This virtual exhibition is an experience that you access on your computer, mobile device, or virtual reality (VR) headset. Once you purchase it, you can access it at any anytime, anywhere, however many times you would like.
Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, Imagining Freedom is a virtual exhibition that explores the history and enduring legacy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s concept of the Four Freedoms. The exhibition also highlights the important role played by Norman Rockwell and other American artists in communicating and advancing these universal values.
How it works
- Click on the button above to purchase your admission to the virtual exhibition.
- Upon completing your purchase, we will send you an email confirmation.
- Click on the button in your email confirmation to enter the virtual exhibition.
- The virtual exhibition is accessible in a web browser on your computer, mobile phone, or virtual reality (VR) headset.
- Your purchase of the virtual exhibition is accessible to you at anytime and is not limited to a single visit.
Background on the Exhibition
America had not yet entered World War II in January 1941 when President Roosevelt introduced the idea of Four Freedoms as the core human rights that all people deserve. Americans would need to preserve these freedoms in the face of the threat presented by the rise of fascism: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.
It would be the job of America’s artists to turn President Roosevelt’s abstract ideas into unforgettable images. Chief among these artists was Norman Rockwell, whose series of paintings became a national sensation, inspiring Americans then and now.
Educators looking for tools to provide their students with meaningful connections to social justice and human rights will find compelling visual and interactive content in the Norman Rockwell Museum’s Virtual Exhibition, “Imagining Freedom”.
Natalie Johnson, educatorOrganized chronologically the exhibition begins in Depression era America and explores how Roosevelt’s words and Rockwell’s artworks became inseparable in the public imagination. The exhibition goes on to look at Rockwell’s work of the 1960s. These Civil Rights Era paintings reflect Rockwell’s longstanding commitment to tolerance and equality and show him grappling with the new social issues of the day. The final section of the exhibition asks contemporary artists to consider what freedom and democracy mean to them today.
Imagining Freedom brings together over 400 artworks and objects organized into 8 thematic galleries. This exhibition is based on the exhibition Norman Rockwell: Imagining Freedom that traveled to six cities across the United States of America and France, before returning to the Norman Rockwell Museum. This virtual exhibition provides over 3x the amount of content than what was in the original exhibition. Viewers can explore layers of content drawn from the Museum’s collections and archives, including audio and video, reference photographs and studies, interviews, historical documents, letters and artist’s statements.
We hope that you will enjoy Norman Rockwell Museum’s first-ever virtual exhibition.
IMAGES
This virtual exhibition features Norman Rockwell’s notable images from the Civil Rights Era, including The Problem We All Live With, which was published in Look magazine in 1963.
Experience the beautiful galleries of Norman Rockwell Museum in the comfort of your own home, on the road, or in the classroom!
There are more than 50 audio tour stops in this exhibition, many of which have been translated into 6 languages.
You can interact with practically every element in the exhibition. Many of the images, especially those by Norman Rockwell, provide deeper access to related materials in the Museum’s digital collection, including: reference photos, sketches, studies, and correspondence.
Access new content specifically produced for this virtual exhibition including the Speeches of Freedom gallery.
This virtual exhibition is designed to provide you direct access to primary source materials, include magazines, newspaper clippings, comic books, and more!
See how contemporary artists have been inspired by the word of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the art of Norman Rockwell to create contemporary interpretations of Freedom.
Navigating the virtual exhibition is easy. You can press/clip on spots in the gallery to go to that location. You can use the gallery navigation menu on the left side above. And you can use a gallery map to see how the galleries are arranged and you can transport yourself to a location within one of the galleries.