FINDING HOME: FOUR ARTISTS’ JOURNEYS

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

What defines home? The circuitous pathways to finding a place of one’s own are explored in our upcoming exhibition, Finding Home: Four Artists’ Journeys, which features compelling visual memoirs inspired by personal journeys through time and place. Master illustrators bring the immigration experience to life in images and words that give voice to the complex emotional realities of traveling to America, and of adapting to a new world thousands of miles away from where their stories began.

More than one hundred-fifty original drawings, paintings, linoleum block prints, and digital mixed media works by artists Frances Jetter, David Macaulay, James McMullan, and Yuyi Morales draw upon memories and family narratives, and on historical research that establishes meaningful contexts for their work. Personal mementos⸺from treasured toys, skates, and tea sets to articles of clothing, books, photographs, and travel documents, as well as video commentary, will illuminate each illustrator’s story. The space that images make to inspire conversation will be explored, as will the distinctive qualities of each artist’s voice, their aesthetic and technical approaches, and the use of visual symbols as anchors in their poignant sequential narratives.

Frances Jetter’s Amalgam is an illustrated history of the life and times of her immigrant labor unionist grandfather, who left Poland in 1911 when it was still part of the Russian Empire. After arriving at Ellis Island, he found work as a pocket maker in a New York garment factory and became a foot soldier in America’s army of labor, spending his life fighting for a living wage. Amalgam, a powerful limited edition artist’s book, focuses on his dual role as a union member advocating for democracy in the workplace, and as a dictatorial patriarch of his Brooklyn family, waging a war against frivolity and toys. Jetter’s images contrast old world ways with the desire to assimilate, and follows the family and the union through the Great Depression and World War II to the 1960s, and the union’s decline. A labor of love, Amalgam has been under construction for almost a decade, and is extraordinary among Jetter’s extensive body of work, which includes prints, artist’s books, and drawings focusing on political and socially-significant subject matter. Her images have illustrated articles in the New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, The Nation, the Village Voice, The Progressive, and others.

 Caldecott Award-winning artist David Macaulay documents both his own family’s immigration story and the state-of-the art ship that made high speed ocean travel possible in his recent book, Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships, and a Journey to a New World. The creator of the best-selling illustrated books, The Way Things Work, Cathedral, City, Castle, Ship, and many others, Macaulay brings his signature curiosity, in-depth research, and detailed observations to his own immigration story. A plethora of studies, ship models, photographs, and more, trace his journey from England to the United States, as well as the unprecedented engineering project that culminated in the building of the most advanced steamship of its time⸺SS United States. The design and construction of the ship and the life of its designer, William Francis Gibbs, are fully explored, framed by Macaulay’s own poignant tale, as he and his family crossed the Atlantic on this marvel of technology and engineering.

Leaving China, a memoir by James McMullan, is inspired by his World War II childhood, and the family’s travels from China to India, Canada, and the United States. Born in Tsingtao, North China, the grandson of missionaries who settled there, he took life for granted until World War II erupted and his world dramatically changed. McMullan’s father, a British citizen fluent in several Chinese dialects, joined the Allied forces. For the next several years, he and his mother moved from one place to another—Shanghai, San Francisco, Vancouver, Darjeeling—first escaping Japanese occupation then trying to find security, with no clear destination. Those ever-changing years took on the quality of a dream, a feeling that persists in his stunning watercolor paintings, which compliment a text that tells a remarkable story. McMullan’s distinctive illustrations have appeared on the pages of virtually every American magazine, in best-selling picture books, and on the posters for more than seventy Lincoln Center theater productions.

In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the United States with her infant son, Kelly, leaving behind everything she owned. Dreamers tells the story of her difficult passage―Morales spoke no English at the time, but she found solace and inspiration in an unexpected place, a San Francisco public library. Book by book, she unraveled the language and customs of an unfamiliar new land and found ways to make a home within it. A celebration of what immigrants bring with them when they leave home, Dreamers is topical, timeless, and relevant as that status of immigrants become increasingly uncertain. Morales is the author/illustrator of many noted picturebooks, including Just a Minute, Niño Wrestles the World and Little Night Nochecita, and Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased.

Media Sponsor:

Berkshire Magazine

ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND THEIR WORKS

Frances Jetter – AMALGAM

Frances Jetter’s Amalgam is an illustrated history of the life and times of her immigrant labor unionist grandfather who left Poland in 1911 when it was still part of the Russian Empire. Although the Russian Army no longer conscripted twelve-year-old Jewish children to serve thirty-one year-long tours of duty, her grandfather chose to evade their draft. After finding work as a pocket maker in a New York garment factory, he became a foot soldier in America’s army of labor, and spent his life fighting for a living wage. Amalgam focuses on his dual roles as a union member advocating for democracy in the workplace, and as a dictatorial patriarch of his Brooklyn family, waging a war against frivolity and toys. This powerful illustrated book contrasts old world ways with the desire to assimilate, and follows the family and the union through the Great Depression and World War II to the 1960s, and the union’s decline. The artist’s sequential narrative is cut from linoleum, with some imagery featuring complex chine collé additions from lithographic or digital prints.

