Norman Rockwell Museum has organized a series of traveling exhibitions that inspire awareness, appreciation and enjoyment of the art of Norman Rockwell and the art of illustration. These exciting exhibitions extend the museum's print and archival collections beyond our walls to audiences who may not have the opportunity to visit the Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Designed to meet the needs of diverse audiences and venues, Norman Rockwell Museum's traveling exhibitions offer fine, educational installations of moderate cost and security.

Pen & Oink! The
Irrepressible Art of Sandra Boynton

For more than thirty years, Sandra Boynton has delighted readers with irrepressible illustrations and vibrant musical compositions for the young and the young at heart. This family friendly exhibition takes a lively look back at the legendary 1950s and invites visitors of all ages to enjoy an interactive glimpse into the world of one of America’s most beloved visual humorists.

The author of such best selling children’s books as Hippos Go Berserk, Dog Train, Barnyard Dance!, Philadelphia Chickens, Rhinoceros Tap, Sandra Boynton has three gold records to her credit and has created over six thousand popular greeting cards. Continuously in print since 1975, her memorable Hippo Birdie Two Ewes, which has been redrawn five times and sold over ten million copies, will tell the story of the artist’s process. Original artworks and personal memorabilia will be on view within our re-created 1950s diner, complete with a vintage jukebox and soda fountain, a period living room, and an old-fashioned shower stall, designed to inspire the young and the young at heart to sing to their heart’s content.

This exhibition is currently under development and available for travel November 2010.

Pen and Oink by Sandra Boynton ©Sandra Boynton

Raw Nerve! The Political
Art of Steve Brodner

In the finest tradition of Thomas Nast and the time-honored art of political satire, this special exhibition anticipates our nation's upcoming presidential elections with stunning visual reflections our nation's most prominent contemporary leaders and their legacies.

An award-winning draftsman, commentator, and humorist, Steve Brodner has created illustrations, cartoons, and reportage for nearly every major American periodical, including Esquire, The New York Times, New York, Mother Jones, The Nation, National Lampoon, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, and The Village Voice. Today’s most prominent practitioner of this influential art form, this cutting-edge opinion-maker offers vibrant visual perspectives that defy approximation in words.

Norman Rockwell Contemplating the Work of Steve Brodner by Steve Brodner ©2008 Steve Brodner

LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel

A comprehensive analysis of a significant emerging artistic and literary genre, LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel will examine the use of sequential art as a significant form of visual communication, and place specific emphasis on the art of the contemporary graphic novel. Published in book form, these stand alone stories employ words and pictures to address thought provoking subjects that will serve as the thematic framework for the exhibition. Commentary by artists and curators focusing on recurring subjects, artistic and cultural influences, and the climate that impacts the creative process will be woven throughout the exhibition where contemporary art meets traditional America.

An increasing number of artists are choosing to express themselves through graphic novels, which have received increased recognition in the popular sector, in noted periodicals including The New York Times, The New Yorker and in classrooms, libraries, and bookstores throughout the United States and abroad. A graphic novel employs the technique of cinematographic narrative, developed by comic-book artists, telling the story through metaphors and visual images, particularly images of action.

Graphic novels, or long-form comic books, have started to gain the interest and consideration of the art and literary establishment. Graphic novels, with their antiheroes and visual appeal, are approaching the popularity of the novel. Focused on subjects as diverse as the nature of relationships, the perils of war, and the meaning of life, graphic novels comprise the fastest-growing sections of many bookstores.

LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel will feature over 200 original art works, including paintings, drawings, storyboards, studies, books, photographs, and a documentary film, offering insights into the lives of the artists and the nature of their work. The impact on art discourse and the surrounding public community will be deepened and heightened by the powerful literary element of the exhibition.

Relative humidity levels will be maintained at 50% plus or minus 5%. A stable temperature will be maintained between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The required light level is 18 to 22 foot-candles for paintings and 5 to 7 foot-candles for works on paper and other light restricted objects.
Space: 2300 square feet

The Sandman by Marc Hempel ©1992 Marc Hempel

Picturing Health: Norman
Rockwell and the Art of Illustration

The Norman Rockwell Museum has organized an exhibition of original paintings from the collection of Pfizer Inc by legendary American illustrator, Norman Rockwell. Created for use in advertising campaigns for three pharmaceutical companies and an optical company between 1929 and 1961, these outstanding works celebrate the doctor/patient relationship and portray the physician as a revered figure in mid-twentieth century American culture. Norman Rockwell’s time-honored images will be juxtaposed with original works by noted contemporary illustrators who have explored issues of health and well-being for the major publications of our day.

