"Saturday Evening Post" cover, March 7, 1936 ("Movie Starlet and Reporters," Norman Rockwell, 1936). ©1936 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Tear sheet currently on view and from the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum.
Smithsonian American Art Museum Senior Curator Virginia Mecklenburg will present a talk about original Norman Rockwell art owned by filmmakers George Lucas and Steve Spielberg, during an evening lecture to be held at Norman Rockwell Museum on Thursday, August 26, starting at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Mecklenburg has organized “Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg,” the first major exhibition to explore in-depth the connections between Rockwell’s iconic images of American life and the vision of the next generation of visual storytellers. Two of America’s best-known modern filmmakers, both Lucas and Spielberg recognized a kindred spirit in Norman Rockwell and formed significant collections of his work. Learn about the similarities between these acclaimed artists’ work–from themes of national and home town pride, unlikely heroes, children growing up, and life’s small moments. The lecture is free with regular Museum admission, and is being presented as part of the American Storytellers series, co-sponsored by The “Times Union.” To learn more about the exhibition “Telling Stories,” visit the Smithsonian’s Web site:
http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2010/rockwell
American Storytellers
American Storytellers, a lecture and performance series, will be held at Norman Rockwell Museum on Thursday evenings this summer, starting at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy inspired conversations and performances celebrating the art of visual storytelling and the contributions of noted American illustrators–from Norman Rockwell to William Steig–who inspire us to see the world in new and exciting ways. The American Storytellers series is sponsored by “The Albany Times Union,” and all events are free with regular Museum admission.
“Rockwell and the Movies”
On view through October 31, 2010
Though Norman Rockwell is often identified with hometown life in New England, he was a frequent visitor to California, and was called upon by Hollywood to create imagery for posters advertising entertaining feature films of his day.
“Rockwell and the Movies” explores Rockwell’s art for the motion picture industry, and features original paintings, vintage posters, lobby cards, and original portraits of movie stars drawn from the Museum’s Art and Archival Collections and private collections of Rockwell’s art. “The Magnificent Ambersons” (1941), “The Song of Bernadette” (1943), “Along Came Jones”
(1945), “The Razor’s Edge” (1946), “Cinderfella” (1960) and the 1966 remake of the classic, “Stagecoach,” are among the films the artist branded with his signature style of realism and narration.