Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge,MA

[RememberSchiff]

Timing is everything...

 

Next month, I had planned to see the exhibition "Norman Rockwell and the Boy Scouts of America" before it closes Nov 27.

 

http://www.nrm.org/2010/06/norman-rockwell-and-the-boy-scouts-of-america/

 

I should have attended yesterday along with some 400 other scouts when an event was held with speakers Joe Csatari (the illustrator who succeeded Rockwell at Boy's Life) and his son Jeff!

 

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_16417985

 

Anyone go?

 

Lost $0.02 and more

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[oldsm]

This is well worth attending. I recommend all day if you have the time. (And they give a discount for AAA members.)

 

On two occasions (several years apart) I have taken the troop to the Norman Rockwell Museum. Both times I was surprised at how much they "got into" to stories behind the paintings. They were interested in looking at the Saturday Evening Post covers, and visited Rockwell's studio. There's a good interpretive movie on endless loop. Be sure to pay the few extra bucks for the audio tour. It's outstanding and worth every penny. I've actually had scouts say they want to go back.

 

Norman Rockwell was important to Scouting, but that was only one small part of his oeuvre. Interesting tidbit from my last visit (with my wife, this time): BSA was the most demanding of Rockwell's customers - demanding changes to protect the "brand" (such as not letting a Scout rescuing a young girl from a flood have wet pants. (Rockwell changed the painting to put him in scout shorts instead of the long pants.) Sigh...

 

Yes, by all means, go. Take a picnic lunch if it's not too cold - beautiful grounds outside with picnic tables. And enjoy.

[oldsm]

Incidentally, after spending time at Stockbridge, it becomes easy to see the stylistic differences between Rockwell and Csetari. I prefer Rockwell...