Smithsonian American Art Museum

Norman Rockwell at the Smithsonian

Lights … camera … Norman Rockwell? Better believe it. Though he may have wielded a paintbrush instead of a projector, a new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is proving this famed artist was a movie director at heart.

The exhibit, “Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg,” opens July 2 and comprises 57 paintings and drawings taken directly from the homes and workplaces of these iconic filmmakers. It represents a never-explored vantage point of Rockwell’s connection to Hollywood.

Senior Curator Virginia Mecklenberg, who organized the exhibition, says of Rockwell, “[He] mirrored the experiences of Americans; it’s almost impossible to overestimate his impact on American society.”

Rockwell’s often humorous vignettes of American life that dotted the covers and pages of the Saturday Evening Post span from adolescent angst—shown in Children Dancing at a Party (Pardon Me)—to the trials and tribulations of marriage (The Tender Years, on right) to deeper issues such as women’s rights or presidential campaigns.

Besides his more obvious Hollywood fascination, shown in the various starlets and actors sprinkled within his paintings, Rockwell’s techniques mirrored that of a film director, alluding to a possible alternative career path for the artist.

Mecklenberg explains the careful planning Rockwell put into each painting, from the “costuming” to the props strewn in the background, suggesting character development and personality within the scenes. Additionally, she notes every painting has a definitive “beginning, middle and end,” much like how films are created, and how the elaborate, often exaggerated facial expressions are akin to the zoom-in features on cameras.

It’s worth a visit, especially for those who haven’t seen any of Rockwell’s works up close. For those who are more fluent in the quirky ways of the American artist, it’s a fresh take on classic paintings carefully chosen to reflect a cinematic lens.

The museum is developing several educational programs and family friendly events in conjunction with the exhibit, such as a National Teacher Workshop on Aug. 11 and an evening for educators Nov. 4. Here, scholars can delve more into Rockwell’s pieces and learn to teach others about the historical impact Rockwell has generated.

Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell From the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, July 2–Jan. 2, 2011, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum; 8th and F streets, NW.

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