Norman Rockwell Museum

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Norman Rockwell Museum
Rockwell museum.jpg
Norman Rockwell Museum main entrance
(August 2005)
Norman Rockwell Museum
Interactive fullscreen map
EstablishedApril 3, 1993 (1993-04-03) (current building)
Location Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°17′16.4″N73°20′9.2″W / 42.287889°N 73.335889°W / 42.287889; -73.335889 Coordinates: 42°17′16.4″N73°20′9.2″W / 42.287889°N 73.335889°W / 42.287889; -73.335889
Type Art museum
Key holdings Four Freedoms , Norman Rockwell Archives
DirectorLaurie Norton Moffatt
PresidentAlice Carter
Architect Robert A. M. Stern
Nearest parkingfree parking onsite
Website nrm.org

The Norman Rockwell Museum is an art museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, dedicated to the art of Norman Rockwell. It is home to the world's largest collection of original Rockwell art. The museum also hosts traveling exhibitions pertaining to American illustration.

Contents

History

The museum was founded in 1969 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where Rockwell lived the last 25 years of his life. [1] Originally located on Main Street in a building known as the Old Corner House, [2] the museum moved to its current location 24 years later, [1] opening to the public on April 3, 1993. [3] The current museum building was designed by 2011 Driheaus Prize winner and New Classical architect Robert A. M. Stern. [1]

Collection

In addition to 574 original works of art by Rockwell, the museum also houses the Norman Rockwell Archives, a collection of more than 100,000 items, including photographs, fan mail, and various business documents. In 2014, the Famous Artists School donated its archives, including process drawings by Rockwell, who was one of its founding faculty members (in 1948), to the museum. [4]

No Swimming by Rockwell (1921) 1921-6-4 No Swimming - Norman Rockwell.jpg
No Swimming by Rockwell (1921)

Works by Rockwell at the museum include: [5]

The museum also houses the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, a national research institute dedicated to American illustration art.

Awards and grants

Norman Rockwell's studio Rockwell studio rear.jpg
Norman Rockwell's studio

In 2008, the museum received the National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities. [7] [8] In 2016, the museum received a grant of $1.5 million from the George Lucas Family Foundation, which will be used by "the museum's digital learning and engagement division to create multimedia experiences." [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Four Freedoms</i> (Rockwell) 1943 painting series by Norman Rockwell

The Four Freedoms is a series of four oil paintings made in 1943 by the American artist Norman Rockwell. The paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—are each approximately 45.75 by 35.5 inches, and are now in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The four freedoms refer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's January 1941 Four Freedoms State of the Union address, in which he identified essential human rights that should be universally protected. The theme was incorporated into the Atlantic Charter, and became part of the Charter of the United Nations. The paintings were reproduced in The Saturday Evening Post over four consecutive weeks in 1943, alongside essays by prominent thinkers of the day. They became the highlight of a touring exhibition sponsored by The Post and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The exhibition and accompanying sales drives of war bonds raised over $132 million.

<i>Freedom from Want</i> 1943 painting by Norman Rockwell

Freedom from Want, also known as The Thanksgiving Picture or I'll Be Home for Christmas, is the third of the Four Freedoms series of four oil paintings by American artist Norman Rockwell. The works were inspired by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address, known as Four Freedoms.

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<i>The Rookie</i> (painting) 1957 painting by Norman Rockwell

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<i>Marriage License</i> 1955 painting by Norman Rockwell

Marriage License is an oil painting by American illustrator Norman Rockwell created for the cover of the June 11, 1955, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It depicts a young man and woman filling out a marriage license application at a government building in front of a bored-looking clerk. The man is dressed in a tan suit and has his arm around his partner, who is wearing a yellow dress. Although the room and its furnishings are dark, the couple are illuminated by the window beside them. The contrast between the couple and the clerk highlight two reoccurring themes in Rockwell's works: young love and ordinary life.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Museum History". nrm.org. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  2. "Mrs. Goulet Director of Corner House". The Berkshire Eagle . Pittsfield, Massachusetts. May 1, 1969. p. 20. Retrieved April 8, 2018 via newspapers.com.
  3. Donn, Jeff (April 3, 1993). "Simpler America Gets Fresh Start". Detroit Free Press . AP. p. 4. Retrieved April 8, 2018 via newspapers.com.
  4. Kennedy, Randy (March 20, 2014). "The Draw of a Mail-Order Art School: Famous Artists School Archives Go to Norman Rockwell Museum". New York Times. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  5. "Norman Rockwell Museum - Digital Collection". collection.nrm.org. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  6. Girl Rockwell Gave to Disney By David Verzi, The Portfolio Magazine (Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Spring, 2000
  7. "Norman Rockwell Museum". neh.gov. 2008.
  8. Cook, Bonnie L. (November 18, 2008). "Templeton Foundation among U.S. medal winners". The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. B04. Retrieved April 8, 2018 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Rockwell museum gets $1.5M grant from Lucas". Great Falls Tribune . Great Falls, Montana. October 4, 2016. p. L4. Retrieved April 8, 2018 via newspapers.com.

Further reading