Norman Rockwell Museum's "Four Freedoms" Gallery. Photo by Sarah Edwards. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, May 16, 2012—Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate Art Museum Day on Friday, May 18, 2012, by offering $5 off adult admissions, $5 off a family/dual memberships and above, and $5 off a purchase of $50 or more in the Museum’s store. The event is being sponsored by the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD), and coincides with International Museum Day.

In recognition of the important role museums play in their communities, Norman Rockwell Museum will encourage visitors to share their experiences during Art Museum Day on a special printed form available at the Museum and via social media with the hashtag #ArtMuseumDay in a collective public response.

Norman Rockwell Museum will also offer three free gallery tours, at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m.; as well as exhibitions of original art by Norman Rockwell, Everett Raymond Kinstler, and other past and contemporary masters in the field of illustration. Norman Rockwell’s original Stockbridge studio will also be open for tours throughout the day.

“Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to participate in International Museum Day which reminds us how essential museums are to society,” notes Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt. “As keepers of our cultural heritage and spaces for civic engagement, museums have the ability to educate, delight and inspire. Norman Rockwell Museum tells America’s stories of hope, optimism and social justice through the finest illustration art. I hope everyone will take advantage of this special day and visit.”

“Art museums create opportunities for the public to engage directly with works of art in new and meaningful ways—from transformative educational initiatives to innovative public partnerships.” said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD.  “AAMD believes that art should be accessible and relevant to all, and we are so pleased that Norman Rockwell Museum is joining with us and the global community of museums to celebrate the role museums play in their communities and to encourage visitors to share their museum experiences.”

Participation in the international event highlights the value of the visual arts in society, and provides new opportunities for audiences to participate in wide-ranging programs and record their encounters with works of art.

AAMD member museums—located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—include regional museums as well as large international institutions.  International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).  AAMD’s Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM’s global celebration of museums.

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums will be available in the newsroom of the AAMD website (http://www.aamd.org/newsroom/).  Note that while AAMD’s Art Museum Day and ICOM’s International Museum Day is formally held each year on May 18th, some institutions shift their celebrations to adjacent dates.

Photo of Norman and Molly Rockwell, and friend Doug McGregor. Photo by Louie Lamone, 1971. Norman Rockwell Museum Digital Collections. ©NRELC: Niles, IL.

It’s a rainy start to the week here in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, but a perfect time to come inside and view some inspiring illustration artwork here at Norman Rockwell Museum.

Take a trip back in time to visit Norman Rockwell’s original Stockbridge studio, located right here on our grounds. The studio has been reinstalled to look as it did circa 1960, when the artist was working on his iconic painting, The Golden Rule. For a preview, download our interactive studio app in the Google Play Store.

If you prefer a more old-school approach to tweeting, you might enjoy our exhibition of Rockwell’s original artwork created for the children’s book Willie Was Different. Originally published in 1967, Willie Was Different tells the story of a wood thrush with a magical gift for music, who is befriended by the kind Miss Polly. Beautifully illustrated, it’s a charming story about the trials of genius and the satisfactions of true friendship.

Also on display, don’t miss Everett Raymond Kinstler: Pulps to Portraits (on view through May 28, 2012), Curator’s Choice: Recent Gifts to the Permanent Collection, and Norman Rockwell’s 323 “Saturday Evening Post” Covers.

"Springtime in Stockbridge," Norman Rockwell, 1971. Oil on canvas, 32” x 68”. Story illustration for "Look," June 1, 1971. Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. ©NRELC: Niles, IL

Many of Rockwell’s most memorable Saturday Evening Post covers were created right here in Stockbridge, where he lived from 1953 to 1978. This Saturday, May 19, take a tour of the artist’s life and art in the town with a springtime guided tour from Museum educators Melinda Georgeson and Tom Daly. Look for Rockwell’s old studio, his home near the Red Lion Inn, and the locations that inspired such classic paintings as The Marriage License and Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. The tour will meet in front of the Stockbridge Library and Museum, near the original location for Norman Rockwell Museum. The tour costs $12, $8 members.