A labor of love, Amalgam has been under construction for almost a decade, and is extraordinary among her extensive body of work, which includes prints, artist’s books, and drawings focusing on political and socially-significant subject matter. Her images have illustrated articles in the New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, The Nation, the Village Voice, The Progressive, and others. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and is featured in the permanent collections of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, Detroit Institute of Arts, The New York Public Library, and Grinnell College Print and Drawing Study Room, Grinnell, Iowa. Her artist’s books are included in the Library of Congress’ Rare Books and Special Collections, The New York Public Library’s Spencer Collection, and in numerous public and private collections. She is the recent recipient of a New York Public Library Fellowship, which enabled her to expand and complete Amalgam, which will be on view along with process works from the book and unique mementos of her family’s life.

David Macaulay – CROSSING ON TIME: STEAM ENGINES, FAST SHIPS, AND A JOURNEY TO A NEW WORLD

Caldecott Award-winning artist David Macaulay documents both his own family’s immigration story and the state-of-the art ship that made high speed ocean travel possible. The creator of the best-selling illustrated book, The Way Things Work, the artist brings his signature curiosity, in-depth research, and detailed observations to the story of the steamship in a meticulously constructed and stunningly illustrated book.

Prior to the 1800s, ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean relied on the wind in their sails to make their journeys. But invention of steam power ushered in a new era of transportation that would change ocean travel forever. The book and an exciting plethora of related studies, ship models, photographs, and more, trace the artist’s personal journey from England to the United States, and the unprecedented engineering project that culminated in the building of the most advanced steamship of its time⸺the SS United States. The design and construction of the ship and the life of its designer, William Francis Gibbs, are fully explored, framed by Macaulay’s own poignant story, as he and his family crossed the Atlantic on this marvel of technology and engineering.

An award-winning author and artist who has helped us to understand the workings of everything from simple gadgets to monumental structures, Macaulay employs pictures and words to reveal the secret lives of buildings, the wonders of the human body, and the common sense in the design of everyday things. A gifted visual storyteller, he inspires discovery by demystifying the complexities of our world while celebrating the places the imagination takes us when we least expect it.

Transcending the boundaries of time, culture, and geography, David Macaulay’s award-winning books reveal his lifelong love of history, and are beloved by readers throughout the world. A Caldecott Medalist and recipient of a prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, he is perhaps best known for his international best seller, The Way Things Work, but his many titles include The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body, Cathedral, City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, Mosque, and Ship. David’s elegant, whimsical picture books include Rome Antics, Shortcut, and Black and White, the winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal. His art was the subject of an enthusiastically received exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, titled Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay, which traveled to fourteen museum venues nationwide.

James McMullan – LEAVING CHINA: AN ARTIST PAINTS HIS WORLD WAR II LIFE

Leaving China, a memoir by James McMullan, is inspired by his World War II childhood, and the family’s travels from China to India, Canada, and the United States. “It is this dreamlike quality of my memories that I wanted to capture in some way in the paintings that accompany the text–to suggest in the images that the events occurred a long time ago in a simpler yet more exotic world, and that the players in that world, including me, are at a distance.”

James McMullan was born in Tsingtao, North China, in 1934, the grandson of missionaries who settled there. As a little boy, he took for granted a privileged life until World War II erupted and his world dramatically changed. McMullan’s father, a British citizen fluent in several Chinese dialects, joined the Allied forces. For the next several years, he and his mother moved from one place to another—Shanghai, San Francisco, Vancouver, Darjeeling—first escaping Japanese occupation then trying to find security, with no clear destination except the unpredictable end of the war. For the artist, those ever-changing years took on the quality of a dream, sometimes a nightmare, a feeling that persists in the stunning full-page, full-color paintings that along with their accompanying text tell the story of Leaving China, a Booklist Top 10 Biography for Youth. This personal memoir comprising more than fifty illustrations explores how the artist’s early childhood in China and wartime journeys with his mother influenced his whole life, especially his painting and illustration. Photographs, personal correspondence and telegrams, and cherished childhood books and artifacts accompany the installation.

McMullan’s distinctive watercolor illustrations have appeared on the pages of virtually every American magazine including Esquire, New York, and The New York Times Magazine, in best-selling picture books, and on the posters for more than seventy Lincoln Center theater productions, including Anything Goes, Carousel, South Pacific, The  King  and  I, Six Degrees of Separation, Pipeline,  and  My  Fair  Lady.  To celebrate this achievement, Lincoln Center recently mounted a permanent exhibition of his original poster art in the lobby of the Mitzi Newhouse Theater.

Yuyi Morales – DREAMERS

Yuyi Morales in her studio
In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the United States with her infant son, Kelly, leaving behind everything she owned. Their passage was difficult and Morales spoke no English at the time, but she found solace and inspiration in an unexpected place―a San Francisco public library. Book by book, they unraveled the language and customs of their unfamiliar new land and found ways to make their home within it.

