Norman Rockwell Museum To Host Annual United States Citizenship Ceremony on August 10th
Stockbridge, MA, July 30, 2018 – Norman Rockwell Museum will partner with the Berkshire Immigrant Center to host their annual United States Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony on Friday, August 10th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Now in its seventh year of being held at the Museum, the ceremony is for residents of Western Massachusetts who have immigrated to the United States from around the world. The special event will give members of the community the opportunity to welcome fellow residents, as they are sworn-in as new naturalized citizens of our country. Being held during the 75th anniversary of Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms, the ceremony serves as a timely and important reminder of the themes expressed in Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s original 1941 speech, which were illustrated two years later in Rockwell’s iconic paintings. Original Four Freedoms war bond posters will serve as an important backdrop for event.
“Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms may speak to us more powerfully today than any time since their creation,” notes Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt. “It is an honor to welcome our new citizens to this country, and I hope they will always feel at home here at the Museum.”
For the third year, the ceremony will be presided over by the Honorable Joan M. McMenemy, First Justice of Berkshire County Juvenile Court. Remarks are to be offered by Ms. Norton Moffatt and Brooke Mead, Executive Director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center. Color guard will be provided by the Williamstown American Legion Post 152, with singer Lina Orozco Grillon performing music during the event.
This year’s ceremony is made possible with generous support from Berkshire Bank Foundation, and Helen Bing. Other local businesses who have generously donated items for the event and reception include Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Big Y Foods, Inc., and other cultural institutions.
Support for the event and the efforts of Berkshire Immigrant Center is encouraged, and can be arranged by contacting the Museum at 413.931.2221 or BIC at 413.445.4881. Priority seating is given to new citizens and their families; Museum visitors are welcome to observe the ceremony based on space availability. A reception will follow for new citizens and their families on the Museum’s terrace.
About Berkshire Immigrant Center
Each year the Berkshire Immigrant Center assists over one hundred local residents in their pursuit of U.S. citizenship. In general, to obtain U.S. citizenship, one must hold legal permanent resident (green card) status for a minimum of five years (three years if married this whole time to a U.S. citizen), take an exam on U.S. history and civics, demonstrate proficiency in the English language, and be of “good moral character” among other requirements. The Berkshire Immigrant Center offers assistance with every aspect of the naturalization process including screening for eligibility, application support, disability and fee waivers, legal assistance, transportation, advocacy with USCIS, and English language, history and civics classes. For more information about the Center, please call 413.445.4881 or email: info@berkshireic.com.
Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms
On International Tour Through 2020
Organized by Norman Rockwell Museum, Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & The Four Freedoms is the first comprehensive traveling exhibition devoted to Norman Rockwell’s iconic depictions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. The traveling exhibition will illuminate both the historic context in which FDR articulated the Four Freedoms and the role of Rockwell’s paintings in bringing them to life for millions of people, rallying the public behind the War effort and changing the tenor of the times. In telling the story of how Rockwell’s works were transformed from a series of paintings into a national movement, the exhibition will also demonstrate the power of illustration to communicate ideas and inspire change. For more information and the tour schedule: www.nrm.org/enduringideals