All In a Year's Work

Finishing up my last day of work for the year at Norman Rockwell Museum, I thought I would try and collect a few thoughts. 2015 has certainly had it's share of highlights. Maybe I should start backwards... 

Since Norman Rockwell was known for his Christmas-themed illustrations, the holidays are always a big time of year for us. This month I had all kinds of press contacting me, including WIRED, a lifestyle website in Brazil, and WDEL Radio's "Saturday HotSpot"—the latter showed up on my radar a year ago, when host Frank Gregory called with interest in doing a segment on the Museum for the holidays. I guess it went well, because Gregory (a self-proclaimed Rockwell fan), had me on his show not once but twice over the past month. Here is the generous segment we did on November 7, where I talked about everything from our history, holiday events, and traveling exhibitions, to our new show on illustrator Harvey Dunn (who just happened to start his career in Wilmington, Delaware, where the station is based- lucky coincidence):

"CBS Sunday Morning" also called, looking for material on Mary Doyle Keefe, the model for Rockwell's "Rosie The River" (who passed away last April). Did we have any interview footage with Keefe? Yes, one of countless interviews I have conducted with Rockwell models over the years. I sent them a portion of a video I did with Keefe back in 2002, and you can hear a portion of it included in their "Passages" segment, which aired this past Sunday. 

Fortunately, I had the chance to create a few video productions of my own for the Museum this past year. The latest was this promo for our annual fund (not too late to donate, folks):

2015 was all about trying to master our new HD camera, and Adobe Premiere Pro. Final Cut Pro still feels more intuitive for me (maybe because I have been using it for so long), so I continue to use that editing software at home. I guess it doesn't hurt to be well-versed across platforms. 

All aboard... the simple pleasures at NRM.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Sometimes I keep it "low-tech" and just pull out my iPad or Android and start filming things, like I did with a recent trip down Main Street Stockbridge, immortalized in Rockwell's "Home for Christmas" painting. You can watch my "quickie" edit here. 

A couple things to point out about that video: how lucky I was that at the end of my drive, there was a car turning down the main road with Christmas tree attached to the roof (just like in the painting!). I also liked the way this quickie synced up with the Vince Guaraldi Trio (holiday music that gets me in the spirit every year). Others seemed to agree, as the video received over 400 likes and was shared nearly 300 times on Facebook...not bad for a quick, creative exercise to promote our holiday events.

Of course, my creativity connected me in other wonderful ways this year. I had the chance to interview New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast for a video featured in our summer exhibition. It was fun to get a glimpse of her Ridgefield, Connecticut studio, and learn how she comes up with her ideas. I will also never forget our trip to New Haven to take part in an interview for WNPR. I keep thinking the trip, sprinkled with idiosyncratic moments (all mine!), might make it into one of her cartoons. I really enjoyed discussing comics (a longtime passion of mine) with this true professional...who was as nice and normal as can be.

Dear God, how many years?... JC @ NRM, Oct. 2015

I had the chance to share my love of the movies this year as well, as the Museum took me up on the idea to go "back in time" during our classic car show. Where else would I have the opportunity to run around dressed as Marty McFly, while sharing my love of Back To The Future? I would have never guessed, 15 years ago, that I would end up overseeing such an event, but here I was welcoming filmmakers and car owners connected with my favorite film series of all time, and having an absolute blast. Like the films, it is all in the details... and Rockwell's work seems to echo through that first movie, set in the 1950s- an enthusiastically-received and attended event, to be sure.

Interactive experience at NRM (and I'm not talking
about any of my digital material featured in this display)

I can't say it has always felt "Rockwellian" this past year, and there were times where I have felt a bit down (usually due to politics, and the shifting balance of creating and facilitating). On one such occasion this past month, I decided to head down to the Museum and try to take some photos. I ended up chatting with some visitors who were using one of our new interactives, and had the chance to entertain them with some stories about the Museum, Rockwell, and the many models and characters related to this world that I had gotten to know over the past decade. Their laughter and enthusiasm really changed my day, and reminded me of the reason we are working here... to share this artist's work with current and future generations. On my way out, I heard someone yell, "hey Marty!" and it turned out to be a couple who had attended our Back To The Future day, enjoyed my talks and screenings, and ended up being one of the last visitors to leave that day. I think I need to visit the front lines more often.

