Norman Rockwell was a part
of my growing up and many of his illustrations--he saw himself as an illustrator
not an 'artist'--are recognizable today even people who have never heard of him.
I haven't thought of him in years until an exhibition of his work came to the
Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art in
November and would stay until February 2. We kept on putting off going but
decided today was the day and I am so glad we went.

I don't know where the
exhibit goes from here but if it comes to your city/town don't miss it. You may
or not may be familiar with the illustrations he did for the Saturday Evening
Post but it was his work for Look magazine that really got to me with even one
painting, with a whole wall explaining how it was conceived, moving me to tears
while another ones back story brought back old emotions.

There is no way that the
colors of "The Problems We Live With" can be produced here but the little girl
going to school with two U.S. Marshal's walking in front of her and two behind
her evoke the time in the USA that desegregation had all the headlines and
filled all with emotion. The red tomato that was thrown at this young girl
stands for the hate people felt, not to forget the "N" word scrawled on the
wall.

Just looking at the
painting and listening to the back story on the earphones brought back the hate
that people had felt for a race  that they really didn't know.

"Murder In
Mississippi" was Norman Rockwell's interpretation of the murders of Michael
Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew
Goodman, three young marchers in that state. There is a whole showing how
Rockwell started with his illustration and the many, varied, steps it took to
get the published picture. It is a look at behind the scenes of the
artist.

There is one large wall of
all his covers done for The Saturday Evening Post that with his portraits of US
Presidents and his every day scenes of life in the USA shows an artist more than
deservedly so called by that title. I would love to go to the NORMAL ROCKWELL
MUSEUM in Stckbridge,
Maine.

AGAIN IF THIS EXHIBIT COMES TO YOUR CITY/TOWN DON'T
MISS IT!