Norman Rockwell Exhibit

Norman Rockwell was an amazing artist and a great storyteller. A recent exhibit displayed over 300 of his Saturday Evening Post magazine covers between 1916 and 1963, as well as, several original paintings. In studying the walls of magazine covers, his talent, combined with the discipline to paint month after month year after year, was a bit overwhelming.

Some critics have called his art sentimental and unrealistic. And, perhaps in his attempt to capture what was good about America, he glossed over some of the ‘real’ truths of the times, but his works resonated with people back then and still do today. His universal appeal proves the basic human desire for simpler, happier times, as painted into the small-town personification of Rockwell’s paintings, is still alive. His illustrations of everyday life served not so much as a mirror of 20^th century America, but as a mirror enhanced with hopes and dreams.

When Norman Rockwell parted ways with the Saturday Evening Post, he began illustrating for Look magazine. The Look magazine covers differed from the Saturday Evening Post covers in that they included social issues of the day — civil rights, the Peace Corps, and even space exploration. Thus, as the world changed, the stories changed and so did the paintings. Sadly, though, the innocence of the earlier paintings was missing.

One of Norman Rockwell’s greatest gifts is the poignant history of the American spirit — not just the facts and figures or the brutal truth about its history. When the covers are lined up in chronological order, America's spirit comes alive for current and future generations to enjoy.

If the exhibit makes its way to a museum near you, don’t miss it! You’ll leave with a grateful heart for the nostalgic look back at America and the man who put it on paper.