Peace on earth. I can't think of a better
holiday greeting...

Finally, as someone active and interested in peace action efforts, I must mention our exhibition at the United Nations, which was such a tremendous opportunity for all involved. I know I speak for the Museum when I say how honored we were to share Rockwell's work with the over 65,000 visitors, global leaders and representatives (including Pope Francis), who visited the show over the summer and early fall. Representing the Museum, coordinating the press conference at the UN, and attending the opening reception with my wife were real highlights; my counterpart at the UN was wonderful to work with, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson were both extremely supportive of the exhibition. But the biggest thrill was learning that it was my online video of Rockwell's United Nations drawing that caught the attention of UN representatives in the first place, and inspired the show (which included the video). How do you top that for outreach?

Quite a year. My 15th anniversary, in fact. It's been a long and challenging road, but I know I have made a difference at this museum, and even managed to share my own artistic talents along the way.

Related Link:

Norman Rockwell Museum website

Exhibitionist

A reminder that you can see examples of my exhibition video work for Norman Rockwell Museum at both the museum in Stockbridge, MA (Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs), and at the United Nations Visitors Centre in New York City (We The Peoples: Norman Rockwell's United Nations). 

I have been getting some nice compliments on both, and this week The New York Times has recommended the Roz Chast exhibition (and video!) in their "What to Do This Weekend" section. Enjoy... whatever your plans!

Toon-ing in with Roz Chast at Norman Rockwell Museum, July 2015. 
Photo: Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Peace Offering

Happy Anniversary! Celebrating in style at the United Nations.
June 29, 2015. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. 

July is a good month for anniversaries (love you, Sarah).

This year I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention The United Nations. Actually, June 26, 1945 was the date that the original charter for the peacekeeping organization was signed in San Francisco.

Nearly 70 years to the date, I had the honor of attending two special events held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on June 30. The occasion was to celebrate We The Peoples: Norman Rockwell’s United Nations, a new exhibition organized by Norman Rockwell Museum to commemorate the UN’s 70th year, and I played an active role in coordinating an on-site press conference, and documenting and representing the Museum during an evening reception.

UN's "Golden Rule" mosaic (even more
impressive in person). Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

But it gets better. It turns out that I actually played a significant part in the inspiration for the exhibition.

A couple years ago, Samir Afridi, the UN’s senior communications officer, was giving a tour of the New York headquarters to his six-year-old nephew, who was particularly struck by a large mosaic of Norman Rockwell’s iconic Golden Rule illustration (a gift to the UN from the United States back in 1985). After trying to answer questions from the young boy, he turned to the internet to see if he could find any connection between Rockwell and the organization.

What he came across was a 2009 exhibition video I created and posted for Norman Rockwell Museum, detailing the conservation of United Nations, a little-known drawing created by Norman Rockwell. Inspired by the founding and goals of the organization, the artist began work on the drawing back in the early 1950s, going so far as to travel to New York to visit the then newly founded organization to conduct research and take reference photographs. Ambitious in theme, Rockwell never finished the work, but revisited his illustration of a group of world citizens for the Golden Rule painting in 1960 (removing the UN delegates, who they initially watched over in the drawing).

Both the drawing and painting are part of the Museum’s permanent collection, but the drawing had spent years in desperate need of repair, as you will see in the video (one of my favorites I have created over the years). Don’t try this at home!

My friend at the UN then decided to reach out the Museum, and discussions were underway between the two organizations about exhibiting the drawing at the UN’s Visitor Centre in time for its 70th anniversary. I first learned about the interest when Jan Eliasson, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General, was slated to visit the Museum in Stockbridge last year to view the drawing and the rest of our collection. I was on-hand to photograph his visit, and it was nice to learn of his admiration for the video, and delight in viewing Rockwell’s artwork in person.