This Friday, May 18, Norman Rockwell Museum will take part in Art Museum Day, offering $5 off adult admission, $5 off a family/dual members (and above), and $5 off a Museum Store purchase of $50 or more. In addition, the Museum will offer three free gallery tours: at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m., as well as tours of Rockwell’s studio throughout the day.

Looking ahead: save thee date for our Swagger & Dagger dance party, being held to celebrate the opening of Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscoveredon Saturday, June 9. Considered the grandfather of American illustration, Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was a hero to Norman Rockwell, and known for his beautiful artworks, which included adventurous illustrations of pirates. Dress to impress with your finest pirate garments or festive attire, and get down to the sounds of the Berkshire Bateria. A cocktail buffet and raw bar will also be served, along with a special pirate treasure auction to benefit Norman Rockwell Museum. For more information, visit our Pyle exhibition mini-site.

Plenty of art adventures await at Norman Rockwell Museum—we look forward to seeing you soon.

Dust jacket for "In the Night Kitchen." Pen and ink, watercolor. © Maurice Sendak, 1970, all rights reserved. Courtesy, Rosenbach Museum & Library.

Norman Rockwell Museum is saddened to learn about the loss of acclaimed children’s book illustrator/author  Maurice Sendak, who died on Tuesday, May 8, at age 83.

Children of all ages grew up reading Sendak’s highly imaginative picture books, which included: The Sign on Rosie’s Door (1960); Chicken Soup with Rice (A Book of Months) (1962); Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life (1967); In the Night Kitchen (1970); Outside Over There (1981); We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy (1993); and Bumble-Ardy (2011).

Perhaps his best-known and beloved book, Where The Wild Things Are was published in 1963; the book told the story of young Max, clad in his mischievous wolf suit, who is sent to his room without any supper for being unruly and not minding his mother. Enraged, he conjures up a grand trip of sailing off to the land of The Wild Things, a peculiar group of monsters, who first threaten to eat him and then hail him as their king: “Let the wild rumpus begin!” After settling in with the monsters, he soon becomes homesick for his family. The jungle is transformed back into his room, and young Max finds his dinner…still hot.

Final drawing for "Where the Wild Things Are" (detail). Pen and ink, watercolor. © Maurice Sendak, 1963, all rights reserved. Courtesy, Rosenbach Museum & Library.

Sendak did not shy away from taking his young readers on a darker journey than most children’s books of the day. Friend and fellow author Gregory Maguire paid tribute to the artist’s great insight into young readers in his 2009 book, Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation: “What Sendak has contributed, before, during, and since the wild things, is a child’s grammar of narrative and image sturdy enough to convey the anxiety and adventure, the danger and potential reward of the mortal world−a grammar that can be deciphered by a child too young to read.”

Maurice Sendak took great pride in being an illustrator. In an archived interview with writer Dan McCue, Sendak had this to say about the field: “I think there have been more great illustrators – and I say this cautiously – than there have been fine art painters in America, with somebody like Winslow Homer being one of the rare examples of someone having bridged both…”

“There are commercial illustrators,” Sendak said. “I would say even Norman Rockwell was, but even that is not a negative. He made his living from it and, whether you like him or not, technically he was superb. I’m not that kind of illustrator, but I also make my living from it. And I dare say painters, could they, would like to make their living from it, too.”

The above clip is courtesy of the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia. The author of over 100 books, Sendak chose the Rosenbach to be the permanent home of his work in the early 1970s. The Rosenbach’s Sendak collection is the largest in the world, with over 10,000 preliminary sketches, final drawings, manuscripts, books, and ephemera. Starting on June 10, what would have been the artist’s 84th birthday, the Rosenbach will present a year-long commemoration of his work, paying tribute to artist’s remarkable 65-year career.

