“The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they’re always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.”
This sentiment by Norman Rockwell relates to travel as well… and we often incorporate a visit to a museum in our travels. American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell is a gem and showing at the Tacoma Art Museum until May 30, 2011. Though there is a comprehensive collection of original magazine covers, we were especially drawn to his 44 paintings – as the museum states “unforgettable images of the innocence, courage, history and hopes of American life in the 20th century.” This is a traveling exhibit that warrants a visit. A good family experience… we took our somewhat reluctant nieces, ages 11 & 14, and they loved it. Future museum hosts are listed at the Norman Rockwell Museum website.
The catalog, American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, traces the evolution of Rockwell’s art throughout his career – from reflections on childhood innocence in such paintings as No Swimming (1921) to powerful, consciousness-raising images like The Problem We All Live With (1964), which documented the traumatic realities of desegregation in the South.
Promising Exhibitions From Coast to Coast is a great resource article at the New York Times for a list of “promising” art exhibits around the country this year – many of them opening this summer. Here is a sampling:
- Boston – “Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass“, Museum of Fine Arts, April 10 to Aug 7
- Portland, ME – “John Marin: Modernism at Midcentury“, Portland Museum of Art, June 23 to Oct 10
- Williamstown, MA – “Pissarro’s People”, Clark Art Institute, June 12 to Oct 2
- New York – “Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World”, Whitney Museum, June 30 to Oct 23
- Philadelphia – “Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus”, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Aug 3 to Oct 30
- Washington, DC – “Philip Guston, Roma”, The Phillips Collection, through May 15
- Cleveland – “The Art of Daily Life: Portable Objects From Southeast Africa”, Cleveland Museum of Art, April 16 through Feb 26, 2012
- Kansas City – “Revelation: Major Paintings by Jules Olitski”, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, May 20 through Aug 21
- Houston – “Helmut Newton: White Women, Sleepless Nights, Big Nudes”, Museum of Fine Arts, July 3 to Sept 25
- Denver – “Marvelous Mud: Adventures in Clay”, Denver Art Museum, June 12 to Sept 10
- Los Angeles – “Paris: Life and Luxury”, Getty Museum, April 26 to Aug 7
- San Francisco – “The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde”, Museum of Modern Art, May 21 to Sept 6
- Santa Fe – “Shared Intelligence: American Painting and the Photograph”, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, May 20 to Sept 11
- Seattle – “Beauty and Bounty: American Art in an Age of Exploration”, Seattle Art Museum, June 30 to Sept 11
Support the arts! Visit a museum in your area or in a city you are visiting this year… it can be enriching, educational and inspiring.