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon tours
the "We The Peoples" exhibition with Norman Rockwell Museum
Director, Laurie Norton Moffatt. Photo by Jeremy Clowe for
Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

So, the last year has been spent preparing for the exhibition, which is now on view at the UN Headquarters through September 15, 2015. I don’t know if I have ever been so busy at the Museum: conducting press outreach, creating content, and working with the UN to coordinate our efforts. My work is not done, but I was pleased with how well the press conference and reception came together. I was pleased to have my wife on-hand to help me take photographs and share the experience in New York; we are both members of area peace action groups (I had previously filmed Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks during a New York Peace Action event five years ago), so it was meaningful for both us to be there. I also appreciated Secretary General Ban's remarks in recent essays that, "Rockwell’s United Nations, as the UN itself, remains an unfinished work." How fitting.

With civil rights era icon, Ruby Bridges at the United Nations,
June 29, 2015. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Also in attendance for the opening was Ruby Bridges, whose historic walk to integrate Southern schools back in the late 1950s inspired Rockwell’s The Problem We All Live With painting; I had interviewed Ruby over ten years ago for the Museum, and enjoyed meeting her again (I was especially interested in talking to her about her cousin, Leon Bridges, a talented soul musician who is generating a lot of buzz lately!). Everyone seemed in good spirits about this event, and it was certainly great outreach for the Museum.

Peaceful display at the UN. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Regarding the exhibition, our curatorial team has done a great job with the display, and I was really pleased to see my video included in the exhibition. There have been many meaningful efforts that I have been involved with at the Museum over the years, but I must say that here is an instance where it all came together (creativity, communications, artistic appreciation) and supported a cause that I wholeheartedly believe in. 

Peace.

Related Links:

Norman Rockwell Museum's United Nations exhibition site

"Museum Celebrates 70th Anniversary of The United Nations," Jeremy Clowe, Norman Rockwell Museum website

Peace Action New York State

United Nations

Did Her Part

Mary Keefe ("Rosie") signing autographs
at Norman Rockwell Museum, July 2013.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell
Museum. All rights reserved.

I was sad to learn the news that Mary Doyle Keefe, the model for Norman Rockwell's iconic Rosie The Riveter painting, died this past week at the age of 92. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Mary on several occasions during my time at Norman Rockwell Museum, and she was always quite pleasant and modest about her experience posing for the artist. 

Like many of Rockwell's models, Mary was also one of his neighbors during the years the artist lived in Arlington, Vermont. She was just 19 and the town telephone operator, when Rockwell called and asked her if she could pose for his latest painting. "You knew he used a lot of people in Arlington," she recalled during a 2002 video interview I conducted with her for the Museum. "You just knew that that's what he did. So I said 'sure' and went down, and sat there for maybe two hours or so. Gene Pelham, his photographer, took all the pictures." 

Several weeks later she received a call from Rockwell, apologizing for changing her petite frame into the hefty, muscular figure (inspired by Michelangelo's painting of the Prophet Isaiah on the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel). She seemed to take it in stride, despite the occasional ribbing. The illustration appeared on the May 29, 1943 cover of The Saturday Evening Post, becoming a beloved symbol for women who joined the workforce during World War II. 

It is amazing to see how Norman Rockwell's images continue to resonate to this day. Shortly after hearing the news of Mary's passing, I started to receive numerous press calls at the Museum looking for comment and more information. Today's New York Times features an article, which includes excerpts from my 2002 interview; and I have also shared audio from that interview with such radio outlets as WAMC, our local NPR station, as well as Hartford's WTIC (coincidentally, where I once interned during college). 

A blog post I created on our website has been cited by numerous sources, and my Facebook post about the news has set a record for us (currently reaching over 2 million 200 thousand people, with over 9700 likes and 15,470 shares). Our Facebook fans have been posting comments of appreciation and even archival photos of family members who served as real-life "Rosies" or modern-day tributes. 

With "Rosie," August 2012 at Norman Rockwell Museum.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

From my years of conducting videotaped oral histories with Rockwell's models, I can offer a certain level of insight about the artist and his collaborators, and that is a great feeling. It is also satisfying to be able to share the story of everyday people, who have found themselves in extraordinary situations. 

