Home Run!

I kicked off the Memorial Day weekend in grand style last Thursday, by tuning in to the CBS Evening News to catch their segment on Norman Rockwell's 1957 painting, "The Rookie," which I pitched and coordinated for Norman Rockwell Museum. Just in time for Christie's auction of the painting, which sold for $22.5 million that morning, the CBS segment was nicely produced, and original "Rookie" model, Sherm Safford was the perfect spokesman. You can view the clip below, and on the CBS News website:

As expected, last week kept me busy with press regarding Norman Rockwell's work at auction, and I fielded numerous calls from news outlets looking for perspective on the artist's enduring popularity; I thought journalist Karen Brown summed up this particular moment quite nicely in a segment for New England Public Radio, for which I was interviewed. Another news story I helped facilitate appeared in last Saturday's New York Times, including comments from our Museum's director. 

As I pointed out to The Berkshire Eagle in their May 16th article about the CBS Evening News segment, even though Norman Rockwell Museum did not own these recents works on the auction block, being consulted for these high-profile stories is "fortunate for us because it reminds people about what was so special about his [Rockwell's] work, and the fact that they can come here to see original artwork and learn more."

Interviewing Sherm Safford, Norman Rockwell's "Rookie," in the
Flower City. Photo by Sarah Clowe. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Keeping this in mind, I contacted some of the press in my own hometown of Rochester, New York, before heading there for the long, holiday weekend—I figured that they might be interested in knowing that Mr. Safford has been a long-time resident of the area. WROC-TV, Rochester's CBS affiliate, took the bait, and visited Safford and me in the former Rockwell model's home the day after the auction. The station, which I used to work at back in the late '90s as an editor/camera man, filmed interviews about Rockwell's legacy with both me and Safford, and I brought along several props (the artist's reference photos for the painting, "Rookie" products from our Museum store) to help bring the story to life visually. The segment is scheduled to run next Tuesday, June 3, on the station's newscast (more details soon).

After we were finished with the WROC interview, I sat down with Mr. Safford myself, and conducted a videotaped interview for the Museum's archives. This fulfilled a goal we set during our first meeting at Rochester's George Eastman House back in August 7, 2011, when I interviewed Safford during my lecture about Norman Rockwell's models, and the number of videotaped oral histories I have conducted with them for the Museum over the years. It was fun to capture Safford's emotions the day after the heady auction and experience of viewing himself on national TV news the night before. You can listen to our original 2011 Eastman House interview here:

  

The rest of the Memorial Day weekend was spent catching up with family and friends, and making it to two magnificent Rochester landmarks: Highland Park, site of the Lilac Festival (we were just in time to witness the lilacs in full bloom), and the Memorial Art Gallery. The art museum was featuring an exhibit on Henri Matisse as printmaker, in addition to its gem of a permanent collection (which includes everything from Egyptian artifacts, classical paintings and sculpture, to modern art); we were also lucky to catch a lecture on the Hudson River School and plein air painting, provided by the curator of Olana, the historic home of Frederic Edwin Church, in Hudson, New York— it's funny that we traveled out to Rochester for a talk about art created in our area of the state, but it was informative for both me and Sarah (we have painted onsite at Olana ourselves in the past).

Home grown: lilacs in bloom at Highland Park, Rochester, NY, 
May 2014. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This week I'm back in the Capital Region/Berkshires, tackling press and preparing for Norman Rockwell Museum's upcoming exhibition on the illustration art of Edward Hopper (opening on June 7). Outside of work, I'm finishing up a couple independent video productions... trying to race against the clock. Indeed, taking a few minutes to write here feels like a welcome "seventh inning stretch."

Related Links:

"How Norman Rockwell drafted his 'Rookie,'" CBS Evening News, May 22, 2014

"Rockwell's 'The Rookie' to be featured on CBS News," Berkshire Eagle, May 16, 2014

"Rockwell Paintings Bring Windfalls - On Two Different Scales," New England Public Radio, May 22, 2014

How Sweet The Sound

Visitors admire "Saying Grace" during its loan to
Norman Rockwell Museum. Photo by Jeremy Clowe for
Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Back in the 1950s, The Saturday Evening Post conducted a poll, asking readers to vote for their favorite Norman Rockwell cover— Saying Grace, created for the front of the magazine's November 24, 1951 issue, won hands down; I think it was one of my Dad's favorites as well, judging from all the prints and copy of the illustration I discovered, created in my father's own hand. 

