Mary-Amy Cross (1922-2010), “Untitled (Brooklyn Street Scene),” 1940. Collection of the Cross Family. All rights reserved.

It is said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and for artist Mary-Amy Cross―the talented second-cousin of legendary American illustrator Norman Rockwell―the idiom certainly rings true.

Raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Mary-Amy Cross (1922-2010) always dreamed of being an artist, and Rockwell, who was quick to recognize her talent and creativity, supported her art education. After graduating from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York as an illustration major, in 1942, Cross enthusiastically entered the field. She illustrated books for children, designed cards for the Norcross Greeting Card Company, and explored the medium of watercolor in personal works that reflected her love of nature, travel, and the act of painting. While raising her three sons, Kelvin, Peter, and Gregory, in Bedford, Massachusetts, Cross created a studio in her dining room where she could be fully engaged with both her family and her art. She later embarked on an inspired series of accomplished realist paintings on a truly unique substrait― rocks, which selected for their shape and texture while on walks along the shore or in the countryside.

Independent and optimistic, Cross found beauty everywhere and enjoyed sharing her creative accomplishments with Rockwell himself, who couldn’t have been more pleased. The two remained in contact by visit and by letter during Cross’s art school days and through the years, and we are honored to present the work of this artistic Rockwell relative at the Norman Rockwell Museum.