As I told a reporter from the Nashua Telegraph this week, "I think several people from the Arlington area were unsuspecting of the legacy they would suddenly be carrying with them. They became part of Norman Rockwell’s world and became more aware of this lasting impact as generations went on." As a sweet side note, Mary's granddaughter Hillary went on to intern with us at Norman Rockwell Museum.

The last time I saw Mary was in 2013, when she attended one of the Museum's model reunions (her arrival always seemed treated like "royalty" by our visitors). She looked great and was gracious as always, signing autographs and posing for photos. A rather reserved woman, I think she just accepted this larger than life "celebrity" that she became associated with, and was happy to share her memories with an appreciative public. "It was a privilege to be able to sit for Norman Rockwell and be able to do all these things, because he was quite an artist," she told me. "I got quite a bit out of it."


Related Links:

"Mary Keefe, Model for Rockwell’s ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ Dies at 92," The New York Times, April 24, 2015

"One-time Nashua resident who posed as 'Rosie the Riveter' dies," Nashua Telegraph (subscription only), April 24, 2015

"Rockwell Museum Remembers Mary Doyle Keefe, a.k.a. 'Rosie the Riveter" (video interview), Time Warner Cable News, Albany, NY, April 23, 2015

"Rockwell Museum Remembers Rosie The Riveter Model" (includes audio clips/interview), WAMC Northeast Public Radio, April 23, 2015

My Facebook Post for Norman Rockwell Museum (includes photo and fan tributes), April 22, 2015

"Remembering Rosie The Riveter," my blog post for Norman Rockwell Museum website, April 22, 2015

Holiday Special

This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas weekend, inspired by Norman Rockwell's beloved holiday portrait of the town where he lived and worked, coincidentally, for 25 years. Stockbridge is also home to Norman Rockwell Museum, so the holidays are always a busy time for us as well. 

Welcome to Main Street- Photo courtesy Time Warner Cable News

One of the highlights of the town's annual festivities is a recreation of Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, which is part of our permanent collection. The Museum receives it's fair share of press requests connected to the event, and last Friday was especially busy throughout the day--I found myself taking part in a photo shoot in the town's historic Red Lion Inn for Italian National Geographic, and conducted a video interview about the celebration for Albany's Time Warner Cable News. I'm anxious to see the shots from the talented photographer, but you can already watch the TV interview (which has been airing this weekend) here. A nice change of pace from all the depressing national news lately.

Related Links:

"Stockbridge Main St. Turning into Rockwell's Christmas Painting," Time Warner Cable News, December 5, 2014

Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce

Norman Rockwell Museum

#Trending!

This week I learned that Norman Rockwell Museum has been chosen as one of the finalists for a Berkshire Trendsetter Award in the area of "Public Relations"—it's been a busy year, so it's really nice to be recognized by the collaborative 1Berkshires for my efforts on behalf of the Museum! We were nominated "for efforts associated with their 45th anniversary celebration, which involved utilizing their in-house public relations staff to connect with local, national, and international media, and secured coverage in/on the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, Jeopardy, CBS News, and others." Winners will be announced during a special awards ceremony to be held (in the Berkshires, of course) on Tuesday, September 9.

Speaking of managing the media, this summer has kept me on my toes. We have had some special visitors stop by, including a stop from the celebrity participants of Kiehl's LifeRide to support HIV/AIDS charities. Last Sunday it felt like HOG heaven, as over a dozen gleaming motorcycles descended on the Museum, en route during their nationwide tour. I didn't really recognize any of the celebrities, but several of my friends were jealous that Katee Sackhoff, an actress from the new Battlestar Galactica, was along for the ride. You can view some of my photos from the event here.

Even more satisfying for me that day: a visit from a veteran producer from ABC News, who had helped us with an update of some of our video production equipment. Along with my friend David, who sits on the Museum's National Council and has a background in the TV business, we walked around to look at the Museum's galleries and figure out any additional lighting or production considerations for a new promotional video for the Museum, which I am working on. It was quite helpful, and these two gentleman have been so supportive. I have been doing some filming around campus with our new Sony PMW-100 camera, and loving the results.

I mentioned in a previous post that I have been doing some freelance work for WMHT, the Albany, NY, PBS-TV station's new show, AHA! A House for Arts. The producers have asked me to create a segment on the Museum, and it's proven to be a bit challenging—in addition to trying to squeeze in the time to film, among other obligations, it is also a little daunting... since I am also the press manager, and want to show the Museum in the best light. I will keep you posted.