Over 60 years later, Saying Grace just set a record for the most expensive American artwork ever sold ($46 million) during Sotheby's auction on December 4. Before that, the painting had been on long-term loan to Norman Rockwell Museum, where thousands of visitors shared the artist's beautifully rendered message of tolerance.

Needless to say, It's been an interesting year managing press for the Museum. Calls about the auction and a controversial new biography on Rockwell have kept me busy, and fielding questions I never thought I would be asked during my time representing the arts organization. In the past week alone, I have heard from such outlets as The Associated Press, National Geographic, The Boston Globe, and was interviewed by New England Public Radio and The Atlantic about the auction (the writer for the latter ended up misquoting me and using my words out of context, but what can you do... I still enjoy the magazine's in-depth news coverage).

Freedom of speech (as long as they get my quotes
right). Courtesy Business West.

Yesterday I worked with producers of a popular, nationally syndicated TV game show, who visited the Museum to film segments for an upcoming episode. It was a nice way to end a productive year, and especially satisfying for me, as it was my initial pitch to the show that made it all happen. More details to come.

In the meantime, I have a live radio interview about the Museum's current exhibitions and events scheduled for this Tuesday, December 17, 9 a.m. ET with the show Well Talk With Avi Dresner, and I just found this interview I conducted over the summer with BusinessWest magazine about the Museum's creative initiatives. 

Sure, interviews can be creative and I enjoy talking about the Museum and illustration art, but look forward to expressing more of my own artistic impulses in the coming year.

Related Links:

"Community Profile: Stockbridge," Business West, October 22, 2013

"Iconic Rockwell Painting Shows Ideal America," The News-Press, November 27, 2013

"Norman Rockwell Museum Hopes This $46 Million Painting Will Hang On Their Walls," Atlantic Wire, December 4, 2013

Rock On The Block

Among the many press inquiries I have been handling at work this week, reporters have been asking about the upcoming auction of a rare Norman Rockwell painting, Willie Gillis: Package from Home, which was published on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post back in October 4, 1941. Today I even gave an interview to a writer at The Wall Street Journal who wanted to learn more about the painting that will auctioned this Saturday, December 1, at Susanin's Auction House in Chicago. 

Willie Gillis was a fictional character that Norman Rockwell created during World War II. The illustrator was looking for a way to use his art to support the war effort, and this was one of his first ideas (he followed it up with The Four Freedoms). The idea was to create a series of illustrations featuring a young army private in humorous situations, that would serve as a reassuring postcard to families waiting for their loved ones during the trying wartime period. 11 of Rockwell's illustrations were published by the Post over a five-year period, culminating in the 1946 painting Willie Gillis in College, which pictured the character back from the war, and starting school courtesy of the G.I. Bill.

During my tenure at Norman Rockwell Museum, I had the opportunity to meet Bob Buck, who was the model for Rockwell's series. A pleasant man who unwittingly became a celebrity, Buck agreed to a couple videotaped interviews through the years, discussing his time working for his famous Arlington, Vermont neighbor. Sadly, last year Mr. Buck passed away-- when I found out, I quickly produced and posted this tribute to the man who inspired Rockwell's best-known, recurring character.

Last night, Chicago PBS-TV station WTTW aired a segment on the upcoming auction of the painting on their show Chicago Tonight. I helped the producer out with some information and photographs related to the painting, and they even used a portion of my interview with Bob Buck in the final segment:



With Rockwell paintings selling for millions of dollars at auction houses in recent years, it will be interesting to see just how far this Willie can run!

Related Links:

"Remembering Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis," produced by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum (YouTube)

"Norman Rockwell Painting on Chicago Auction Block," Chicago Tonight, November 27, 2012

"Norman Rockwell Masterpiece Resurfaces After Decades To Be Sold At Auction In Chicago On December 1," PR Newswire, November 12, 2012

"Classic Covers: The All-American Soldier Willie Gillis," The Saturday Evening Post, May 28, 2011