| March 17, 2010 | ||
Norman Rockwell at WAM |
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The Art of Norman Rockwell
Coming to the Wichita Art Museum Wichita: Norman Rockwell painted the hopes and dreams of an American generation. American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell opens at the Wichita Art Museum on Sunday, March 7th, and will be on view through May 30th, 2010. The collection of more than forty oils and pencil works of art, explores the popularity and broad appeal of Norman Rockwell's imagery through six decades of his career.
Rockwell honed his pictorial storytelling skills while creating illustrations for magazines. But his emotionally appealing paintings, often set in an idealized, early twentieth-century America, propelled him from the stable of Saturday Evening Post illustrators to become one of America's most beloved and recognized artists.
The exhibition includes some of the artist's signature works: No Swimming, Christmas Homecoming, Triple Self-Portrait, and his depiction of school desegregation in the south, The Problem We All Live With. Also included are images of his Saturday Evening Post covers, which played a large part in popularizing Rockwell's work. The cover images both reflected and helped shape perceptions of a distinctive side of American culture. Rockwell was a consummate visual storyteller with a finely honed sense of what made an image successful in the new, rapidly changing era of mass media. Rockwell’s unique artistic style, established during 65 years of painting, offers a personal chronicle of twentieth-century life and aspirations that has both reflected, and influenced American perceptions and ideals.
American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell traces the evolution of Rockwell’s art and his status as an American icon throughout his career – from carefully choreographed reflections on childhood innocence to powerful, consciousness-raising images that documented the traumatic realities of desegregation in the South.
This exhibition is made possible with the generous support from National Endowment for the Arts, American Masterpieces Program; the Henry Luce Foundation; Curtis Publishing Company; Norman Rockwell Estate Licensing Company; and the Stockman Family Foundation. The Wichita venue of American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell is made possible by the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum.
Exhibition Dates:
March 7, 2010 through May 30, 2010
Reception:
Friday, March 26th during Final Friday celebrations - 5 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Wichita Art Museum opened in 1935. It is home to The Roland P. Murdock Collection, one of the premier collections of American Art in the country. The Museum is proud to be supported through public and private funds, owned by the City of Wichita and managed by a private entity, Wichita Art Museum, Inc. Located at 1400 West Museum Boulevard, the Museum and Museum store are open Sunday noon – 5 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors (55+) and students with I.D.; $3 for children 5 - 17. Admission is free every Saturday and scheduled school groups are always free. The Muse Café is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. –2 p.m. and from 2 – 3 p.m. for desserts and drinks. Brunch is available on Sundays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. with drinks and desserts available until 3 p.m. There is no admission charge for visiting the Museum Store or Café.
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| The Wichita Art Museum opened in 1935. It is home to The Roland P. Murdock Collection, one of the premier collections of American Art in the country. The Museum is proud to be supported through public and private funds, owned by the City of Wichita and managed by a private entity, Wichita Art Museum, Inc. Located at 1400 West Museum Boulevard, the Museum and Museum store are open Sunday noon – 5 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free through September 30 and scheduled school groups are always free. |