More immediately, the Museum has been featured on a number of TV news programs in the last week, including New England Cable News, which featured us on a segment broadcast live from Stockbridge (the Museum's town); WRGB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Schenectady (where my Mom used to sing); and Albany's Time Warner Cable News, which interviewed me last week regarding a generous grant the Museum just received from the George Lucas Family Foundation, to support our educational efforts (in addition to being one of the greatest storytellers of our time, the Star Wars creator is also an avid collector of original Norman Rockwell art). If you are a Time Warner Cable subscriber, you can watch the interview here.

#TripleSelfie! with radio host, Garrison Keillor.
June 2014.

Speaking of other celebrities, who meant a lot to our families over the years: Garrison Keillor, the host of the long-running radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, paid a visit to the Museum last June, following a taping of his show at nearby Tanglewood. It was a pleasure to meet Keillor, who I remember my father enjoying so much back in the day. I took some photos during his tour of our galleries, and my wife and I did manage to have him sign one of our books (Love Me, one of my favorites) and chat with him a little bit about the anniversary of his show, which just celebrated 40 years (he stressed that it was a "celebration," not an anniversary!). The noted humorist was just as charming as you would imagine.



Today continued to be busy with visits from reporters from The Boston Globe and Albany Times Union, so there never seems to be a dull moment at the Museum, which continues to celebrate its 45th anniversary. 

Anyway, the weekend is here and I look forward to some R&R... although exciting, a welcome change of pace from all the PR!

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

History Lesson

Making history: Wendell Minor and David
McCullough at the opening of "Wendell Minor's
America," November 9, 2013, Norman Rockwell
Museum. Photo by Jeremy Clowe for NRM.
All rights reserved.

It was last August when I first wrote about my afternoon filming Wendell Minor in his studio, and promised more details here about the production of the video for the artist's exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum. Time flies, huh?

Wendell Minor's America has been on view since November, and the Museum has hosted many related programs and events, including a well-attended exhibition opening. Pulitzer-Prize winning author, David McCullough joined us for the first weekend, offering eloquent remarks at the opening and a talk the following day. A friend/collaborator of McCullough's over the last few decades, Minor has created cover artwork/designs for several of the author's bestselling history books, including 1992's Truman (Minor's striking portrait of the 33rd President is on view in the exhibition). I met McCullough before the opening, and was impressed by his firm handshake and thoughtful commentary; he was also kind enough to take part in a press interview I set up that evening. You can view a portion of it here, which I filmed, on the fly, with the Museum's DSLR camera.

Wendell Minor, "First Flights," 2009. ©Wendell Minor.
All rights reserved.

I continued to land decent press for the show and the exhibition video was completed, despite some of the usual obstacles. In order to complete the film in time for the opening and not interfere with my regular duties of managing the press department, I put in a lot of extra time (gratis) outside of regular work hours—transcribing, researching, digitizing and editing. Was it worth it? Of course... I care about the quality of my work, and there's no way around it when you are a one-man band (that applies to both videos and facilitating press requests, apparently). There were, however, unnecessary incidents that continued to pop up, and made me yearn for the chance to work with a partner who truly understands and supports what it takes to make finely crafted, creative productions. By the time of the opening I was exhausted, but mostly satisfied with the way I worked through this latest process.

Wendell Minor, "Heartland (Red Barn Flag)," 1989.
©Wendell Minor. All rights reserved.

There was unfinished business though, and that's why you haven't heard much more about the video until now. 

Prior to last summer's filming, my instinct was to hire an outside lighting assistant, since there is so much more to concern yourself with during a day of shooting (and I could always use the help!). I had, however, previously filmed in Minor's studio (for my 2007 documentary, Drawing Inspiration), and remembered a decent amount of natural light coming in from the artist's window. Since there were concerns about costs, I thought I would just rely on this natural light instead of the skills of an outside professional... ugh... a decision I came to regret.

Hard at work in Wendell Minor's studio.
Photo courtesy Stephanie Plunkett. All rights reserved.

