentieth Century Fox.

“‘Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios” is sponsored, in part, by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Wacom Technology Corporation, Pixologic, Inc., and Time Warner’s “Connect A Million Minds.”

Sketch of violinist Jory Fankuchen at Tanglewood, 2003, by Sol Schwartz. ©2003 Sol Schwartz. All rights reserved.

New Exhibition Celebrates The Performing Arts of the Berkshires

Stockbridge, MA, July 8, 2011–The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts has become world-renowned for its inspiring landscape and cultural attractions, including such performing arts centers as Tanglewood, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, and Barrington Stage Company. Look around the audience of any of these venues this summer, and you might spot Sol Schwartz, a local artist who documents the creative action onstage through his own pencil, pen and brushstroke. A new exhibition looks at the artist’s vibrant, spontaneous drawings, that have captured the beauty and excitement of music, theater and dance for more than a decade; “Sol Schwartz: Drawing in the Dark” will be on view at Norman Rockwell Museum from July 9 through October 23, 2011.

“It happened by accident,” says Sol Schwartz. “ I used to make little sketches in the corners of my programs when I attended concerts.” Eventually the artist began bringing a sketchbook along to work in, and over the years has completed thousands of studies, including likenesses of such musical, dance and theater superstars as André Previn, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Seiji Ozawa, Yo-Yo Ma, Katherine Dunham, Savion Glover, Mark Morris, and many others. “The novelty of my work is that I do it while a performance is underway, sometimes in the pitch dark,” Schwartz notes. He prefers not to adjust or complete an artwork after the fact, and enjoys the sense of immediacy that is conveyed by drawing on site. Working in pencil, ball point pen, and Japanese sumi brush, he tries to convey “the spirit of the concert… that ineffable nature of a great performance.”

“Sol Schwartz: Drawing in the Dark” looks at the artist’s original drawings and sketchbooks, along with the creatively-designed large scale prints that reflect his enthusiastic love of color, graphic art, and digital technology. A video interview with the artist offers personal commentary on the unique, creative environment of the Berkshires; “There is nothing to equal this area,” says the artist. “Just like Tanglewood, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Theatre, or Barrington Stage, The Norman Rockwell Museum is another great asset–it’s one of the pillars of the Berkshires, no question about it. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be a part of it.”

Exhibition Opening Reception
Saturday, July 9, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Catch the spirit of music and movement this summer through the art of Sol Schwartz, whose vibrant drawings have captured the beauty and excitement of music, theater, and dance in the Berkshires for more than a decade. Commentary by artist Sol Schwartz at 6 p.m. A special reception will follow, with refreshments, and music entertainment by the Simeon Loring Trio. Free with Museum admission.