Comic Creator/Publisher Denis
Kitchen To Speak at Norman Rockwell Museum

Noted comic book creator/publisher Denis Kitchen will join the list of presenters for a special screening of the documentary "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" at Norman Rockwell Museum on Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m. The film takes an in-depth look at the life and career of Will Eisner, one of the greatest innovators in the history of comic books, whose work is featured in the exhibition "LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel." Along with filmmakers Andrew D. Cooke and Jon B. Cooke, Kitchen will share his memories of working with Eisner and explain how his work continues to influence new generations of artists (Eisner's character The Spirit will be released as a major motion picture this Christmas, directed by graphic novelist Frank Miller). Admission to the screening and panel discussion is free with regular Museum admission, however space is limited. To reserve tickets please call 413.298.4100, ext. 260.

Norman Rockwell Museum Presents
An Evening With Graphic Novelist Barron Storey

Norman Rockwell Museum will present "Life After Black: The Visual Journals of Barron Storey" on Saturday, May 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. Meet artist Barron Storey, whose visual journals allow for everything from personal therapy to research and development for his illustrations. Storey will describe his process and many inspirations, which has lead to the creation of over 145 visual journals since 1976. The event is free with regular Museum admission.

An illustrator, graphic novelist, and noted educator, Barron Storey has created award-winning artworks for the covers and pages of Time, National Geographic, Saturday Review, and "The Sandman: Endless Nights" among others.

His published journals include "Life After Black" and "Marat/Sade Journals." The artist's paintings are held in the collections of the National Air and Space Museum, the American Museum of National History, and the National Portrait Gallery, and his work is featured in the exhibition "LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel."

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 Museum Presents Exhibition of
Rarely-Seen Rockwell Works at The Gallery at The Park Avenue Bank

A unique exhibition of work created by artist Norman Rockwell opened on April 22 at The Park Avenue Bank in New York City. "Norman Rockwell in Black & White: Drawings for Classic Saturday Evening Post Covers" features rarely-seen preparatory drawings created by Rockwell, offering intriguing insights into the artist's creative process. The exhibition has been curated by Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA, which holds the largest and most significant collection of original Rockwell art. Artwork is from the Museum's permanent collection, which includes the artist's Stockbridge studio, its contents, and an extensive archive relating to Norman Rockwell's life and career.

Norman Rockwell Museum To
Screen Film on Graphic Novel Pioneer Will Eisner

Norman Rockwell Museum will present a special screening of the documentary "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" on Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m. The film profiles the life of artist Will Eisner, one of the greatest innovators in the history of comic books, whose work is featured in the Museum's current exhibition "LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel."

As artist, businessman, innovator, and visual storyteller, Will Eisner enjoyed a career that encompassed comic books from their early beginnings in the 1930s to their development as graphic novels in the 1990s. During his sixty-plus career, Eisner introduced the now-traditional mode of comic book production; championed mature, sophisticated storytelling; was an early advocate for using the medium as a tool for education; pioneered the now-popular 'graphic novel;' and served as an inspiration for generations of artists. The creator of the comic book character The Spirit and the groundbreaking graphic novel "A Contract with God," Will Eisner considered himself "a graphic witness reporting on life, death, heartbreak, and the never ending struggle to prevail."

"Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" takes an in-depth look at the man many consider "the godfather of the American comic." Through interviews with such notable figures as Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Frank Miller, Jules Feiffer, Art Spiegelman, and Eisner himself, the film tells the fascinating story of a man who devoted his entire career to taking a so-called child's medium and infusing it with a unique vision of something so much more. Following the screening, filmmakers Andrew D. Cooke and Jon B. Cooke will be present to discuss their critically-acclaimed film and answer questions from the audience.

The film screening is free with regular Museum admission, however space is limited. Please call 413.298.4100, ext. 260 to reserve tickets. To view the film trailer, visit: www.youtube.com/normanrockwellmuseum.

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: Illustrator in Chief

Many of Norman Rockwell's illustrations for periodicals, advertising campaigns, and other publications, were created to show the engagement of Americans in the process of electing a president. From 1952 to 1960, Rockwell's portraits of the major presidential candidates- including Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy- graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. In 1964, after his association with the Post ended, he began working for Look, where he continued to generate portraits of the presidential candidates, which included such notables as Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.

Norman Rockwell Museum Publishes First Collections Catalogue: "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell"

Make some room on your coffee table for a new, must-have book about American icon Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), one of the most popular and significant twentieth-century American artists of the past century. Just in time for the holidays, the Norman Rockwell Museum has published a fully-illustrated volume about its art and archives- a notable and singular collection that forms the most comprehensive Rockwell holdings in the world. The lavishly illustrated 272-page catalogue was written by Rockwell scholar Linda Szekely Pero, the longtime curator of the Museum's Norman Rockwell Collections, and offers the reader an insightful and fascinating analysis of Rockwell's art, life, and legendary career that spanned nearly seven decades- a legacy that continues to have a major impact on society, visual culture, and modern-day illustrators.