A poetic, personal memoir, Dreamers is a celebration of what immigrants bring with them when they leave home. A beautiful and powerful reflection with particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless. The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously illustrations, and an autobiographical essay about the artist’s own experience, a list of books that inspired her, and a description of the images, textures, and mementos that inspired her to create this book are featured.

Dreamers is the winner of the winner of the 2019 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award; a New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of 2018; a 2019 Boston Globe – Horn Book Honor Recipient; an Anna Dewdney Read Together Honor Book; an instant New York Times bestseller, with seven starred reviews; named a Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, NPR, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, and others. Morales’ original books include Just a Minute, Niño Wrestles the World and Little Night Nochecita, and works by other authors like Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She PleasedLadder to the MoonLos Gatos Black en HalloweenMy AbuelitaSand Sister, and Floating on Mama’s Song.

Berkshire Immigrant Stories

What is your story? What makes “home” for you? What is your hope for the future?

Norman Rockwell Museum wants you to share your journey with us! Since August 2019, the Norman Rockwell Museum staff have been recording Berkshire County residents who want to share their personal or their family’s journey to the United States, and more specifically to Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts – the home of the Museum. These stories are being featured in our exhibition Finding Home: Four Artists’ Journeys which is currently on view through May 25, 2020.

If you would like to share your story with us, please contact findinghome@nrm.org and we can coordinate a time and place for you to be recorded.

The Berkshire Resident Stories and Storybooth project are generously supported by the Elephant Rock Foundation.

IMAGES

Frances Jetter, America!, 2018. Illustration for Amalgam by Frances Jetter Linoleum cut print on paper. Collection of the artist. Image © Frances Jetter. All rights reserved.

Frances Jetter, Three Generations in One Cramped Apartment, 2018. Illustration for Amalgam by Frances Jetter. Linoleum cut print on paper. Collection of the artist. Image © Frances Jetter. All rights reserved.

Frances Jetter, 2018. Illustration for Amalgam by Frances Jetter. Linoleum cut print on paper. Collection of the artist. Image © Frances Jetter. All rights reserved.

David Macaulay Ships crossing the Atlantic Oceans were powered by the wind in their sails, 2017. Illustration for Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships and a Journey to the New World by David Macaulay Digital Illustration. Collection of the artist. Image © David Macaulay. All Rights Reserved

David Macaulay, Launch of the St. Louis, 2017. Illustration for Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships and a Journey to the New World by David Macaulay. Digital Illustration . Collection of the artist. Image © David Macaulay. All Rights Reserved

David Macaulay, The Macaulay family board the SS United States, 2017. Illustration for Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships and a Journey to the New World by David Macaulay. Digital Illustration. Collection of the artist. Image © David Macaulay. All Rights Reserved

James McMullan. The Bombing Scare, 2014. Illustration for Leaving China: An Artist Paints His World War II Childhood by James McMullan. Watercolor on paper. Collection of the artist. Image © James McMullan. All rights reserved.

James McMullan, 2014. Illustration for Leaving China: An Artist Paints His World War II Childhood by James McMullan. Watercolor on paper. Collection of the artist. Image © James McMullan. All rights reserved.

James McMullan, 2014. Illustration for Leaving China: An Artist Paints His World War II Childhood by James McMullan. Watercolor on paper. Collection of the artist. Image © James McMullan. All rights reserved.

Yuyi Morales, Migrantes, you and I. 2018. Mixed media digital. Illustration for Dreamers (New York: Neal Porter Books, Holiday House Publishing, Inc.) 2018.

Yuyi Morales, Illustration for Unbelievable. Surprising. 2018. Mixed media digital. Dreamers (New York: Neal Porter Books, Holiday House Publishing, Inc.) 2018.

Yuyi Morales, 2018. Illustration for Dreamers (New York: Neal Porter Books, Holiday House Publishing, Inc.) 2018. Mixed media digital.

RELATED EVENTS

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VENUE(S)

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA      November 10, 2019 through May 25, 2020

This exhibition will be ready for travel in the of summer 2020

HOST THIS EXHIBITION

Contact Information:

General Inquiries
413-931-2245
Stephanie Haboush Plunkett
Deputy Director/Chief Curator
Complete Facts
Fee: Contact Manager of Traveling Exhibitions
Contents: Included are approximately 150 original artworks; paintings; linoleum block prints, drawings and digital art; mementos, video interviews; introductory and informational panels; and object/extended identification labels.
Security: All works must be within sight of a trained security officer/staff member at all times during public hours.
Environment: approx. 3500 square feet; Shipping: Air ride, climate controlled; Insurance: all risk fine arts, wall to wall
Space Requirements: Light level -18 to 22 foot candles for paintings and 5 to 7 foot candles for works on paper and other light restricted objects; humidity -50% plus or minus 5% and temperature 68 – 72 degrees, no direct sunlight and no direct contact with light fixtures or heating, air conditioning, ventilation, or electrical outlets
Shipping: Air ride, climate controlled
Insurance: All risk fine arts, wall to wall