Norman+Rockwell



=Life = media type="file" key="February23 1226.mov" width="534" height="534" align="center" = Accomplishments = Ever wonder what you would need to accomplish to have a day celebrated in your honor? To have a parade march down the main street in your town, just for you? Or, what about a whole museum focused solely around your life and works? Norman Rockwell achieved all of these, but not without hard work and determination.

**Publications**
After his first major illustration at age 18, Rockwell contributed works for many magazines and publications across the country. In 1916, he traveled to the //Saturday Evening Post// and pursued his dreams by promoting his work ("Norman Percevel Rockwell" 13: 231-33). That same year, Rockwell had his illustration, Boy with Baby Carriage, featured as a cover of the //Saturday Evening Post// (Segal). Rockwell went on to become the //Post//’s top cover artist – illustrating another 316 covers for this magazine ("Norman Percevel Rockwell" 13: 231-33). The next year, another one of his illustrations, ‘Taint’ You, was featured on the cover of //Life// magazine (Segal)//.// In 1920, Rockwell also painted his first of 50 years of illustrations for the Boy Scout calendar ("Norman Percevel Rockwell" 13: 231-33). Rockwell also contributed to the publications //Country Gentleman//, //Literary Digest,// and //Peoples Popular Monthly//, along with his own autobiography, __My Ventures as an Illustrator__, and children’s book, __Willy Was Different__ (Norman Rockwell: The Stockbridge).

**Becoming a High-Profile Artist**
Many museums found interest in showing Rockwell’s illustrations and paintings, and he featured his first one-man show in 1941 at the Milwaukee Art Institute ("Norman Percevel Rockwell" 13: 231-33) After this point, his work was exhibited in museums throughout America, and in 1969 he had a museum erected in his honor, the Norman Rockwell Museum, in Stockbridge, Maryland ("Norman Percevel Rockwell" 13: 231-33; Norman Rockwell: The Stockbridge)

Rockwell became a high profile artist and began to be hired and desired by many important figures. Celebrities flocked to Stockbridge in 1974 to boast the honor of having their portraits painted by such an incredible artist as Norman Rockwell. Frank Sinatra, Arnold Palmer, and John Wayne were among these celebrities. Rockwell also painted the portraits of several politicians. He depicted presidents Roosevelt and Nixon, whom he painted six times. There were many foreign leaders whom he painted as well. Rockwell also began portraying momentous events in American history, including the travels to the moon, which he illustrated in 1965 (Claridge).

**Honors & Awards**
Throughout his artistic career, Rockwell was presented with many awards and honors. In 1957, the Unites States Chamber of Commerce recognized him as a “great living American.” Later, in 1959, he was the first person to be inducted to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame (Norman Rockwell: The Stockbridge). In 1961, he was presented with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts. Also in that same year, he was honored with the award he was most fond of, the Interfaith Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, for his cover painting “Golden Rule.” Then, in 1976, the city of Stockbridge celebrated a Norman Rockwell Day, complete with a parade down Main Street ("Norman Percevel Rockwell" 13: 231-33). Rockwell was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 (Norman Rockwell: The Stockbridge). Rockwell lived a very successful and influential life, as he well lived up to all his honors and his title as a “great living American.”

= Influence =
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 * ======- Rockwell stressed the ideas of masculinity and what it meant to be a man (Segal).======

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- He stressed the importance of religious diversity. One of his works, //Freedom to Worship,// portrays the assortment of races in America. This painting was important to him because he strongly believed there was a need for religious diversity (Claridge 311). ======

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- Rockwell made a poster representing Brotherhood Week for the National Conference for Christians and Jews (Claridge 403). ======

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- He treated his models well, especially if they were in need. He paid one of his models for //Freedom to Worship// $15, which was worth a lot at the time, because he knew she had to support her children (Claridge 329-30). ======

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-Rockwell pressed the issue of race. He attempted to submit illustrations with African-Americans, but his boss rejected them because he did not feel that America was ready for it (Claridge 473). ====== || ======- Rockwell designed advertising illustrations for several companies like Jell-O, Willy’s Cars, and Orange Crush soft drinks ("Norman Perceval Rockwell" 13: 231-33).======

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- He also made posters for movies such as //The Adventures of Marco Polo// (Claridge 265)//.// ======

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- Rockwell's work influenced buyers' decisions. He designed the Kellogg's Corn Flakes ad and over 300 covers for the Saturday Evening Post (Claridge 384). ======

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- The US Postal Service used one of Rockwell's designs as a stamp (Claridge 260). ======

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- Rockwell participated in the Hallmark Christmas Card campaign (Claridge 384) .======

|| ======- He depicted many events in American and World history. Rockwell supported the war effort in 1943. He proclaimed, "Let's give him enough and on time" (Guptill 133) ======

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- He ventured to Cape Kennedy to paint a series of two-man orbital flights and space walks in the 1960s. (Claridge 452)======

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- Rockwell's last public painting was for America's bicentennial celebration. He painted the Liberty Bell with a ribbon that said Happy Birthday. (Claridge 486) ======

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- Rockwell put major emphasis on the Four Freedoms, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear, in some of his most planned out paintings (Guptill 141-49). ======

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- Rockwell supported the United Nations because it stood for his favorite values, tolerance and freedom. (Claridge 304) ====== || media type="file" key="Norman Rockwell.m4v" width="630" height="630"

= Quiz = = =

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Answers : c, a, b, d, c, a, c, c, d, a, c = Sources =

**Information**
Claridge, Laura. //Norman Rockwell: A Life//. New York: Random House Inc., 2001. Print.

Guptill, Arthur L. //Norman Rockwell Illustrator//. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1946. Print.

"Norman Percevel Rockwell." //Encyclopedia of World Biography//. Ed. Paula K Byers. Second ed. Vol. 13. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1998. 231-33. Print. 17 vols.

//Norman Rockwell: The Stockbridge Years, 1953-1878//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .

**Pictures**
//Art Archive//. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2010. <http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/ rockwell.html#images>.