To quote the Wild Things calling out to young Max: “‘Oh please don’t go — we’ll eat you up — we love you so.’ ” Maurice Sendak will be dearly missed, but his beautifully illustrated books will be with us forever.

Maurice Sendak with his dog, Herman (named for Herman Melville), 2004. Courtesy, Rosenbach Museum & Library.

Links:

“Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012,” The Rosenbach Museum & Library

“Maurice Sendak, Author of Splendid Nightmares, Dies,” The New York Times, May 8, 2012

"The Runaway," Norman Rockwell, 1958. Oil on canvas, 35 3/4" x 33 1/2'" Cover illustration for "The Saturday Evening Post," September 20, 1958. Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. ©1958 SEPS: Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.

Norman Rockwell Museum is sad to learn today of the passing of Richard Clemens, who posed as the police officer in Norman Rockwell’s iconic 1958 painting, The Runaway. Having worked as a Massachusetts State Trooper, Mr. Clemens was always very generous with sharing stories about his time working as a model for his Stockbridge neighbor. In addition to The Runaway, Rockwell also painted Clemens’ portrait for a 1961 Christmas card for the Massachusetts State Police.

The Runaway endures as one of Norman Rockwell’s most admired paintings. Over the years, Clemens and Locke have both visited Norman Rockwell Museum to take part in model reunions and special talks about their experience. The painting has also resonated with police and military personnel around the world. In 2008, the models were honored by the Massachusetts State Police during a special ceremony in Framingham to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the September 28, 1958 cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post.

The original painting and study of The Runaway can currently be seen in the Norman Rockwell Museum traveling exhibition, Norman Rockwell: Beyond the Easel, on view at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts through September 3, 2012. Visitors to Norman Rockwell Museum can also view the original tear sheet of the beloved Post cover, which is part of the Museum’s current exhibition Norman Rockwell’s 323 “Saturday Evening Post” Covers.

All of us at Norman Rockwell Museum send our sincere condolences to Dick’s family and friends. He was a great friend of Norman Rockwell Museum, and will be dearly missed.

"An Attack on a Galleon," Howard Pyle, 1905. Oil on canvas, 29 1/2” x 19 1/2” Delaware Art Museum, Museum Purchase, 1912

Stockbridge, MA, May 2, 2012—Howard Pyle (1853 – 1911) was one of America’s most popular illustrators and storytellers during a period of explosive growth in the publishing industry. A celebrity in his lifetime, Pyle’s widely circulated images of pirates, knights, and historical figures were featured in publications such as Harper’s Monthly and were admired by such artists and authors as Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, and Norman Rockwell. In celebration of the centenary of Pyle’s death and the lasting influence of the artist’s work, Norman Rockwell Museum will present the new exhibition, Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered from June 9 through October 28, 2012.

Organized by the Delaware Art Museum, in Wilmington, Delaware, Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered features 79 original paintings and drawings created by Pyle between 1876 and 1910, on loan from the Delaware Art Museum, which was founded in 1912 to preserve and exhibit Pyle’s work following his death. The exhibition presents a fresh perspective on Pyle’s imagery, exploring his interaction with the art and culture of 19th-century art.

“When Howard Pyle died in 1911, he left behind an extensive body of over 3,000 works of art and a lasting legacy of inspired teaching,” says Stephanie Plunkett, chief curator at Norman Rockwell Museum. “This exhibition features an outstanding selection of the artist’s best known and rarely seen paintings, drawings, prints, and archival materials that shed light on the artist’s career as a painter and a consummate storyteller in a changing world at the cusp of the 20th century. “

“Admired by Norman Rockwell and his contemporaries, Pyle’s exacting working methods resulted in the creation of artworks of singular beauty and refinement with innovative compositional structures,” notes Dr. Joyce K. Schiller, curator of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at Norman Rockwell Museum. “His extraordinary skill was strengthened by his conviction that illustration was an act of self revelation, and he encouraged students like N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Frank Schoonover to understand their subjects by imagining themselves in them. The artist’s powerful paintings of pirates and historical and literary themes continue to spark the imagination, as reflected in the works on view.”

