Rockwell's America: Celebrating the Art of Norman Rockwell

Presented by Ohio Historical Center / Ohio Historical Society

Step back in time and into the eyes of the famous American painter Norman Rockwell. Touch, feel, and see how America lived in the early to mid 1900s as you walk through three-dimensional recreations of his famous Saturday Evening Post magazine covers.

Visitors will enjoy some of Rockwell's most famous art brought to life in twenty theatrical environments. Experience and learn about the changing times and technologies in America through life-sized, 3-dimensional versions of Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers. These charming recreations feature scenes from America's history, frozen in time allowing visitors to become part of the past.

Travel to "Main Street" featuring the famous "The Gossips" illustration, sit in a WWII army jeep or go on your first-date at "The Soda Jerk." Every theatrical scene is coupled with multimedia experiences, live character interpretation and is a family photographic opportunity just waiting to happen.

Rockwell's America: Celebrating the Art of Norman Rockwell contains more than 100 original Saturday Evening Post covers.

At the tender age of twenty-two, Rockwell sold his first cover painting in 1916 to America's oldest magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and ended up doing over 300 additional covers for the magazine. The weekly magazine was first published in 1728 by twenty-two year old Benjamin Franklin and started as the Pennsylvania Gazette, one of five regular publications in the colonies. Purchased in 1897 by Cyrus H. Curtis, The Saturday Evening Post rose to the coveted status of "America's Magazine" by showcasing the best American writers, artists and illustrators of the Twentieth Century.

Rockwell was tuned in to social change, which gave him a connection to people from other races and walks of life. In "Times of Change," the mood shifts toward the dramatic and serious where he confronts a changing world head on. "Rosie the Riveter" and the wartime adventures of Willy Gillis illustrate how the artist conveyed endurance, courage, hardship and hope. In this area of the exhibit, visitors encounter "Politics and Presidents," and come face to face with the Civil Rights movement in his landmark paintings, "The Problem We All Live With" and "The Four Freedoms."

Rockwell's America: Celebrating the Art of Norman Rockwell is produced by the Becker Group under license by Curtis Publishing.

November 1, 2008 - March 15, 2009

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