Norman Rockwell Museum Honored
by National Endowment for the Humanities

Norman Rockwell Museum's Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt announced today that the work of Norman Rockwell Museum has received institutional support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The Museum has been awarded a grant of $225,446 through the Endowment's "We the People" program in support of the Museum's comprehensive archival digitization project, ProjectNORMAN (New Media On-line Rockwell Management Art & Archives Network).

The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Honorable Bruce Cole, spoke at today's presentation at Norman Rockwell Museum in the gallery dedicated to Norman Rockwell's original "Four Freedoms" paintings, an iconic quartet of images created by Rockwell in 1943 that have inspired American ideals of democracy and freedom ever since.

Norman Rockwell Museum
Enters the Summer Season with Garden Gates
"In Full Bloom: Artists Design Garden Gates"
On view July 4 through September 7, 2008

Norman Rockwell Museum will complement its bucolic landscape this summer with a unique plein-air exhibition of garden gates, the quintessential element of an ideal garden. "In Full Bloom: Artists Design Garden Gates" features three-dimensional, weather-resistant, outdoor gates designed by various artists and craftspeople, and will provide symbolic entry into a world of color and aesthetic beauty. The juried art exhibition, on view July 4 through September 7, will feature work by Peter S. Barrett, Jay Burnett, Olwen Dowling, Susan Edwards, John R. Elling, Engels Design Team, Michael Filmus, Israel Fitch, Ann Getsinger, John Graney, Marian Ives, Wendy G. Jensen, Steven A. Klema, Susan Manspeizer, Peter Murkett, Jon Riedeman, Cindy Sheeler, Angelo Sinisi, Maureen and Jack Sprano, Cathy L. Talarico, John Garret Thew, Susan Carty Treat, Faith Weldon, and Matthew Zappala.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, July 12, from 3 to 5 p.m., with the participating artists in attendance. At 3 p.m., join Stephanie Bergman, Director of Education for the Housatonic River Museum, for a tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum's pastoral Housatonic River frontage. At 4 p.m., an awards ceremony will be held for the juried garden gate exhibition, with prizes awarded for Best In Show, Most Inventive, Most Classic, Most Functional, and Viewer's Choice. The reception is free with regular Museum admission, and free for Museum members.

"Garden Gates Garden Party"
Thursday, July 10, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Norman Rockwell Museum will present "The Garden Gates Garden Party" on Thursday, July 10, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., in celebration of its new outdoor sculpture exhibition "In Full Bloom: Artists Design Garden Gates." The garden party will offer an intimate occasion to gather with friends, enjoy summer cuisine and refreshments, music, and the Museum's scenic river views. Guests will also have the opportunity to view Norman Rockwell's original Stockbridge studio, and Linwood, the historic Berkshire "cottage" located on the Museum's grounds. Admission to the "Garden Gates Garden Party" costs $50 for Museum members, $60 for guests, $10 for children and teens ages 11 to 17, 10 years and under free. To register, please contact the Museum at 413.298.4100, ext. 221, or by e-mail at ltota@nrm.org, by June 30. The event is sponsored in part by Mionetto Prosecco, Cline Cellars, and Cartlidge & Browne Winery.

Norman Rockwell Museum
Unites Kennedy Portraits for the First Time

Norman Rockwell Museum has added an important set of portraits, honoring one of the most beloved couples in political history, to its current exhibition "Norman Rockwell: Illustrator in Chief." Portraits of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, created by Norman Rockwell in the 1960s, will be united in the Museum's galleries for the first time, reminding visitors of the splendor that was "Camelot."

Throughout his career, Norman Rockwell painted the portraits of a distinguished list of political figures. In 1960 he was commissioned by "The Saturday Evening Post" to paint John F. Kennedy, then in the middle of his presidential campaign. The resulting portrait was published on the October 29, 1960 cover of the "Post." Soon after Kennedy was elected president, his wife Jacqueline established the White House Historical Association, and famously devoted much of her time to the restoration of the historical appearance of the Executive Mansion. In light of her efforts, the "Post" commissioned Rockwell to paint the First Lady's portrait to illustrate "How Jackie Restyled the White House," an article published in the October 26, 1963 issue. Thanks to the generosity of lenders Mica and Richard Hadar, Norman Rockwell's "Portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy" will now be exhibited for the first time alongside Rockwell's 1960 "Portrait of John F. Kennedy," which is part of Norman Rockwell Museum's permanent collection.

Not Just Politics as Usual at Norman Rockwell Museum
"Raw Nerve! The Political Art of Steve Brodner"
On View June 7 through October 26, 2008

A timely new exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum, "Raw Nerve! The Political Art of Steve Brodner," anticipates the upcoming U.S. presidential election with the provocative and influential art of political illustrator and art journalist Steve Brodner. On view from June 7 through October 26, 2008, the exhibition showcases Brodner's drawings, which reflect his unique blend of wit and acerbic, laser-like vision of American society, politics, and contemporary leaders.