The exhibition catalogue features essays by Norman Rockwell Museum curators Stephanie Plunkett and Joyce K. Schiller, Ph.D., along with other leading scholars on Howard Pyle’s work.

Pyle’s unique approach to the art of illustration was honed through the intensive, self-directed study of the art of his time, which he experienced both in the original as well as through illustrated periodicals and books, reproductive prints, and fine art reproductions. The exhibition will include Pyle’s paintings alongside related works by contemporary American and European artists, as well as selected paintings by Norman Rockwell, to show the cross-currents in both fine and commercial art.

Exhibition Themes

Visions of the Past concentrates on Pyle’s depictions of history, including Roman gladiators and Medieval knights. His views of the classical world drew inspiration from the work of the French academic artist Jean-Leon Gérome (1824 – 1904) and his numerous depictions of the Middle Ages show how conversant Pyle was with the works of the 19th-century Pre-Raphaelites.

Pyle’s pirate imagery is based on his own personal archive of costume books and historic manuscripts; however, his use of strong diagonals, flat compositional arrangements, and restrained placement of color suggests an understanding of the art world’s new-found interest in Japanese ukiyo-e prints. The contemporary art world was obsessed with Japanese art as reflected in the work of James McNeill Whistler, James Tissot, and Edgar Degas, among others.

Fairytale and Fantasy will focus on Pyle’s fairy tales and children’s illustrations, which show his knowledge of European illustrators, including Walter Crane (1845 – 1915) and Kate Greenaway (1846 – 1901). His depictions of the world of make-believe also reflect many of the themes and methods of European Aesthetic and Symbolist art.

America – Past and Present highlights Pyle’s enthusiasm for the American Colonial Revival of the 1880s, which celebrated the history of the United States. Many of Pyle’s iconic Revolutionary War scenes seem to have been strengthened by knowledge of the work of the French Salon artist, Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (1814 – 1891), whose military scenes of the Napoleonic Wars were immensely popular.

Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered is made possible by Henry Luce Foundation, Foundation Sponsor, and Wyeth Foundation for American Art.

Exhibition-Related Programs and Events

EXHIBITION OPENING/SWAGGER & DAGGER DANCE PARTY

Saturday, June 9, 2012, 6 to 10:30 p.m.

Celebrate the opening of Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered with a spirited exhibition opening and dance party. View original art from one of the nation’s most important visual storytellers: an artist often referred to as the grandfather of American illustration. Remarks begin at 6:30 p.m. by Margaretta S. Frederick, Chief Curator/Curator of the Samuel and Mary R. Bancroft Collection, Delaware Art Museum, followed by the dedication of Norman Rockwell Museum’s “Distinguished Scholar Award” to Walt Reed, whose contributions to scholarship relating to the art of illustration are unrivaled in the field.

The fun continues with the Swagger & Dagger Dance Party, featuring the lively sounds of the Berkshire Bateria, and a special pirate treasure auction to benefit Norman Rockwell Museum. A cocktail buffet and raw bar will also be served. Dress to impress with your finest pirate garments or festive attire.

Tickets for the full event start at $150, $125 for Museum members; admission to the dance and dessert portion of the party only cost $50, $40 for Museum members. For more information or to RSVP, please call 413.931.2264.

About Walt Reed

Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present the first Distinguished Scholar Award to Walt Reed. An art historian and author of many books on American illustration, including The Illustrator in America, his seminal work and guide to hundreds of noted practitioners, Mr. Reed is also the founder of Illustration House, a respected New York City art gallery that has promoted and encouraged serious consideration of the art of illustration for almost forty years.

