Page 21 - BusinessWest April 27, 2026

“As a museum
devoted to not
only Norman
Rockwell, but
also the history
of illustration, we
felt like we had
something unique
to offer at this
moment in time.”
Norman Rockwell Museum
Exhibit Tells the Nation’s Story Through Illustration
Russell Lord says planning for the nation’s 250th birthday at the Norman Rock-
well Museum in Stockbridge began several years ago, and kicked into a higher
gear when he arrived as chief of Curatorial Affairs in late 2024. Eventually, a
mission emerged.
“As a museum devoted to not only Norman Rockwell, but also the history of illus-
tration, we felt like we had something unique to offer at this moment in time,” Lord
said. “Also, we understood that it might be somewhat expected of us to do something
because Norman Rockwell is so closely associated with American identity and this
vision of America.
“We wanted to both embrace what people expected of us and also add a little bit
of the unexpected,” he went on, adding that both will come together in “American
Stories, from Revolution to Rockwell,” which explores how artists from the Revolu-
tionary era to the present “shared the ideals and evolving story of the United States
in pictures and captured the American imagination in the process.”
Organized around a series of thematic chapters — including industry and innova-
tion, immigration, the Civil Rights Movement, and civic life — that cut across time
periods, the special exhibit, which runs from June 6 to Oct. 26, will bring together a
wide range of works. These include illustrations, textiles, ceramics, paintings, prints,
drawings, books, posters, advertisements, and digital media, from the nation’s found-
ing to the present day, with each object telling a story.
“The United States is young enough to have its entire history extensively illus-
trated,” Lord said, noting that early works by engravers such as Paul Revere and Ben-
jamin Franklin issue calls for unity against, and independence from, an oppressive
monarchy.
“In the 19th century, artists served as visual journalists, entertainers, and advo-
cates for reform,” he went on. “In the 20th century, illustrators captivated the public
with idyllic scenes of American life, while
also confronting the realities of racial
injustice and political division. Today,
Rockwell
Continued on page 32 >>
in the 21st century, artists continue the
RUSSELL LORD
“American Stories, from Revolution to
Rockwell” includes James Montgomery
Flagg’s “I Want You for U.S. Army” (1917,
chromolithograph on paper, private
collection).
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