CTSB-TV has continued to be a great resource for me, and the Sony NXCAM I borrowed for the shoot was great. There is a nice clarity to the picture and sound produced on this model, and I know I could continue to get wonderful results. There is, however, a learning curve, and when I returned to watch my footage, I realized that it was overexposed in a few different sections, due to my "brilliant" idea to shoot directly facing the window. 

Compositionally, I liked the set-up: Minor's easel, materials, and a glimpse of nature lurking beyond his studio walls—I felt it lent some visual support for the themes commonly featured in his work: history, science and nature. The problem came when the sun shifted in and out of the clouds, and the lighting changed just enough to make it hard to maintain a consistent tone for the video. If I had been more knowledgeable about the camera's functions, I might have better compensated for it, but in the end I learned a valuable lesson about filming directly towards a window (without any kind of filters, gels or methods to control the changing conditions—don't do it!). Thankfully, I was able to improve some of the footage in post-production.

Recently I added the "final" touches to the video, editing in some music for the intro and outro, and tightening up a few areas. It's always nice to revisit a project after the intense period that you are first working on it—I always seem to find areas where I can make improvements, benefitting from a clear set of eyes. So here, at long last, is the final exhibition video (my favorite part is around 10:12, where I filmed the artist working on one of his watercolor illustrations): 

This updated version is being sent along with materials regarding the exhibit, which we hope to travel; and my friends at CTSB will be airing the video throughout the next month, giving a final push to the show which ends on May 26. Wendell Minor as his wife Florence have also expressed their gratitude for the video, and I have plenty of additional footage that you might be seeing in some form or another in the near future.

"Wendell Minor's America" exhibition. Photo (and video)
by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Needless to say, there have been ongoing challenges at work. I was feeling a little down about creative opportunities this past week, as I wandered back into the Museum's galleries. My mood began to change as I entered the Minor exhibition, and came across two visitors clearly enjoying the video, entertained and watching intently—as a creative person, that is all you can ask for... it certainly raised my spirits.

You can catch Wendell Minor as his wife/author Florence Minor at the Museum this afternoon (April 26), as they do a tour, talk, and book signing. This is followed by another visit on Saturday, May 10, as the artist joins bestselling author/collaborator Mary Higgins Clark (who has the #1 fiction book in the country) for another talk and book signing. Minor also has a new picture book coming out this summer, which looks at the life of artist Edward Hopper—coincidentally, this seems to dovetail perfectly with the Museum's own summer schedule, when we will be presenting The Unknown Hopper: Edward Hopper as Illustrator, a new exhibition that explores a little-known aspect of the realist master's career.

Photo by Jeremy Clowe for
Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

And me? Well, I'm already busy getting the word out about the Hopper exhibition, and learning how to operate our own new Sony HD camera. Yesterday I worked on a little video greeting with our Director, which you will hopefully be seeing in the coming week. I am also making an effort to learn as much as I can this year about professional lighting for video and photography. In addition, there are the encouraging signs of a new national council and staff member, who both have a background and interest in video production. We shall see. In the meantime, I'll keep trying to do my thing, and take note of recent lessons. What do they say? Those who don't learn from history...

Related Link:

Wendell Minor's official website

A Richer Life Through Art

I know, things have been quiet on this blog lately... in reality, this month has been as busy as it has been cooold!

This past weekend I was on a bit of a video production tour, with stops in Connecticut and New York City (not to mention The Capital Region). Last Friday I visited the headquarters of Cortina Learning International, based in Wilton, CT, which recently donated the art and archives of the Famous Artists School to Norman Rockwell Museum. Along with the Museum's chief curator, I interviewed Cortina's owners Robert and Magdalen Livesey about this very generous gift, which includes more than 5000 artworks (including original art by Norman Rockwell), course materials, photographs, and other important objects. The couple, who have led the popular art correspondence course since 1981, shared stories about the program and the many talented artists they have worked with over the years.

Norman Rockwell wants YOU. FAS ad, c.1970s.

