“Away they rode with clashing hoofs and ringing armor,” 1888, Howard Pyle (1853-1911). Ink on illustration board, 7 11/16” x 5 3/4”. Delaware Art Museum, Museum Purchase, 1915.
Stockbridge, MA, August 8, 2012—In conjunction with its latest exhibition, “Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered,” Norman Rockwell Museum continues its “Buried Treasures: Perspectives on Pyle” summer lecture and performance series on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m. throughout the month of August.
Bawdy Songs and Buried Treasure:
An A Cappella Evening with Quintessential
Thursday, August 9, 5:30 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of bawdy songs and buried treasure on Thursday, August 9, with Quintessential, a Berkshire-based, a cappella group that formed in 2003. Tenors Al Thorp, Jay Wise and Jim McMenamy; bass Steve Dahlin; and bass/baritone David Anderegg; will present a pirate-themed set of music inspired by the art in Howard Pyle’s paintings.
Will the Real Howard Pyle Please Stand Up:
An Evening with Artist/Blogger Ian Schoenherr
Thursday, August 16, 5:30 p.m.
On Thursday, August 16, meet children’s book illustrator/author, Ian Schoenherr, who will share his knowledge on the life and career of Howard Pyle (1853-1911). Schoenherr is a self-proclaimed “obsessive genealogist” and specialist on Pyle, whose work he avidly collects. He is also the creator of a blog devoted to Pyle, and will discuss little-known facts about the influential artist. Visit his blog at: http://howardpyle.blogspot.com
Howard Pyle and his Students:
An Evening with Curator Joyce K. Schiller, Ph.D.
Thursday, August 23, 5:30 p.m.
Renowned as both an artist and an educator, Howard Pyle began teaching the art of illustration to aspiring students in 1896 at Philadelphia’s Drexel Institute of Art, and later at The Howard Pyle School of Art, in Wilmington, Delaware. On Thursday, August 23, Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies curator Joyce K. Schiller, Ph.D., will explain how Pyle’s approach to teaching impacted generations of artists including N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Frank Schoonover, among many others. Dr. Schiller’s essay “Teaching Storytelling” appears in the exhibition catalogue for “Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered.” A selection of original artworks by Howard Pyle’s students from the Illustration Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum is currently on view in conjunction with the exhibition.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail’:
A Fun-Filled Movie Night
Thursday, August 30, 5:30 p.m.
Follow King Arthur and his knights as they embark on a hilarious journey in the classic 1975 film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” voted one of the funniest films of all times. Arthurian adventures will be explored in Norman Rockwell Museum’s current exhibition, “Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered” before the screening. The film is rated PG, and does contain scenes of violence. Special Museum admission price for this event: $5 per person.
General admission to the “Buried Treasures” lecture and performance series costs $16 or with Museum admission, $10 for Museum members.
“Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered”
On View Through October 28, 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 dozens of publications and were admired by such artists and authors as Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, and Norman Rockwell. Organized by the Delaware Art Museum, “Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered” features 79 original paintings and drawings created by the artist between 1876 and 1910. The exhibition includes 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.