Mac Conner, Illustration for “Strictly Respectable” in “Redbook,” August 1953 • Gouache on illustration board • ©Mac Conner. Courtesy of the artist.

Stockbridge, MA, May 11, 2016—In conjunction with its current exhibition, Mac Conner: A New York Life, Norman Rockwell Museum will present “Tastemakers: Illustration in an Age of Glamour” on Saturday, May 21, starting at 2 p.m. Exhibition co-curator Terry Brown, illustration historian and Director of the Artists’ Fellowship, Inc., will explore the world of the American magazine during the Post-War age of glamour, and discuss the art and impact of the era’s most popular illustrators. Speaking about Mac Conner’s stylish depictions of women, Mr. Brown observes that “it was not uncommon for ladies to go in to a hairdresser, hold out an illustration torn out of a magazine, and say ‘I want my hair to look like that!” Other influential artists to be covered in the talk include: Al Parker, Coby Whitmore, Jon Whitcomb, Joe Bowler, and others. The afternoon talk is free with Museum admission, with tea and treats to be served. To RSVP, please contact the Museum at 413.931.2221.
Mac Conner: A New York Life
On view through June 5, 2016

Fifty years later, the influence of the mid-1950s to 1960s endures, with current fashion, film, music, and commercial art continuing to be informed by the art, design, and culture from the time period. One of illustration’s original “Mad Men,” Mac Conner was one of the artists whose work helped shape the popular image of postwar America.

Organized by the Museum of the City of New York, Mac Conner: A New York Life is the first exhibition of more than 70 original works by the New York City-based artist whose advertising and editorial illustrations graced the pages of such leading publications as Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and The Saturday Evening Post. Presented as part of Norman Rockwell Museum’s Distinguished Illustrator Series, the exhibition is co-sponsored by The Modern Graphic History Library at Washington University in St. Louis and the Museum’s Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies.