Norman Rockwell: The Business of Illustrating the American Dream

Closing May 28th

Norman Rockwell was a renowned illustrator and chronicler of American life for more than half a century, documenting the pulse of his times during pivotal moments in twentieth century history.  During his career, he navigated many complex business relationships with publishers and advertisers, taking direction from his clients while solving visual problems and […]

Season’s Greetings: The Holidays Illustrated

A Special Exhibition of Holiday Images from the Permanent Collection

November 24, 2017 through February 4, 2018

Season’s Greetings explores the themes of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and winter fun, through a festive variety of artworks and archival objects from the Norman Rockwell Museum Collection. Original paintings and drawings by Rockwell, […]

June 3, 2017 through October 29, 2017

JAMES WARHOLA: UNCLE ANDY AND OTHER STORIES

June 10, 2017 through October 29, 2017

“Though my inspiration and encouragement to be an artist came from Uncle Andy, I am more connected to Norman Rockwell in substance and style. While I was growing up, Rockwell was ubiquitous to me. I could not help but be excited by his wonderful narrative images.”

—James Warhola

[…]

ROCKWELL AND REALISM IN AN ABSTRACT WORLD The essence of tradition is to invite the challenge that redefines it, and after many years on the periphery, realism has been reinvigorated by contemporary artists who see it as a way to address the experiences of living in our complex world. In post-World War II America, however, the primacy of abstract art was clearly acknowledged, and […]

How Do You Love Me MacConner, 1950. Courtesy of MCNY

Mac Conner:
A New York Life

Distinguished Illustrator Series

March 19 through June 5, 2016

Don’t miss the Mad for Mac! Preview Cocktail Party or the
Exhibition Opening Party

This lively installation that brings to light the art of one of America’s […]

What people are saying about We The Peoples: Norman Rockwells United Nations

“Rockwell’s United Nations, as the UN itself, remains an unfinished work.” “The work, which Rockwell never turned into a painting, will be exhibited for the first time outside its home…” “This unique exhibition bridges the local and the global.” “Norman Rockwell was there — in more ways than one…” […]

Masters of the Golden Age: Harvey Dunn and His Students

June 24, 2016 through September 25, 2016
Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN

November 7, 2015 through March 6, 2016
Norman Rockwell Museum

Norman Rockwell Museum and South Dakota Art Museum are honored to present the first major exhibition celebrating the art and legacy […]

What People are Saying about Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs

“Just like at a good movie, I laughed, I cried, I got hungry. We left satisfied…” “…little bit manic and extremely funny…” “Roz Chast came out drawing. She admits as much.” “If anyone could pull laughs from the burden of caring for aging parents, it would be Roz Chast” “Will include a lot of personal memorabilia and […]

On view June 20 through September 15, 2015 at the United Nations Headquarters/Visitors Centre, New York City

A newly curated exhibit featuring the work of Norman Rockwell, We the Peoples: Norman Rockwell's United Nations is opening at UN Headquarters in New York. Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge Massachusetts, with the support of the UN Foundation, the exhibit features Norman Rockwell's historic United Nations drawing which captures the spirit of the United Nations and its important role in the lives of people around the world. Created in 1953, Rockwell depicted the United Nations as the world's hope for the future.

March 21, 2015 through June 14, 2015

Admired by Norman Rockwell as a master in the field, Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874 –1951) was one of the preeminent American illustrators of the early twentieth century. Often remembered for his beautifully conceived posters and advertisements, particularly those featuring The Arrow Collar Man, he also created 322 covers for The Saturday Evening Post—one more than Rockwell’s 321. This special exhibition features each of J.C. Leyendecker’s legendary Post cover tearsheets.

February 7, 2015 through March 8, 2015

A lively and diverse exhibition of original works by Berkshire County high school art students celebrating the region's talented youth will be on view.

November 22, 2014 through February 8, 2015

During the holiday season, Norman Rockwell's anxiously awaited illustrations brought good cheer to millions of Americans who encountered his images on the covers and pages of their favorite magazines, and on holiday cards that brought the spirit of the holidays home. His memorable, enduring images, which reflected the best in us, are on view in this special holiday installation of original artworks and objects. Original drawings for Hallmark cards, paintings inspired by Charles Dickens' classic story, A Christmas Carol, a point-of-purchase Coca-Cola Santa, and costumes and props featured in Rockwell's artwork will be on view.

