52.0°,
Light Rain Visions of an earlier era
A slice of Americana at Nassau County Museum of Art
Norman Rockwell, whose iconic paintings and illustrations of American life made him a household name to generations of Americans, is the focus of the fall exhibit at the Nassau County Museum of Art (NCMA), “Norman Rockwell: American Images,” which opened in September. During these cold-weather days, step indoors to a simpler time, as seen through eyes of the celebrated illustrator.
“I paint life as I would like it to be,” Rockwell once said. Seeing himself as a storyteller, Rockwell created the images that defined America and Americans. During a career that spanned a turbulent historical period from World War I through Vietnam, Rockwell’s scores of memorable homespun scenes conveyed an innocent and small-town vision of America that resonated at home and abroad. His enormous impact was achieved in particular through the covers he created for the Saturday Evening Post from 1916 to 1963, including his famous Four Freedoms series of patriotic wartime paintings.
The exhibition is organized by Manhattan’s American Illustrators Gallery, with The National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI) in Newport, R.I. It was curated for NCMA by Judy Goffman Cutler, NMAI Museum Director, and includes 40 original Rockwell paintings and studies and all 323 of his vintage Saturday Evening Post covers.
“Before the media revolution, people looked forward to Rockwell’s images, the essence of their times, not only what was, but what people would have liked America to be,” said Goffman Cutler. “Americans still have those dreams, and the public continues to value his images for they timelessly reflect the quintessence of The American Spirit.”
Described as “a poet of the American heartland,”
One of his earliest commissions was to illustrate a series of children’s books. Soon thereafter, Rockwell became the art director for Boy’s Life, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America. His association with the Boy Scouts continued for a half century. Thereafter, Rockwell freelanced his professional services to magazines, among them Life, Literary Digest, Leslies, and Country
Gentleman.
At 22, he began his legendary association with the Saturday Evening Post, the most prestigious magazine in the nation at the time. Rockwell’s first work for the Post was Mother’s Day Off which ran on the May 20, 1916 cover. From that issue onwards until 1963, he produced the 323 Post covers, thought by many to be his greatest legacy.
“People like to think that Rockwell painted Middle America. The truth is, Norman Rockwell invented Middle America,” said artist/illustrator Tom Sgouros of the Rhode Island School of Design.
It was a less complicated time in Rockwell’s America. His vision of American life is far removed from where we are today, but certainly evokes fondness and nostalgia. And it is worth remembering.
Norman Rockwell: American images
Where: Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Dr. (just off Northern Blvd., Route 25A, two traffic lights west of Glen Cove Rd.) in Roslyn Harbor.
When: Through Jan. 3, 2010. Hours are 11 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Docent-led tours of the main gallery exhibitions are offered each day at 2 p.m. On Sunday afternoons, the museum offers supervised art activities for children and their families and family tours of the exhibitions. Exhibition tours and Family Sundays at the Museum are free with museum admission.
Fee: 10, $8 seniors (62+), $4 for children; it includes admission to the Mini ArtsMuseum for Children. The MiniArtMuseum is open 12-4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
In conjunction with the exhibit, NCMA is sponsoring several public programs to illuminate and enhance the viewing experience. For information about the events or to register, call (516) 484-9338, ext, 12 or visit www.nassaumuseum.org.
