Cartoonist/animator Scott Lincoln, and students who took part in his July 2011 animation workshop at Norman Rockwell Museum. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Cartoonist/animator Scott Lincoln, and students who took part in his July 2011 animation workshop at Norman Rockwell Museum. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, September 22, 2011—Norman Rockwell Museum recently received a grant from Time Warner Cable to support its current exhibition, “’Ice Age’” to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios,” and related animation workshops. The grant was awarded through the company’s “Connect a Million Minds” initiative, designed to introduce students to opportunities and resources that improve their performance in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt observed that “with growing discussion about including the arts into the STEM equation (think STEAM), the Museum is pleased to provide this kind of interactive programming for students through our new exhibition and related workshops.”

“Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds partnership with the Norman Rockwell Museum brings the technology behind movie animation front and center for students,” notes John Quigley, Area Vice President for Time Warner Cable. “A first of its kind initiative for this area, the Museum’s exhibitions and animation programs engaged students in STEM learning through exciting hands-on methods, inspiring them to be the creative thinkers and problem solvers of tomorrow.”

“’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age” explores the technology behind Blue Sky Studios’ computer animated movies, including the company’s innovative application of such technical, scientific and mathematical elements as lighting, modeling and rigging. Several interactive stations in the galleries allow visitors to try their hand at digital drawing tablets and sculpting tools like those used by professional animators. The Museum also presented two well-received animation and film workshops for teens during consecutive weeks this summer. “Just to create a few seconds of film, it’s a lot of work,” notes animator Scott Lincoln, who taught the first week-long workshop. “I think this helped the students better appreciate the creative process behind the movies they enjoy.” The grant also created three scholarships, which were awarded to select need-based students to attend the workshops. The Museum will continue to offer animation-related programming and a Career Day this fall, also made possible by the Time Warner Cable grant. The “’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age” exhibition runs through October 31, 2011.

AFTER SCHOOL ART WORKSHOP SERIES

Moving Pictures: The Art of Animation
with Cartoonist/Animator Scott Lincoln
Five Wednesdays, September 28 through October 26, 3 to 5 p.m.

Get animated! Character design, storyboard illustration, and digital animation techniques will be explored during this exciting hands-on series about the art of animation—from concept creation to the final, moving image. Students will learn from talented professional cartoonist and animator, Scott Lincoln, the creator of “Ralf the Destroyer,” a long-running digital comic strip. Teens will get interactive with professional Wacom digital tablet work stations, Zbrush, the Sculptris drawing tool, and Toon Boom Studio animation software, in our galleries and classroom. For children ages 11 and up. Materials provided. $65, $50 members. To register, contact 413.931.2260, or email mgeorgeson@nrm.org.

THE BUSINESS OF ART
Careers in Animation
Saturday, October 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Thinking of a career in computer animation? Enjoy this inside look at animation today with the talented artists of Blue Sky Studios, creators of such acclaimed feature length films as “Robots,” “Ice Age,” “Rio,” and more. Outstanding professionals will discuss the narrative, artistic, and technical skills that make 21st century animation possible, and explore the range of opportunities available to aspiring creators. Talks and exhibition tours will provide a rare chance to connect with an accomplished team of artists working in diverse aspects of the field. School representatives will also be on hand to discuss educational opportunities. Free with Museum admission.

About Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds

Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. Program highlights include: original PSAs that challenge public perceptions of STEM; a unique website, www.connectamillionminds.com, where parents and community members can pledge to connect young people with the wonders of science; “The Connectory”, a one-of-a-kind online resource that makes it simple and easy for parents and students to find informal science and technology learning opportunities in their communities; grants to support non-profit organizations that bring stimulating, high-quality and affordable after-school STEM learning to students; TWC employees, over 47,000 strong, who volunteer their time at community events like science fairs and robotics competitions, and share their passion for engineering and technology with students at CAMM career days. TWC’s national CAMM partners are CSAS (Coalition for Science After School) and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).

“’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios”
On view through October 31, 2011

Go “behind the scenes” with a look at the world of digital animation with the artists of Blue Sky Studios, creators of the blockbuster films “Ice Age” (and its popular sequels), “Robots,” and the recently released hit, “Rio.”

This first-ever exhibition brings art and technology together to explore how visual concepts are transformed into believable worlds for the big screen. Rarely-seen original character drawings, storyboards, and background paintings reflect the conceptual process, and a recreated sculpture studio will bring you face-to-face with Blue Sky’s amazing sculptural maquettes. Interactive stations reveal how today’s stunning computer generated imagery is built, from initial concept to finished frame.

Blue Sky Studios is the Academy Award©-winning, feature CG animation studio behind the wildly successful “Ice Age franchise. Using their propriety rendering software, CGI Studio©, Blue Sky creates photo-realistic, high-resolution, computer-generated character animation and rendering to create timeless stories for children of all ages. Blue Sky Studios’ films include: “Ice Age” (2002), “Robots (2005), “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” (2008), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009) and “Rio” (2011). Blue Sky Studios is wholly owned by Twentieth Century Fox.

“’Ice Age’ to the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios” is sponsored, in part, by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Wacom Technology Corporation, Pixologic, Inc., and Time Warner Cable’s “Connect A Million Minds.”