This is the first major museum exhibition for Brodner, who wryly describes himself as an "equal opportunity offender" of all politicians, political parties, and creeds. "Raw Nerve! The Political Art of Steve Brodner," mounted by Norman Rockwell Museum, examines the artist's vivid creative and technical processes and features more than 100 original artworks. The exhibition presents Brodner's insightful, often humorous interpretations and evaluations of American society and its leaders, including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and John McCain. The exhibition includes a fascinating comparison of Brodner's contemporary depictions of our nation's leaders and Norman Rockwell's kinder, gentler portraits of politicians created during a very different era in U.S. political history.

The American Spirit: Norman
Rockwell's Artworks Continue National Tour

A rare exhibition from the collection of Norman Rockwell Museum, exploring Norman Rockwell's unparalleled role as an American icon-maker and storyteller, continues its national tour this year. "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" is currently scheduled to travel to eight venues nationwide. The exhibition is organized by Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

"American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" has been generously supported by an American Masterpieces Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Curtis Publishing Company, the Norman Rockwell Estate Licensing Company, and the Stockman Family Foundation Trust.

The exhibition venues currently include the Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2007-Feb. 3, 2008; Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, Florida, March 1 -May 26, 2008; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, Nov. 8, 2008-Feb. 1, 2009; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, March 8-May 31, 2009; Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nov. 14, 2009-Feb. 7, 2010; Wichita Art Museum, Kansas, March 6-May 30, 2010; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina; Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, Washington, February 26, 2011-May 30, 2010; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California, Nov. 10, 2012-Feb. 2, 2013.

Visit the American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell Interactive Exhibition

Norman Rockwell Treasure Comes Home:
Verizon Donates Iconic $2 Million
Painting 'The Lineman’ to Norman Rockwell Museum

The image of a telephone lineman -- strong, focused and dedicated to his craft -- has long been a symbol for communications workers and every person who works with his or her hands. Such a lineman was immortalized in a painting by Norman Rockwell in 1948.

That painting, called "The Lineman," was donated today by Verizon to the Norman Rockwell Museum here.

The oil-on-canvas painting -- 57 inches by 42 and one-eighth inches and recently appraised at more than $2 million, according to Verizon officials -- was officially presented to Museum Director and Chief Executive Officer Laurie Norton Moffatt today by Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

"This is a sentimental but proud day for us," Cupelo said at the donation ceremony at the museum. "We in the Verizon family loved this painting and enjoyed it for many, many years; it perfectly symbolizes our heritage and our commitment to our customers. At the same time, we recognize that its rightful place is with the museum so that it can be enjoyed by everyone."

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

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.

Norman Rockwell Museum
Celebrates the Art of the Graphic Novel

Lions released from a zoo in war-torn Baghdad; a mother's battle with lung cancer; an American expatriate searching for her identity in Mexico- serious subject matter for any medium, but particularly so for a new wave of critically acclaimed and commercially successful long form comic books. In these illustrated stories, called graphic novels (a mostly grown-up version of the comic book), themes explored include culture, society, and current events, and topics range from heart-wrenching to thought-provoking to risque. A fascinating new exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, "LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel," examines the history, diversity, and tremendous popularity of this phenomenon considered by many to be a comics renaissance. On view from November 10, 2007 through May 26, 2008, the exhibition features over 146 artworks by 24 contemporary graphic novelists and historic practitioners of this ever-evolving art form.

Norman Rockwell Museum Announces New Board Members

Walter and Mary Jo Engels, Mark Gold, and Steven Hirsch were elected to three-year terms to the Norman Rockwell Museum's Board of Trustees at the annual meeting held on September 28, 2007.

Norman Rockwell Museum Receives Prestigious Grant To Help Publish Permanent Collection Catalogue

Norman Rockwell Museum has received a $100,000 grant from The Henry Luce Foundation to fund the publication of the first catalogue of the Museum's permanent collection. "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" will provide a comprehensive history and overview of the Museum's extensive holdings of original art and archival materials. A spokesperson for the Foundation recognizes the catalogue as "a timely and valuable contribution to the study of American art."

Norman Rockwell Museum Receives Highest National Recognition Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Association of Museums

Norman Rockwell Museum has again achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. Norman Rockwell Museum was initially accredited in 1997. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every ten years to maintain accredited status.

"Accreditation from the AAM represents the highest peer approval in the museum profession. The board and staff of the Norman Rockwell Museum take pride in knowing their stewardship of the Museum meets the utmost professional standards,” said Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt.

Groundbreaking Exhibition Sheds New Light on Artist of the West
Frederic Remington and the American Civil War: A Ghost Story
On View June 10 through October 29, 2006

Norman Rockwell Museum Receives Prestigious Publication Awards

An Iconic Norman Rockwell – Not Known to Have Been Missing – Found Again

Norman Rockwell Museum Guide Receives Hospitality Award

Norman Rockwell Museum Journeys to "A Land Apart from Time"
Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney
on view February 18 through May 21, 2006

Norman Rockwell Museum Awarded Prestigious Grants to Preserve Archival Collection