Did you know that Norman Rockwell spent his last years right here in Stockbridge, MA? It’s true and fans of the famous illustrator may recognize parts of Stockbridge from his works. Stockbridge is also home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, which exhibits the largest collection of original Norman Rockwell art in the world!
Norman Rockwell is beloved for his often humorous, touching, or deeply meaningful illustrations. The prolific artist produced over 4,000 works in his lifetime. Many of his most popular works graced the covers and pages of magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, Look, Boys’ Life, and others.
Norman Rockwell loved the Berkshires and spent the last of his years here in Stockbridge. As I say at the top, during those years he drew a lot of inspiration from the town. The most famous example of this is probably his enduring “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas” painting.
One can still hold a copy of the work up to the actual view and see how little has really changed. It’s a fact we celebrate here nearly every year around the holidays: Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.
Towards the end of his career, Norman Rockwell set up a custodianship for his original work. The works were housed in the Old Corner House, a building near his Stockbridge home. Later, the contents of his home studio joined the collection in the Old Corner House, which by then had become The Norman Rockwell Museum.
Inside the Museum
The permanent collection on display at the museum includes paintings, drawings, sketches, and photographs that reflect the evolution Rockwell’s life and work.
Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio has also been reassembled, allowing guests to “visit” and see how he worked. The exhibit includes materials and equipment Rockwell used to create his illustrations as well as his extensive art library. You’ll also see the artist’s travel mementos, and some of the fan art he received.
The museum also hosts a variety of special exhibits and events throughout the year. These typically focus on other famous illustrators, art movements, or cultural issues that relate back to Rockwell.
Past exhibits and events include the illustrations of Edward Hopper, Meeting Rockwell’s Models, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
The Norman Rockwell Museum
The museum is located at 9 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262, less than ten minutes from our Berkshires bed and breakfast, The Inn at Stockbridge. In fact, we have a special suite dedicated to him. The Rockwell Suite has plenty of space for the whole family and is themed around Stockbridge’s favorite son.
Visit www.nrm.org for hours, current exhibits, and more information. You can also find the museum on Facebook.