November 8, 2014 through March 8, 2015

Known today for his meticulously researched historical paintings, Mort Künstler is also a prolific illustrator who has worked on a broad spectrum of assignments for more than sixty years―from paperback book jackets and men’s adventure magazine illustrations to movie posters, model kit boxes, and advertisements for prominent corporations. His dramatic, beautifully-crafted images, conceived in every possible genre throughout his outstanding career, will be the focus of this exhibition, which draws from the artist’s vast and highly-regarded body of work.

June 7 through October 26, 2014 Many noted American modernists have successfully traversed the worlds of fine art and illustration, embracing innovation while satisfying in unique and personal ways the needs and wants of a broad popular audience. Edward Hopper, American Illustrator presents a unique and comprehensive study of the little-known twenty year illustration career of the realist master. Attitudes toward art and the crosscurrents of contemporary commercial society during the early to mid twentieth century will be explored in this exhibition, which seeks to provide an integrated understanding of Hopper’s published and personal art.

One of the most popular American artists of the past century, Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was a keen observer of human nature and a gifted storyteller. For nearly seven decades, while history was in the making all around him, Rockwell chronicled our changing society in the small details and nuanced scenes of ordinary people in everyday life, providing a personalized interpretation—albeit often an idealized one—of American identity. His depictions offered a reassuring visual haven during a time of momentous transformation as our country evolved into a complex, modern society. Rockwell’s contributions to our visual legacy, many of them now icons of American culture, have found a permanent place in our national psyche.

March 29 through June 15, 2014 Murray Tinkelman is an award-winning artist who has received illustration’s highest honors from the Society of Illustrators, The New York Art Directors Club, and the Society of Publications Designers. His beautifully conceived and rendered pen and ink drawings have appeared in many publications including the Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and he has been commissioned to create numerous artworks for The National Park Service and The U.S. Air Force.

February 8 through March 9, 2014 A lively and diverse exhibition of original works by Berkshire County high school art students celebrating the region’s talented youth will be on view.

December 7, 2013 through March 18, 2014 A renowned fantasy artist and illustrator of children’s literature, Ruth Sanderson has created imagery for more than seventy-five picture books, many of which bring classic tales to life, including The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Papa Gatto, Cinderella, The Golden Mare, The Firebird, and The Snow Princess, and The Enchanted Wood, an original story. She has also created original art for animation, book covers, advertisements, collector’s plates and greeting cards, and her work is featured on many popular licensed products, including Lenox fine holiday china.

July 13, 2013 through October 18, 2013 This special exhibition explores Rockwell's vision for a kinder, gentler world, as evidenced in the relationship-inspired subjects that emerged in his art. Classic original "Saturday Evening Post" covers like "She's My Baby" (1927), "Christmas Homecoming" (1948), "Marriage License" (1955), and others will be on view.

July 13, 2013 through October 20, 2013 Jarvis Rockwell creates artworks that are at once tangible and transient, reflecting the impermanence of all things. Imbued with a sense of mystery and spiritual curiosity, his sensory structure drawings, Hindu-inspired pyramids assembled with hundreds of toy figurines, and tableau boxes will be on view in this first retrospective of the artist’s work―an exploration of his artistic journey and the ideas and questions that continue to drive his work.

June 8, 2013 through October 27, 2013 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic celebrates the 75th anniversary of Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film, a classic work released in 1937 that is beloved by viewers of all ages. Organized by The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California, the exhibition celebrates Walt Disney’s vision and the artistry of his dedicated staff, exploring the development of an animated masterpiece that was the hallmark of an entirely new American art form through the creation of this groundbreaking film.

Distinguished Illustrator Series March 9, 2013 through May 5, 2013 An innovative Hungarian-born artist whose illustrations have been sought after by clients throughout the world, Istvan Banyai made his mark as an award-winning artist in the United States, and has been creating persuasive, elegant artworks for publishers and corporations for more than thirty years.

February 9 through March 10, 2013 A lively and diverse exhibition of original works by Berkshire County high school art students celebrating the region’s talented youth will be on view.

On view through May 27, 2013 Willie Was Different is a children's story written and illustrated by Norman Rockwell. The story focuses on a wood thrush with a magical gift for music and tells of the trials of genius and the satisfactions of true friendship.

On view through May 27, 2013 Rockwell painted portraits of friends, fellow illustrators, business acquaintances and family members. Their uses varied from book jacket covers to boardroom wall hangings to family heirlooms. In addition, he was commissioned to do portraits of noted celebrities and politicians for magazine covers, including TV Guide and The Saturday Evening Post.

December 1, 2012 through February 3, 2013 It is said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and for artist Mary-Amy Cross―the talented second-cousin of legendary American illustrator Norman Rockwell―the idiom certainly rings true.

