Rockwell Museum Gets Grant to Develop Digital Experiences

Print Story | Email Story

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Norman Rockwell Museum has received a competitive grant of $150,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the federal agency’s Museums for America Program.

The grant supports a new project called "Norman Rockwell's World — Interactive Multimedia Experiences that Engage Audiences with Norman Rockwell Museum’s Digital Collections."

Grant funds will support development of software and a content management system, as well as creative production that will bring to life the vivid art and times of Norman Rockwell, with multimedia modules linked to up to 30 artworks in the museum's vast collection — beginning with many of the artist's most iconic images.

The modules will be designed to engage discovery and make learning fun, as users explore a world of rich audio, video, and imagery pulled from the museum's digital archives, including interviews with Rockwell, his children, models, neighbors and friends; documentaries of people who most influenced him; and revelations of his working process, his relationships with national magazines and advertisers, his friendships with other artists, and the times in which he lived.

The modules will be accessible from smartphones, tablets, new touch-screens in the galleries, and standard web browsers, making it easy to explore when visiting the museum or offsite from a desktop computer, laptop, or mobile device anywhere at any time.  


"We are thrilled to receive this support from IMLS," said Norman Rockwell Museum Director Laurie Norton Moffatt. "This very generous matching grant will help us create more exciting digital experiences that engage audiences more deeply with our collections."

The museum hopes to complete the first phase of this project in 12 months, after which it will seek outside support to develop digital experiences for more than 100 additional Rockwell artworks in its collection. The museum's holdings include more than 780 original Rockwell artworks, among them, finished paintings as well as drawings and studies.

"The Institute of Museum and Library Services enlists hundreds of library and museum professionals throughout the United States to review grant applications and make recommendations on projects most worthy of funding," said IMLS Director Susan H. Hildreth. "Receiving a grant from IMLS is significant achievement, and we congratulate Norman Rockwell Museum for being among the 2014 IMLS museum grantees."

IMLS museum grants support a wide variety of projects that create learning experiences, strengthen community communities, care for collections, and provide broad public access.

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

View Full Story

More Stockbridge Stories