LECTURE AND PERFORMANCE SERIES

Buried Treasures: Perspectives on Pyle

Thursdays, July 5 through August 30, 5:30 p.m.

Howard Pyle’s artworks serve as the inspiration for a lively, eclectic program series that brings his dynamic images to life. Featured programs include:

July 5: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Tanglewood Tales” performed by Rob Valella

July 12: “Howard Pyle as Picturemaker” with illustrator James Gurney

July 19: “Pyle, Piracy, and the Silver Screen” with author David M. Lubin

July 26: “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl”: A Fun-Filled Movie Night

August 9: “Bawdy Songs and Buried Treasures”: An A Cappella Evening with Quintessential

August 16: “Will the Real Howard Pyle Please Stand Up?” An Evening with Howard Pyle blogger and illustrator Ian Schoenherr.

August 23: “Howard Pyle and His Students” with Norman Rockwell Museum curator Joyce K. Schiller, Ph.D.

August 30: “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”: A Fun-Filled Movie Night

Free with Museum admission, members free.

ART WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS AND TEENS

TO PRE-REGISTER FOR CLASSES: CALL 413.931.2221.

Illustration Boot Camp: An Intensive Hands-On Immersion 

Monday, July 9 through Friday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

An inspiring drawing and painting experience with dynamic illustrator/educator Lynn Pauley. $225, $195 members.

Masterpiece: Classical Painting Techniques

Monday, July 16 through Friday July 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

An immersion in the painting techniques of Golden Age illustrators with award-winning artist Gregory Manchess.  $225, $195 members.

Art of the Story: Digital Animation

Monday, July 30 through Friday, August 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A sequential art workshop exploring the techniques of computer animation with creative animator and cartoonist Scott Lincoln. $150, $125 members.

Beautiful Simplicity: The Art of Oil Painting

Friday and Saturday, August 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A Pyle-inspired look at mood, composition, and narrative in oil painting with noted picture book artist Ruth Sanderson.  $95, $75 members.

ART TALK 

Golden Age: Howard Pyle and American Illustration

With illustrator/educator Murray Tinkelman

Saturday, July 14, 1 p.m.

Free with Museum admission, members free.

WORLD OF ADVENTURE FAMILY FESTIVAL

Arthurian Legends and Gold Dubloons!

Saturday, August 4, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

King Arthur, Captain Kidd, and the patriots of the American Revolution spring from Howard Pyle’s illustrations during this exciting day of adventure for families. Free with Museum admission, members free.

INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY

Wednesday, September 19

Talk like a pirate and wear your pirate gear and receive half-price admission. Fun and treats await you!

Congratulations to Anne-Marie Stanley of Lynn, MA! Anne-Marie guessed all 51 jokes Rockwell included in the cover. She wins two complimentary tickets to the Museum and a copy of the print.

Correct answers:

1. Apples on maple tree.

2. Different-color apples.

3. Baseball among apples.

4. Pine boughs.

5. Pine cone should point down under bough.

6. Horse-chestnut leaves.

7. Grapes.

8. April 1st comes on Sunday, not Monday.

9. Penguins don’t fly.

10. Halo.

11. Nest on phone.

12. Different-color eggs.

13. Phone wire on wrong end of receiver.

14. Different or wrong color butterflies.

15. Books on tree.

16. Castle in landscape.

17. Lighthouse and ship.

18. Earmuffs.

19. Fur collar on velvet jacket.

20. Two different designs on shirt.

21. Shirt buttoned wrong way.

22. Life jacket.

23. Three hands.

24. Cigarette and pipe used at same time.

25. Collar and necktie on bird.

26. Fly-casting reel on bait-casting rod.

27. Cloth patches on waders.

28. Rod upside down.

29. Alligators as roots.

30. Cobra in mandolin.

31. Ribbon on mandolin.

32. Post heading on wrong side of magazine.

33. Snow scene.

34. Horizons different on two scenes.

35. Horns on mouse’s head.

36. Animal head on turtle.

37. You’re wrong; there are blue lobsters although they are

extremely unusual freaks of nature.

