We have always been fond of Norman Rockwells work but seeing it first hand and listening to the tour guide made us appreciate him even more. Beverly, the tour guide was so knowledgeable. Her passion for his work is evident in her presentation. The downstairs area has a collection of virtually all his Saturday Evening Post covers.. There was a local high school exhibit there as well. Upstairs has many of his original paintings including the "FOUR FREEDOMS" which toured the country in post world war II. It is an amazing trip through the history of America from a common mans perspective. Be sure to watch the videos on both levels. There was also an exhibit upstairs from another illustrator but these change periodically.
We spent about 3 hours here on a very cold, snowy winter day and really enjoyed ourselves. It paid to listen to the short video downstairs to get to know Norman Rockwell, then listen to the tour that they have upstairs. The tour woman really put Mr. Rockwell's life in perspective and explained a lot of the paintings. The size of the museum is just right for a short trip and the price is fair. Would definitely recommend visiting if you are in the area.
I was not sure we were both going to enjoy this museum visit, but we actually did. It was an amazing experience to be up close with these works of art. His talent can surely be seen. It is a fairly large collection of his work.
The tour offered was enlightening. The additional details and genuine love of the artist shone through. It was wonderful to see the paintings on display and to hear his son narrate the film about his life. So many familiar images!The inclusion of the art of Mort Kunstler was an interesting and unexpected bonus. Illustrators were obviously very much a part of 20th century culture.
I really enjoyed the museum and all of the newspaper cover. What a nice way to spend the afternoon. Most of the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. As always one or two need to work on smiling and being courteous
the museum was such a nice place to spend a couple of hours. traveling exhibits as well as the normal rockwell history.
Walking into the Norman Rockwell Museum is like coming home and being reacquainted with old friends. All the pictures you remembered from childhood magazines and posters are all smiling down at you. And being introduced to the ones you had forgotten or perhaps never met before; is like discovering a hidden room in an old house...both magical and exciting. If you're in Stockbridge, don't leave without dropping in to say hello.
This museum was well worth the ride to see all the amazing Post magazine covers from Norman Rockwell, it was like a trip down memory lane. You really could spend most of the day there. We were there for about 2 hours, as we got there late in the afternoon. It was not expensive, hubby and I started out together, but soon we each went our own way, winding through the different rooms. The introduction movie that was shown was well worth the time to watch it, a lot of personal information was given. They also devote an area to the local schools for young artists to express their talents, and temporary exhibit area as well, this time for Mort Kunstler. A very great way to spend a cold afternoon in the Berkshires.
I wasn't sure if a small town would have a very special museum. Norman Rockwell Museum is really worth a visit. Be sure to hear the intro to the museum. It is informative and amusing and gives you a better feel for what you're going to see. I think everyone can relate to Norman Rockwell's art. Not only is his art there, but there are other features, as on the day of my visit, another artist's work and the artist himself doing signings. And a great Civil War display with people dressed in the Civil War attire and right there to explain all of the artifacts, some of which they still use, to you. I felt so upbeat after that museum.
A wonderful museum that displays the original painting of Norman Rockwell beautifully. The incredible detail and talent of Norman Rockwell truly is truly amazing. The vibrancy was unexpected and so refreshing. The Mort Kunstler exhibition was such a treat. Having enjoyed and viewed his artwork in Gettysburg it was great to see this display.