FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2023

Stockbridge, Mass.—October 18, 2023—Norman Rockwell Museum and the Norman Rockwell Family announce the launch of Studio Sessions: The Norman Rockwell Collection—a multi-part series of limited digital (NFT) and print editions that celebrate and explore the artist’s rigorous creative process. The collection will be produced in collaboration with Iconic, a company that expands cultural experiences with digital innovation. Project proceeds will benefit the Museum’s core mission of conserving and presenting illustration art; ensuring broad public access to this cultural heritage; and nurturing new generations of illustrators. Proceeds will also benefit the Rockwell Family’s administration of the artist’s work and legacy.

Studio Sessions: The Norman Rockwell Collection inaugurates the Museum’s entry into the new space of NFT art, a form of digital art creation and collecting that is being explored by a handful of leading museums worldwide. NFTs are unique or limited-edition digital pieces (sometimes accompanied by physical prints or objects) that are collected by newer generations of digitally savvy art collectors.

According to Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt, the Museum through this project seeks to meaningfully connect with new audiences, champion Rockwell and illustration art, add new sources of mission-critical financial support, and embrace artistically relevant digital technologies as new forms of illustration publishing.

“We are excited to be launching Studio Sessions in partnership with Norman Rockwell’s family and in collaboration with Iconic. We see our entry into the world of digital editions as a new way to carry forward and deepen our crucial cultural work to preserve, present, and champion Norman Rockwell and illustration art. Norman Rockwell Museum has been a prudent yet bold digital innovator in the service of expanding our reach and deepening people’s engagement with illustration art. This project advances our commitment to meaningful and artistically rich innovation,” Norton Moffatt said.

More information about the inaugural Studio Session, including available artwork, purchase details, and official release dates, will be announced in November. Those interested in up-to-date information may subscribe to Studio Session email updates at www.iconicmoments.co and follow @iconic__culture on X.

About Studio Sessions: The Norman Rockwell Collection

Norman Rockwell’s paintings and illustrations featuring everyday scenes of American life have become ingrained in popular culture. What is less known is that virtually every Rockwell painting was carefully orchestrated with a multi-step artistic process. This includes preliminary sketches, extensive photography sessions involving models, object studies and detailed environmental prototypes, full-scale drawings, and painted color studies. This in-depth planning and staging process, captured through photography for study, reference, and inspiration, allowed Rockwell to envision and perfect each element of a final work before it was brought to life on canvas. When viewed alongside the eventual masterpiece, these studies reveal Rockwell’s eye for detail and offer unparalleled insights into the imagination and intent of one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists.

Study Sessions: The Norman Rockwell Collection dives deep into the archive of over 18,000 process photographs and draft works from the height of Rockwell’s career in the mid-twentieth century that are preserved and stewarded at Norman Rockwell Museum. Each “Session” will include a selection of these archival pieces curated thematically around a celebrated Rockwell painting. A first-ever offering, this curated collection will be reproduced as limited digital editions (NFTs); with each digital purchase, collectors will also receive a matching, limited-edition, museum-quality print. Purchases will be able to be conducted in Ethereum or by a traditional credit card purchase on Iconic’s website.

Margaret Rockwell, representing the Rockwell Family, underscored the importance of process in the artist’s practice: “Norman Rockwell’s creative process was meticulous, each stage a labor of love. Studio Sessions resonates deeply with our family, as it not only captures and communicates the intent behind Rockwell’s art, but also the spirit of the artist himself.”

Expanding the Reach of Rockwell’s Legacy

Studio Sessions builds on and reflects the shared commitment of the Museum and the Rockwell Family to expanding the boundaries of art, art collecting, and storytelling as it relates to Rockwell’s practice and widespread artistic influence.

“Norman Rockwell Museum has long championed illustration art and celebrated its profound cultural impact. By transforming Rockwell’s artistic process into digital editions (NFTs) and prints, we bring Rockwell’s classical American illustration into contemporary digital art forms to be enjoyed by new generations. Rockwell’s work is eternally fresh, being both of a particular cultural moment and reflecting enduring human situations and values. We embrace these digital editions as new artistic vehicles for cultural continuity and relevance,” said Norton Moffatt.

Iconic CEO Chris Cummings emphasized his company’s excitement around furthering Rockwell’s legacy through this project. “Our primary goal with Studio Sessions is to support the Museum and Rockwell family in inspiring and engaging a new generation of art enthusiasts, collectors, and creators, while also educating new audiences about the far-reaching influence of Norman Rockwell. This initiative allows us to preserve and expand Rockwell’s legacy in a new era and through a new medium.”

About Norman Rockwell Museum

Norman Rockwell Museum illuminates the power of American illustration art to reflect and shape society, and advances the enduring values of kindness, respect, and social equity portrayed by Norman Rockwell. It seeks to educate, enrich, and inspire a diverse, inclusive, and equitable world. Founded with the help of Norman and Molly Rockwell and located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the Museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell art, archival materials, and memorabilia, along with more than 20,000 works by noted American illustrators. Learn more at www.NRM.org.

About Rockwell Family Agency

Norman Rockwell was a twentieth-century artist renowned for his idealized paintings of American life. Norman Rockwell’s three sons established the Norman Rockwell Family Agency to promote, protect, and preserve their father’s art and his legacy.

About Iconic

Iconic is a digital art platform and agency that expands cultural experience through digital innovation. Founded in 2015, Iconic is the recipient of the 2022 United Nations World Summit Award for Innovation in Culture & Tourism. Notable partners include The White House Historical Association, the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, and the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center. Learn more at www.iconicmoments.co.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Norman Rockwell Museum

Margit Hotchkiss, Chief Marketing Officer
presscontact@nrm.org; 413.931.2240

Audrey Hackett, PR Counsel
ayhackett@gmail.com

Iconic

press@iconicmoments.co