38. Tomato picture on plum can.

39. House slippers on skis.

40. Shells.

41. Dutchman’s-breeches.

42. Lady’s-slipper.

43. Buttercup.

44. Thimbleweed.

45. Bachelor-buttons.

46. Poison ivy.

47. Signature upside down.

48. Skis without backs.

49. Lead sinkers on line should be below floater.

50. Floater upside down.

51. Red should be at top of floater in right position.

“Alive, but Dead,” Peter Callesen Acid Free paper, glue, acrylic paint, and oak frame. 27 x 94 x 11,5 cm. Collection: unknown. ©Peter Callesen. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, April 27, 2012—Norman Rockwell Museum announces a new educational collaboration with the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), based in Baltimore, Maryland. This past semester, Stephanie Plunkett, Deputy Director and Chief Curator for the Museum; and Joyce K. Schiller, Ph.D., curator of the Museum’s Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, have been teaching a Critical Seminar course in the school’s new Master of Fine Arts Illustration Practice Program, chaired by award-winning illustrator Whitney Sherman.

“Taught both on-site at MICA, and online, this unique seminar explored diverse aspects of our visual culture,” notes Plunkett. “Our talented graduate illustration students, in turn, provided fascinating perspectives on a wide range of illustration-based topics, creating exciting new scholarship relating to the field.”

On Tuesday, May 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the nine graduate students involved in the course will present digital exhibition concepts of their own design, exploring diverse themes that reflect the impact of illustrated images on the public’s perception and world view. Politics, dream realities, illustrated products, web comics, children’s literature, calligraphy and metaphor, and the new illustration are among the compelling themes to be explored. Exhibition curators include Nargol Arefi, Sara Barnes, Jun Cen, Dingding Hu, Lisa Perrin, Aehee Shin, Tong Su, Yuanjin Wei, and Jennifer Yoo. The free event and discussion will be held in the Brown Center, Room 320, at MICA’s Baltimore campus. MICA virtual exhibitions will then be posted on the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies website in mid-May.

About the MFA in Illustration Practice Program: 

The MFA in Illustration Practice Program at The Maryland Institute College of Art prepares artists to elevate their artistic and business abilities, blend media within new cultural contexts, and integrate research and critical analysis into their work. Students are encouraged to find new directions for the practice in the 21st century and actively initiate projects. This intense program of study helps students revisit their creative process and use of materials while awakening their abilities to chart their own course as entrepreneurs. The program embraces existing models of illustration practice while seeking what is new on the horizon and beyond into new markets. Learn more at: www.mica.edu

About the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies

The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies is the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration. Officially launched in 2009, Norman Rockwell Museum’s 40th anniversary year, the Rockwell Center brings new scholarly attention and resources to the art of illustration, a hugely influential aspect of American visual culture that is only now being studied and appreciated. Through creating new online research tools and collections access, supporting scholarship, and spurring the collection and preservation of important artworks, the Center will establish a context for understanding the role of illustration art in shaping and reflecting American culture. Visit the Rockwell Center website at: www.rockwell-center.org

Norman Rockwell working on "Golden Rule" in his South Street studio, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1960. Photo by Bill Scovill. Norman Rockwell Museum Digital Collections. ©NRELC: Niles, IL.

Open  through October

During his career, Norman Rockwell occupied approximately twenty studios, and each of them was arranged in a similar manner. Unlike the stereotypical disheveled artist’s studio, Rockwell’s were always neat and organized. His creativity and prolific production seemed to depend on a physical environment of tidy organization.

This installation of the workspace that Rockwell considered his “best studio yet” invites viewers to enter into a day in his profoundly busy work life, and to ponder the aesthetic and practical concerns that informed the artist’s imagery and experience.