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Norman Rockwell Museum Kicks Off Summer Series03:22PM / Thursday, July 16, 2009
Lively Line-Up Explores Artists’ Private Lives and Public Personas
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. - Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Frida Kahlo, Mexico’s tempestuous and prodigiously talented mid-century painter, are a few of the artists in the spotlight at Norman Rockwell Museum this summer. The Museum’s popular annual summer lecture and performance series begins today with a talk by Stephanie Plunkett, chief curator, exploring the relationship between Rockwell’s extraordinarily influential artwork and the personal journey it both revealed and concealed. Plunkett’s talk sets the theme for a fascinating summer series focused on artists’ private lives and public personas.
The 2009 summer series, Private Lives: Public Persona, brings to life new dimensions of Rockwell, Warhol, and Kahlo, as well as the dynamic “Ashcan School” painter John Sloan and a dazzling array of Golden Age illustrators, including Charles Dana Gibson (creator of the beguiling Gibson Girl), Maxfield Parrish, and J.C. Leyendecker. Complementing this lively line-up are musical performances by two Berkshire gems: Berkshire Music School’s Cabaret-to-Go and the Jeanne Laurin Trio.
Talks and performances are held each Thursday at 5:30 p.m. through August 27, and are free with Museum admission. A complete schedule of the 2009 summer series follows below, and can be viewed at www.nrm.org.
2009 Summer Series Line-Up at Norman Rockwell Museum
July Talks and Performances
Thursday, July 16, 5:30 p.m.
Norman Rockwell: Private Moments for the Masses
Norman Rockwell was a remarkable painter and a complex man. Chief Curator Stephanie Plunkett will explore the extensive body of art that became both a defining national influence and a visual record of Rockwell’s own personal journey.
Thursday, July 23, 5:30 p.m.
Cabaret-to-Go
Enjoy an evening of old standards performed by the Berkshire Music School’s Cabaret-to-Go. Led by Sharri James Buxton, an accomplished cabaret performer and music teacher, Cabaret-to-Go delights audiences across Berkshire County.
Thursday, July 30, 5:30 p.m.
High Society: Charles Dana Gibson and the Illustrators of the Golden Age
Illustration historian Terry Brown, a past director of the Society of Illustrators in New York City, explores the colorful lives and the influential art of Charles Dana Gibson, Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, J.C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, and other leading illustrators of the Golden Age.
August Talks and Performances
Thursday, August 6, 5:30 p.m.
Artful Lives: A Living Portrait of Frida Kahlo
Acclaimed actress Robin Lane brings to life iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, creator of powerful images that captured her personal pain and passion.
Thursday, August 13, 5:30 p.m.
The Many Lives of Andrew Warhola
Join illustrator James Warhola for an inside look at the life of his uncle, Pop Art impresario Andy Warhol. Mr. Warhola will talk about his uncle’s family background and transformation from a successful illustrator to an artistic innovator whose work forever changed the art world. Following his talk, Warhola will be on hand to sign his books Uncle Andy’s and Uncle Andy’s Cats.
Thursday, August 20, 5:30 p.m.
Jeanne Laurin Trio
Join the Jeanne Laurin Trio as they perform a wide selection of contemporary musical favorites—from Cole Porter and the Beatles to Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nellie McKay.
Thursday, August 27, 5:30 p.m.
New York Stories: John Sloan as Illustrator
American painter John Sloan (1871-1951) began his career as an illustrator and cartoonist, creating art for the pages of the nation’s magazines and using new forms of realism to depict urban life. Join Joyce K. Schiller, the Museum’s new curator of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, for a fascinating look at the artist’s prolific but little-known illustration career.
About Norman Rockwell Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum is the preeminent museum of American illustration art. Dedicated to art education and art appreciation inspired by the enduring legacy of Norman Rockwell, the Museum stewards the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell art, and presents the works of contemporary and past masters of illustration. The Museum’s holdings include Rockwell’s last studio, moved from its original location to the Museum grounds, and the Norman Rockwell Archives, a 200,000-object collection undergoing digital preservation. The Museum is also home to the new Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration. In 2008, Norman Rockwell Museum became the first-ever museum recipient of the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest honor in the field.
Norman Rockwell Museum is located on 36 park-like acres in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Rockwell’s hometown for the last 25 years of his life. The Museum is open year-round. From May through October, hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; from November through April, hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Rockwell’s studio is open May through October, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (not wheelchair accessible). Museum admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students, and $13.50 for seniors. Children and teens 18 and under are admitted free year-round through Kids Free Every Day, a gift to families from Country Curtains, Blantyre, and The Red Lion Inn.
For additional information, the public may call 413-298-4100, ext. 221, or visit www.nrm.org. |
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