The Famous Artists School (FAS) was founded in 1948 by illustrator Albert Dorne and 12 of his peers, including Norman Rockwell. In its heyday, FAS became America’s most popular art correspondence course during the mid-twentieth century. At its peak enrollment in the 1950s and 1960s, FAS served as many as 40,000 students. I actually remember seeing the school's "We're looking for people who like to draw" ads in the back of comic books when I was a young kid in the 70s!

Norman Rockwell Museum has nearly doubled its collection through this new acquisition, which offers a wealth of knowledge and undiscovered materials about Rockwell and the field of American illustration art. The press has taken note, and I even landed a big feature in last Sunday's New York Times about the addition to our collection. As the Museum's press manager, this was a big coupe for me, and I'm very happy for the exposure—thanks to Times writer Randy Kennedy for the great article and interest.

Hilarious 1950s-era commercial for FAS! 

In addition to press, it has been great to play around with our new Sony PMW-100 camera and accessories. I have also been learning a bit more about lighting options for video, film and photo shoots, and will write more about that in the future.

On that note, I'll end here. To satisfy my own "communication needs," I have belatedly started a Twitter page, which should allow me to more easily share info on my current doings... hell, at this rate I should be jumping on Instagram and Tumblr in another year-! I do like the format of Twitter (keep it simple, sucka) and there are some great artists to follow over there. Still figuring out a proper website, so this should be enough to tide you over for the time being... #Ciao!

Related Links:

“The Draw of a Mail-Order Art School,” New York Times, March 20, 2014

“Famous Artists School Archives Donated to Museum,” Westport News, February 21, 2014

Museum Studies

We are now truly an art museum family.

This past week Sarah started her job in the education department at Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA)—we are thrilled, since it brings her back to her original course of study. A talented artist, she is also great with kids—so hopefully this is the beginning of a positive experience for her.

Erastus Dow Palmer sculpture exhibition
at Albany Institute of History & Art. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

Founded in 1791, AIHA is one of the oldest museums in the nation. Its holdings are said to form the best collection in the United States documenting the life and culture of the Upper Hudson Valley region from the late seventeenth century to the present day. It's a beautiful building and intriguing collection—my favorite are the works by Nineteenth-Century American sculptor, Erastus Dow Palmer (1817-1904); a grand, cascading stairwell in the museum frames an elegant grouping figures created by the artist, who lived for many years in the Albany area. In addition, there are a considerable number of works by contemporary artists. Last week we attended an evening lecture, where many of the exhibited artists spoke about their work—it was an interesting talk, which struck me as slightly different in tone from those offered at my museum, which focuses on art of a more narrative nature.

Things have been busy at Norman Rockwell Museum as well. We recently announced a major gift from the Famous Artists School, one of the largest art correspondence courses of the twentieth century. Norman Rockwell was one of the featured instructors for the program, which was in business from the late 1940s through my childhood (I remember their "We're Looking For People Who Like To Draw" ads on the back of my comic books). The donation nearly doubles our collection, with more than 5,000 un-catalogued artworks, including several original works created by Rockwell, plus an archive of hundreds of thousands of items. This past week I coordinated a visit for a major press contact, which hopefully will result in great exposure for the Museum and our mission.

From The Dean & DeLuca Sketchbook, Lynn Pauley, 2001.
All rights reserved.

My other big accomplishment this past week was finally picking up a new HD video camera and accessories for the Museum. We are now the proud owners of a beautiful Sony PMW-100 XDCAM, made possible through the generosity of one of our National Council members (who has a background in broadcast television production himself). This upgrade should enable me to produce more quality promotional and exhibition videos for the Museum—I'll cross my fingers. 

Actually, the day after my pilgrimage to B&H Photo in New York City (where I picked up our new items), I was already putting the video equipment to good use. I set up and captured an interview with Lynn Pauley, an illustrator known particularly for her reportage-style work. The camera picture looked wonderful, and Pauley proved to be a interesting subject—I enjoyed her sense of humor and learning more about her work, which held an constant, energetic line quality.

Some promising new opportunities ahead for me and Sarah. I'm looking forward to taking it to the next level. 

Related Links:

Albany Institute of History & Art

Albany (NY) History: Erastus Dow Palmer

"Famous Artists School archives donated to museum," Westport News, March 2, 2014