Norman Rockwell Museum Director Attends White House Celebration
For New Educational Initiative Featuring Norman Rockwell Artwork

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt attended a special event at the White House on February 26, hosted by President and Mrs. George Bush, to help celebrate the launch of "Picturing America," a new educational initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Norman Rockwell's 1943 painting "Freedom of Speech" was chosen as one of 40 iconic images to be included in the initiative, developed by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association, to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture by bringing some of the nation's greatest works of art into school classrooms and public libraries.

"We are honored to have Norman Rockwell's 'Freedom of Speech' represented in this visionary program from the National Endowment for the Humanities," notes Moffatt. "Rockwell's iconic image communicates our basic democratic principles with strength and elegance, and illuminates our understanding of American history and culture through the visual image." Moffatt adds that "it was a thrilling privilege to attend the White House ceremonies for the launch of this important national education program."

President Bush stated at the ceremony that "at their best, the arts and humanities express the ideals that define our nation. The United States is a country defined not by bloodline, race, or creed, but by our character and convictions. We are united by an unyielding principle, and that is, all men are created equal. We firmly believe that each man and woman has the right to make the most of their God-given talents. And we believe that all are endowed with the divine gift of freedom."

"Freedom of Speech" is part of Norman Rockwell's 'Four Freedoms,' an enduring series of paintings created by the artist during World War II. Rockwell hoped to represent the four basic freedoms President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had envisioned for a postwar world in a speech given in January of 1941; the paintings were originally published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943, and were so well-received that they were included as part of a national tour which helped earn 133 million dollars worth of war bonds and stamps. The original "Four Freedoms" paintings are on view and part of the permanent collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Through the "Picturing America" program, "Freedom of Speech" will be distributed along with works by such noted artists as Mary Cassatt, N.C. Wyeth, Winslow Homer, and Frank Lloyd Wright, as a large, high-quality reproduction, with additional materials and lessons plans for use by educators. The NEH states that "by bringing some of our country's finest works of art directly to the classrooms and providing the educational context for these images, we can open more eyes to the legacy of our great country."

To learn more about the "Picturing America" educational initiative, please visit their Web site at picturingamerica.neh.gov, or call 1.800.NEH.1121.