#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!

Good Relations

I started the day off by doing another radio interview (in the words of my co-worker, "you're famous again!"). This one was for Jazz FM, a radio station based in the UK... yup, Anglophile that I am, I can cross another item off my bucket list. Actually, this station is devoted to jazz, as its name suggests... I just hope that my interview is slated next to Miles and Coltrane... not Kenny G. The representative was part of a so-called FAM group, which the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism puts together. Basically, groups of journalists travel throughout the state to learn about the various cultural attractions. I gave them the low-down on Norman Rockwell and Howard Pyle...

Rockwell and Pyle side-by-side
From "Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered."
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum.

The new exhibition looks great, and has received some favorable press. Here is a short article I wrote for the Berkshire Visitors Bureau that describes, in part, Rockwell's admiration for the Golden Age illustrator's work. It is rather fun to see his 1959 painting Family Tree on view next to Pyle's classic pirate illustrations.

Sarah and I missed the opening, but it looks like people had fun... dressed up as swashbucklers and shaking their pirate booty on the dance floor. The truth is that I have dressed up as a pirate on a couple of occasions... just for the fun of it... arrrgh!!!

"Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered."
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum.

So I am busy trying to attract press for the exhibition, which can be a creative exercise in itself. Last week I represented the Museum during an event called Celebrate the Berkshires, put on by the Berkshire Visitors Bureau. It was a good opportunity to network and learn what the other cultural organizations are doing. 

I have to say I have the utmost respect for what Mass MoCA is involved with... they just seem so forward-thinking, and after hearing their Director speak, that is no accident. Joe Thompson was on-hand to present the Berkshire Trendsetter Award to Jacob's Pillow, another great cultural organization, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The dance organization does wonderful work, and just announced their outdoor performance schedule. Sarah and I love heading up to Becket... into the woods... to see live dance. Jacob's Pillow and Mass MoCA are absolutely deserving of the accolades they receive for all of their quality programming. The Rockwell Museum has some fine exhibitions as well, and we were also nominated for a couple Trendsetter Awards, including "Public Relations," which made me think I'm doing something right.

And so, the summer season begin...

Related Link:

Berkshire Visitors Bureau article on Howard Pyle exhibition

Sharing The Treasure Chest

I have been busy at work preparing for a new exhibition that is opening up next Saturday, June 9, at Norman Rockwell Museum. Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered looks at the work of an artist who is frequently referred to as the "grandfather of American illustration." Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was one of the most popular artists of his day, creating widely circulated images of pirates, knights, historical figures and fairy tales for popular American publications. His work was admired by such creative types as Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, and Norman Rockwell, and has had a lasting impact on our visual culture (Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?).

I think this exhibition, curated by the Delaware Art Museum, is going to be a good one--sort of a summer blockbuster, if you will--the artwork looks stunning:

"An Attack on a Galleon," Howard Pyle,
1905. Oil on canvas, 29 1/2" x 19 1/2"
Delaware Art Museum,
Museum Purchase, 1912

"The Mermaid," Howard Pyle, 1910.
Oil on canvas, 57 7/8" x 40 1/8"
Gift of the children of Howard Pyle
in memory of their mother, Anne Poole Pyle, 1940

"The Buccaneer Was a Picturesque Fellow,"
Howard Pyle, 1905. Oil on canvas, 30 1/2" x
19 1/2". Delaware Art Museum,
Museum Purchase, 1912.

Eat your heart out, Captain Jack Sparrow... Pyle also served as a teacher for many talented illustrators whose careers took off during the early 20th century. N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, and one of my favorites, Maxfield Parrish (I can see the influence in Parrish's highly dramatic and detailed paintings). 

So I'm in the process of setting up press interviews and trying to spread the word about the exhibition. If that weren't enough, the Museum will be holding a special pirate-themed dance party during the opening, as well as a Thursday night lecture series during the summer, that looks at the artist's influence. So I'm busy trying to come up with catchy slogans... "Set your sights on adventure this summer..." "Shake Your Pirate Booty"... not sure if "Pirate Bootylicious exhibition" is going too far... but this should be a good one.

Related Links:

Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered