R.O. Blechman (b. 1930), “Whistler’s Mother,” n.d. ©R.O. Blechman. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, April 5, 2013—Norman Rockwell Museum continues its Distinguished Illustrator Series this spring with an exhibition showcasing the work of R.O. Blechman, an award-winning illustrator, animator, children’s book author, graphic novelist, and editorial cartoonist, whose work has become instantly recognizable to many readers. “R.O. Blechman: The Inquiring Line” will be on view at the Museum from May 11 through June 30, 2013.

With a career spanning the past six decades, R.O. (Bob) Blechman has become well known for his memorable advertisements for Capezio and Alka-Seltzer (featuring a talking stomach), and for his witty and expressive cartoon illustrations for “The New Yorker,” “New York Times,” and The Huffington Post. Along the way he has received many prestigious professional honors, including membership in the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, Designer’s Hall of Fame, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Cartoonists Society. The artist’s work has also been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1984 he won an Emmy as director of the PBS program, “The Soldier’s Tale.” The exhibition “R.O Blechman: The Inquiring Line” offers a thorough retrospective of the artist’s imagery for magazines, illustrated books, advertisements and animations.

“Throughout his celebrated career, Bob Blechman’s inquiring line has engaged and entertained us,” notes Joyce K. Schiller, PhD., curator of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies. “Quavering and active with telling starts and stops, the marks of the artist’s hand are an essential aspect of his art. His fine calligraphic strokes are a kind of nervous energy that gives the sense that his drawings could spring from the page. Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to celebrate Bob’s artistic contributions, which have been tickling and inspiring us for nearly 60 years.”

Exhibition-Related Programs

Exhibition Opening
Saturday, May 11, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Artist Commentary at 6:30 p.m.

Meet R.O. Blechman, an award-winning illustrator, animator, children’s book author, graphic novelist, and editorial cartoonist. His influential imagery created for magazines, illustrated books, advertisements and animations will be on view. A festive reception will follow, including refreshments and a cash bar. Members free, guests $20. Please RSVP at 413.931.2221 or rsvp@nrm.org.

ART TALK
My Son the Art Director, My Dad the Illustrator:
A Conversation with R.O. Blechman and Nicholas Blechman
Saturday, June 15, 5:30 p.m.

Spend an evening with two gifted visual communicators who also happen to be father and son. Nicholas Blechman is an internationally recognized illustrator, designer and art director whose art has appeared in “GQ,” “Travel + Leisure,” “Wired,” and “The New Yorker.” The son of famed illustrator R.O. Blechman, he is currently the Art Director of “The New York Times Book Review.” $10, $7 Museum members.

FAMILY DAY
Doodle Day!
Saturday, June 22, 1 to 4 p.m.

This lively celebration of the art of drawing is sure to get your pen and pencil moving, with inspiration from the works on view in “R.O. Blechman: The Inquiring Line.” Tours, performances, and workshops are sure to make a doodler out of you! Free with Museum admission.

About The Distinguished Illustrator Series

The Norman Rockwell Museum Distinguished Illustrator Series honors the unique contributions of outstanding visual communicators today. Presented by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration, the Distinguished Illustrator Series reflects the impact and evolution of Norman Rockwell’s beloved profession, exploring a diverse and ever-changing field.