I learned to fly fish in the Berkshires for my husband’s birthday and took this opportunity to add in a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum. Like everyone, certain images come to mind. Ruby Bridges starting school. Boys jumping into a swimming hole. The quintessential Thanksgiving in America.
What I did not realize was that Norman Rockwell was a proponent of inclusive and diverse images and had worked for a long time to create an image of a diverse America. This image below in the video was the result of a lengthy process.
My husband and I paid for an extra ticket to tour Norman Rockwell’s studio which is situated near the museum. It was moved to this current location and is a brightly lit, organized space. Everything is as it was when Norman Rockwell worked there. It’s easy to picture him here making his art.
The Norman Rockwell Museum also features other illustrators and it was wonderful to find Kadir Nelson’s work front and center. Illustrating race has always been something that I think about. How do you depict someone Latinx, for example, without putting them in costume? Will it be clear that the person is Asian if you use a round eye? The museum has a wonderful exhibit on this very topic.
Illustration is not just an artistic skill; it can also be a political statement. And Norman Rockwell himself reminds us of how powerful images can be.
p.s. Related posts:
Are Slant Eyes Racist? Portraying Asians in Children’s Books
Racism in Children’s Books: Asian Slant Eyes
SCBWI Minnesota Racist Illustration and Gaslighting Response
Children’s Books Set in Museums
Civil Rights Movement through Art and Books for Kids
Civil Rights Movement Art #BlackLivesMatter
From Trash to Fine Art: Upcycled Plastic Sculptures
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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
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This sounds well worth a visit. Thanks for your review!