November 10, 2012 through February 24, 2013 One of the greatest artists in the field of comic books, Alex Ross has revitalized classic superheroes into works of fine art with his brilliant use of watercolor. Just as Andy Warhol elevated soup can labels into multi-million dollar artworks, Ross has transformed comic books. By building on the foundation of the great artists who came before him― Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, Neal Adams, George Perez, and others―Ross' paintings have revolutionized the comic book industry and transcended the newsstand origins of his profession.

July 6 through October 28, 2012

“The Recruit,” Norman Rockwell. 1966. Casein, oil and […]

June 9 through October 28, 2012 Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered, organized by the Delaware Art Museum, is the first comprehensive, critical assessment of the influential artist who is often referred to as the grandfather of American illustration. When Howard Pyle died in 1911, he left behind an extensive body of over 3,000 works of art and a lasting legacy of inspired teaching. This exhibition features an outstanding selection of the artist's best known and rarely seen paintings, drawings, prints, and archival materials that shed light on the artist's career as a painter and a consummate storyteller in a changing world at the cusp of the 20th century.

“A Moche Tomb in Sumptuous Layers,” Ned […]

February 5 through March 6 Celebrate the next generation of artists! A lively and diverse exhibition of original works by Berkshire County high school art students will be on view.

November 19, 2011 through February 25, 2012 This celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth will feature original Rockwell artworks inspired by the literary giant's contributions, which were among the artist's favorite books.

November 12, 2011 through April 22, 2012 The history and wonder of pop-up books will be brought to life in this special exhibition featuring Barbara and Bernard Shapiro's extensive collection of movable literature for the young and the young at heart. The exhibition will feature diverse genres, from whimsy and fantasy to the worlds of art, history and science.

FINAL DAYS! On view through February 5, 2012 Curious George, the beloved, irrepressible monkey of children’s book lore, is famous for his ability to “save the day.” Interpreting the role he played in safeguarding his own creators in times of danger as symbolic, this exhibition delves into the remarkable lives and works of Margret and H. A. Rey. Featuring nearly 80 original drawings and preparatory dummies for the Rey's children’s books and documentation related to their escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, the exhibition will examine the parallels between the obstacles the couple faced and the drawings that may have saved their lives.

Through October 31, 2011 This summer, Norman Rockwell Museum presents Scrat the prehistoric squirrel, along with fellow stars from the blockbuster Ice Age films and more. Don't miss this exciting interactive exhibition exploring the art of animation in the digital age. Take a lively look behind the scenes at Blue Sky Studios, where their unique creative and technical process brings imaginative characters and stories to life.

Through November 11, 2011 Throughout Norman Rockwell's career, dogs of all kinds—from wide-eyed beagles to shiny collies—made frequent appearances in his art. A dog-lover himself, the artist realized how appealing dogs were to readers of the "Saturday Evening Post" and other publications, and he intentionally cast them as central figures in his compositions for cover paintings, story illustrations, advertisements, and family Christmas cards. This engaging installation will shed light on Rockwell's work with man's best friends through original artworks, photographs, and archival materials that offer insights into his artistic goals and working methods.

Through May 15, 2011 Enter the wild and wonderful world of Elwood Smith, the creator of high-grade humorous illustrations that will tickle your funny bone. The first in a series of exhibitions honoring outstanding contemporary illustrators, "Elwood’s World" features the artist’s original imagery for many prominent publications; favorite children’s books like "The Truth About Poop" and "Hot Diggity Dog;" and moving imagery for unique hand-drawn animations.

Through June 19, 2011 Discover Norman Rockwell as a citizen and traveler of the world through never-before-seen views of the artist at work and play.

LAST CHANCE! Through March 6, 2011 Meet the next generation of artists! A lively and diverse exhibition of original works by Berkshire County high school art students, celebrating the region's talented youth.

November 13, 2010 through May 30, 2011 Experience the art of Jerry Pinkney, a master of the American picturebook whose unforgettable visual narratives reflect deeply felt personal and cultural themes, bearing witness to the African-American experience, the wonders of classic literature, and the wisdom in well-loved folk tales.

Through January 16, 2011 During the holiday season, Norman Rockwell's anxiously awaited illustrations brought good cheer to millions of Americans who encountered his images on the covers and pages of their favorite magazines, and on holiday cards that brought the spirit of the holidays home...

Extended through November 28, 2011 Catch the spirit of music and movement at the Norman Rockwell Museum through the art of Sol Schwartz, whose vibrant drawings have captured the beauty and excitement of music, theater, and dance in the Berkshires for more than a decade.