Fee: $20,000 for an eight to twelve week exhibition period. Extended bookings are possible at a prorated fee.
Contents:

• eleven original paintings by Norman Rockwell;
• related advertisements; tear sheets
• thirty-six original artworks created for publication by contemporary artists;
• related photographic material and correspondence;
• introductory panels and extended identification labels included.

Doctor and Boy Looking at Thermometer ©1954 Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL

Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art
of James Gurney

Nearly a year had gone by since I first made the discovery. It was purely by chance. I was tracking down some information about the spice trade in China when my eye fell upon a curious old leather-bound sketchbook. ...Was this sketchbook merely a fantasy, or had I stumbled upon the only surviving record of a lost civilization

— James Gurney
Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time

James Gurney’s Dinotopia bring the worlds of science and the imagination to life by chronicling Arthur and Will Denison's remarkable experiences on a lost island in vibrant color and meticulous detail. Recounted in words and pictures in the best-selling book series, Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time (1992), Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995), and Dinotopia: First Flight (1999), the artist’s compelling tale has engaged and enchanted readers by inviting them to explore the far reaches of a mysterious destination. Waterfall City, the island’s center of learning, The Hatchery, birthplace of many of Dinotopia’s prehistoric inhabitants, and The Forbidden Mountains, where dinosaurs dare not venture, are just a few of the places described in Arthur Denison’s fictional journal and in the outstanding works on view.

Inspired by a deep and abiding interest in archaeology, lost civilizations, and the art of illustration, James Gurney invites viewers to enter a fantastical world in which dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side. His luminous paintings, beautifully crafted drawings and hand-made models, which are featured in this exhibition, explore the wonders of the distant past through the lens of the imagination. The artist's original New York Times bestseller, Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, appears in eighteen languages with over two million copies sold. Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara, the next installment in the series, is scheduled for publication in 2007.

Fee: $10,000 for eight to twelve week exhibition period. Extended bookings are possible at a prorated fee.
Contents: Approximately 60 original works of art; studies; introductory and biographical panels and object/extended identification labels.
Security: High, all works must be within sight of a trained security officer/staff member at all times during public hours.
Environment: 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.

Will Arrives (detail) ©2006 James Gurney

Tasha Tudor's Spirit of the Holidays

Throughout an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Tasha Tudor has delighted an international audience with her joyful writings and enchanting images. Among the most beloved artists of our time, she has authored over twenty published titles, and her illustrations, or the discussion of her unique lifestyle, are featured in one hundred books.

Now in her ninetieth year, this treasured daughter of New England continues to garner acclaim for her signature watercolors as well as for her distinctive lifestyle harking back to the mid-nineteenth century. Tudor’s way of living has always included significant time devoted to the enjoyment of holiday traditions, which she shares with family and friends. Beginning with the illustrations in her first book published for children, Pumpkin Moonshine, she has demonstrated in her professional life a continual interest in depicting holiday stories and scenes.

Tasha Tudor’s Spirit of the Holiays illuminates the season with outstanding and rarely seen examples of the artist’s original art for greeting cards and children’s books created for special holiday celebrations – from Christmas to Valentine’s Day and Easter. Original portraits of Tasha Tudor as a girl by her mother, Rosamond Tudor, delicate childhood drawings, original handwritten manuscripts, miniature doll cards, hand-decorated boxes and Easter eggs, photographs, and almost one hundred first-issue holiday cards dating from the early 1940s onward are among the heartwarming treasures to be enjoyed.

In story after story and picture after picture, her extraordinary art reflects the simple pleasures that can be had in this life by savoring each passing season, celebrating special days, and cherishing the most fleeting of moments.

Not a Creature Was Stirring ©1975 Tasha Tudor. All rights reserved.

Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay

Author and artist David Macaulay has demystified the workings and origins of everything from simple gadgets to elaborate architectural structures. A favorite with readers of all ages, this Caldecott Medal-winning artist is the subject of this exciting exhibition that takes an in-depth look at Macaulay's artistic process and extensive body of work, including The Way Things Work, Castle, Cathedral, City, Mill, Ship, and Mosque.

From Cathedral ©1999 David Macaulay

Dancing by the Light of the Moon:
The Art of Fred Marcellino

With narrative illustration . . . each picture is a link in a chain, and they all exist in counterpoint with the text. And although you want each picture to have impact, just like a jacket, book illustration can be much more subtle. It can be pondered and savored over a period of time. —Fred Marcellino

Fred Marcellino was a gifted visual communicator whose memorable images have been seen and enjoyed by millions. His illustrations and designs have graced the covers and pages of hundreds of noteworthy literary works for children and adults, enhancing and expanding upon the words and ideas of many prominent authors.

This exhibition features award-winning works of original art for best-selling novels and children’s books including A Handmaid’s Tale, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Accidental Tourist, and The White Hotel, as well as A Rat’s Tale, Puss in Boots, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Wainscott Weasel and I, Crocodile among others.

Puss in Boots (detail) ©1990 Fred Marcellino

Norman Rockwell's
323 Saturday Evening Post Covers

In those days the cover of the Post was the greatest show window in America for an illustrator. If you did the cover of the Post you had arrived. —Norman Rockwell

In the minds of many, The Saturday Evening Post and Norman Rockwell are synonymous. Americans who experienced the rapid growth of the twentieth century recognize Rockwell's covers for this popular publication as an identifiable and comforting representation of life during changing times.

As a young artist, Norman Rockwell's ambition was to have his work published on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. His legendary association with the magazine spanned forty-seven years, from 1916 to 1963. The exhibition includes original tearsheets featuring each of Norman Rockwell's 323 Saturday Evening Post covers.

Girl Reading the Post ©1941 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN

Norman Rockwell's Family Life Series

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, commissioned illustrator Norman Rockwell to create scenes reflecting American family life for its national advertising campaign. These popular images appeared in such leading publications as The Saturday Evening Post, TIME and Newsweek with text that inspired readers to consider purchasing life insurance. Many of Rockwell's Stockbridge neighbors, and the artist himself, appear as models in the series. They constitute the largest group of works created by the artist for any single commission.

The eighty framed prints in this exhibition offer poignant reflections on American family life, from youth to old age, as portrayed by Norman Rockwell during the mid-twentieth century.

Lemonade Stand ©1955 Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL

Norman Rockwell's
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

These were classics. I read through the books, making notes of which scenes would make good pictures. Of course certain scenes—for instance, Tom whitewashing his Aunt Polly's fence—were required. —Norman Rockwell

In 1935, George Macy, the publisher of the Heritage Press and Limited Editions Club books, invited Norman Rockwell to illustrate Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Rockwell visited Hannibal, Missouri, Twain's boyhood town, to find authentic details to include in his work. Twain's vivid descriptions of character, setting and mood were an inspiration to the illustrator, who considered each of the writer's scenes to be "complete and perfect to the last detail."

The sixteen signed limited edition prints from Rockwell's own collection comprise this exhibition featuring the artist's timeless images for these American classics.

Tom Sawyer (Whitewashing the Fence) ©1936 Heritage Press and Eaton Press, Norwalk, CT

Norman Rockwell in the 1940s:
A View of the American Homefront

I suddenly remembered how Jim Edgerton had stood up in a town meeting and said something that everybody else disagreed with. But they had let him have his say. No one had shouted him down. My gosh, I thought, that's it. There it is. Freedom of Speech. I'll illustrate the Four Freedoms using my Vermont neighbors as models.—Norman Rockwell

Many of Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers during the 1940s were inspired by life on the American homefront during World War II. Rockwell's powerful Four Freedoms, unforgettable Rosie the Riveter, exuberant Homecoming Soldier, and hapless but lovable infantryman, Willie Gillis are among the many memorable images contained within this exhibition of original tearsheets featuring forty-four Rockwell illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post.

The sixteen signed limited edition prints from Rockwell's own collection comprise this exhibition featuring the artist's timeless images for these American classics.

Freedom of Speech ©1943 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN

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