Magazines are increasingly emerging as critical sites in developing a new understanding of the dynamic relationship between “fine” art and mass culture. Throughout the 20th century, a wide range of American periodicals commissioned artists to produce work for covers and feature stories, but many of these commissions have been left out of histories of modernism. This session considers three case studies to convey the rich trajectory of art and magazines: Edward Hopper’s covers for the Wells Fargo Messenger, Mine Okubo’s drawings in Fortune magazine, and Saul Steinberg’s work for such publications as Life, Look, Sports Illustrated, and Time. The papers explore the origins of and motivations behind such commissions and analyzes the art as it was originally published in print, showing how advertisements, adjacent articles, and captions shaped the initial reception and understanding of the works.

Friday and Saturday, January 15 and 16, 2021
For designers, cartoonists, and illustrators, many questions arise when creating art that takes up socially significant, sometimes controversial themes. Some choose the D.I.Y. route, working independently with a free hand, without access to the large scale distribution that comes with a recognizable masthead. Others work with leading news organizations and magazines, agreeing to collaborate in exchange for access to audiences. Popular art has always involved such choices. What are the tradeoffs? What are the rewards?

This timely symposium will explore historical and contemporary notions of freedom as well as the role of illustration as a force in shaping public perception. How has published imagery affected decision-making, public policy, and cultural understanding? Prominent authors, illustrators, and scholars will offer perspectives. Share your observations by participating in all or some of these compelling conversations.

This program is supported in part by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Media Sponsor:

Join arts and cultural historian Skylar Smith for this series of snappy virtual art experiences exploring the social, cultural, and material underpinnings of classic illustrations, which are re-contextualized for today’s times. The continuity and evolution of American identity, branding, politics, women’s rights, and gender identity is explored with humor, wit, and a deep dive into the history and cultural context of the moment.

The Society of Fellows at the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies announces a seminal conference:

CONVENED BY: The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and Professor Michael Lobel, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY

The Society of Fellows at the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies announces a seminal conference:

LOCATION: Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri,
DATE: March 21-23, 2019

CONVENED BY: The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and the D. B. Dowd Modern Graphic History Library at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Cover illustration for The Little Match Girl Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to congratulate beloved picture book illustrator Jerry Pinkney on his historic receipt of two lifetime achievement awards in a single day—as announced by the American Library Association (ALA) today, January 11, 2016, at their Mid-Winter Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The artist

Photo of Joyce K. Schiller, inaugural curator of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, Norman Rockwell Museum. Norman Rockwell Museum is sad to learn and report of the passing of Joyce. K. Schiller, the Museum's first curator of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies. Schiller was a passionate and consummate scholar of

Illustration History website On August 15, Norman Rockwell Museum will debut a new, comprehensive, online resource dedicated to the art of illustration. Join us at the Museum this Saturday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. as we celebrate with a launch party and reception. We will provide demonstrations of this evolving digital resource, designed to provide greater