July 3 through October 31, 2010 Explore Norman Rockwell's art for the movies: featuring original paintings, vintage posters, lobby cards, and original portraits of movie stars drawn form the Museum's Art and Archival Collections, and private collections of Rockwell’s art.

Through October 31, 2011 The first reinstallation of Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge Studio, A Day in the Life brings visitors back to October 1960, when the artist was hard at work on one of his most famous Saturday Evening Post covers, The Golden Rule.

June 12 through October 31, 2010 Artist William Steig kept America laughing with more than 1700 illustrations for The New Yorker, and more than twenty children's picturebooks, including Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, which earned the artist a Caldecott Medal; Dr. De Soto and Rotten Island; and Shrek, which has inspired feature length animated films. Steig's original cartoons and beloved book illustrations will be on view in this exciting installation that honors the genius of an American master.

New Exhibition Opens Saturday, March 6 Learn about Norman Rockwell's life and career through rarely viewed collections from the artist.

November 20, 2009 through January 4, 2010

The Duchess of Whimsey is all that her name suggests. The Earl of Norm seems…well, completely ordinary. This lively exhibition features original artwork created by illustrator Peter de Sève (The New Yorker, Ice Age) for his first children’s book, created with his wife/author Randall de Sève (Toy Boat). The Duchess of Whimsy spins a tender tale of two royals who discover each other over a grilled cheese sandwich, and […]

September 25, 2009 through February 7, 2010

Norman Rockwell Museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of original artworks by legendary American illustrator, Norman Rockwell. First assembled by the artist himself and placed in trust to the Museum in 1973, the Museum’s collections have continued to grow to include the artist’s Stockbridge studio, its contents, and an archive of over two hundred thousand […]

Minty, A story of Young Harriet Tubman (detail) Copyright 1996 Jerry Pinkney. All rights reserved

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
June 29, 2013 – September 22, 2013

High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
October 12, 2013 – January 5, 2014

I love the act of making marks on paper and seeing those marks develop into a picture. My intent and hope is to lead the viewer […]

John Singer Sargent in his Studio

February 7, 2009 through June 7, 2009

Artists in Their Studios offers a unique glimpse at the lives and studio spaces of more than seventy-five important American artists from the late nineteenth century to today. Rarely seen photographs and primary source materials including letters, artists’ handwritten notes, and personal effects from the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art are featured in this […]

January 16, 2009 through May 16, 2010

Step back in time to explore Rockwell’s imagery for The Saturday Evening Post, which prompted an outpouring of reader reaction during the artist’s forty-seven year tenure with the magazine. Shifting American values, reform and the New Deal, World War II and the rise of national identity, the Baby Boom and the rise of the middle class, and the […]

Norman Rockwell Museum
November 8, 2008 through January 25, 2009

Huntsville Museum of Art, Alabama
July 23, 2016 through October 15, 2016

Upcountry History Museum Furman University, Greenville, SC
June 17, 2017 – September 10, 2017

When America entered World War I, it was clear that engagement in the conflict would require sustained effort of a magnitude and intensity that had previously been unimagined. Ready troops, supplies, and sacrifice on the home […]

June 7 through October 26, 2008

In the finest tradition of Thomas Nast and the time-honored art of political satire, this special exhibition anticipates our nation’s upcoming presidential elections with stunning visual reflections our nation’s most prominent contemporary leaders and their legacies.

An award-winning draftsman, commentator, and humorist, Steve Brodner has created illustrations, cartoons, and reportage for nearly every major American periodical, including Esquire, The New York Times, […]

July 4 through October 19, 2008

Garden gates are the quintessential element of an ideal garden and provide symbolic entry into a world of color and aesthetic beauty. This resplendent outdoor exhibition celebrates the wonders of both art and nature, and artist designs will complement the idyllic grounds of Norman Rockwell Museum during the summer season. This lively exhibition will offer new perspectives on a timeless component […]

February 15 through November 16, 2008

Many of Norman Rockwell’s illustrations for periodicals, advertising campaigns, and other publications, were created to show the engagement of Americans in the process of electing a president. From 1952 to 1960, Rockwell’s portraits of the major presidential candidates – including Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy – graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. In 1964, after his association […]

November 10, 2007 through May 26, 2008

A burgeoning art form with roots planted firmly in history, graphic novels, or long-form comic books, have inspired the interest of the literary establishment and a growing number of readers. For today’s aficionados, graphic novels, with their antiheroes and visual appeal, are positioned to usurp the role that the novel once played. Focused on subjects as diverse as the nature […]

August 18 through September 16, 2007

A powerful exhibition of artworks created at America’s Camp in the Berkshires by the children of parents who died as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Many children have attended America’s Camp in western Massachusetts annually, where they participated in group projects that provided the opportunity for self-expression, from memory quilts to sculptural reflections on loss and […]

June 9 through October 28, 2007

Illustrator Al Parkers stylish, edgy compositions were influenced by photography, jazz, and modern painting. The innovative, modernist artworks he created for mass-appeal women’s magazines and their advertisers profoundly influenced the values and aspirations of American women and their families during the post-war era. The exhibition features original works created for Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, McCall’s, and Cosmopolitan by Parker and […]

January 27 through May 28, 2007

Join us for this rare glimpse at paintings by Norman Rockwell from the Pfizer Collection, which are among the finest examples of the artist’s imagery for advertising. His heartfelt portrayals inspired Americans to view themselves and their physicians with optimism, and presented the notion that health is affected as much by our emotional lives as by our physical well-being. Rockwell’s paintings, […]

November 11 2006 through January 14, 2007

In an age of e-mail and instant messaging, More Than Words reconnects us with the wonders of handmade communications. The exhibition features more than 75 hand-illustrated letters from such celebrated artists as Alexander Calder, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and Andrew Wyeth. Their communications offer an intimate view of the artists’ worlds-their families, friends, business relations, travels, […]

June 9 through October 29, 2006

At the dawn of the American Century, an Eastern artist best known for his illustrations in the periodicals of the day defined national values through his romanticized images of the cowboy on the American frontier. Frederic Remington (1861-1909) created powerful images that were accepted as the distillation of the best of the American character, conveying a sense of strong individualism and […]

June 9 through October 21, 2006

Through an improbable convergence of circumstances, an iconic painting not known to have been missing has been found after more than thirty-five years.

Norman Rockwell”s Breaking Home Ties was painted for the September 25, 1954 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. For the past several years, Breaking Home Ties has been on view at the Norman Rockwell Museum, or so it was […]

February 18 through May 20 2006

From the soothing, restorative environment of Waterfall City to the hidden wonders of Chandara, acclaimed author and illustrator James Gurney’s magical Dinotopian world comes to life in this enchanting exhibition that features 44 original oil paintings from the best-selling illustrated books Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time (1992) and Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995). The exhibition, organized by the Norman Rockwell […]

Through May 31 2006

For more than a century, the National Geographic Society’s illustrators have taken readers to places beyond the reach of a camera’s lens on journeys of the imagination to destinations that can be seen only through the artist’s eye. Vivid and compelling, their images have allowed us to witness the birth of our planet and look forward to the colonization of space – helping […]

November 25 2005 through February 5 2006

Throughout an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Tasha Tudor has delighted an international audience with her joyful writings and enchanting images. Among the most beloved artists of our time, she has authored over twenty published titles, and her illustrations, or the discussion of her unique lifestyle, are featured in one hundred books.

June 5 through October 1, 2004

Norman Rockwell painted some of the greatest works of his career during the 1960s. It was a time of turbulence in Rockwell’s personal life as well as in the world. Hometown Hero, Citizen of the World: Rockwell in Stockbridge, examines the powerful paintings and fascinating ephemera from the last 25 years of Rockwell’s life in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

The exhibition, featuring more than […]

On view through October 31, 2005

Steeped in history, The New Yorker seems eternally new. First published in 1925, the magazine developed its distinctive look and role as the interpreter of all things New York by showcasing the art of America’s most gifted visual commentators, from Peter Arno, Saul Steinberg and William Steig to Edward Sorel, Steve Brodner and Roz Chast. Artists of unsurpassed brilliance have commented […]

November 8, 2003 through May 31, 2004

Twenty-three years before American women won the right to vote in national elections, illustrators Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, and Violet Oakley established a unique communal household based on professional cooperation and personal affection. The three artists met in 1897 when they were all studying with Howard Pyle, the nation’s most celebrated illustrator. It was Pyle who noted a […]

June 7 through October 19, 2003

Images that defined America resonate profoundly in the Norman Rockwell Museum’s new exhibition, Freedom: Norman Rockwell’s Vermont Years, on view from June 7, 2003 to November 9, 2003. The second exhibit in a three-part retrospective presented by the Museum that examines Rockwell’s life, work, and the communities in which he lived, Freedom focuses on the years from 1939 to 1953 when […]

February 8 through October 26, 2003

More than four generations of children have eagerly followed the adventures of the Berenstain Bears, and have learned about life in the process. Now, for the first time, a major museum exhibition showcases the work of the series’ prolific creators in the Norman Rockwell Museum’s presentation of The Berenstain Bears Celebrate: The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain.