GOOGLE AND NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM PERFECT TOGETHER!
Google has partnered with the Norman Rockwell Museum to become one of the newest collaborators on Google Art Project, the company’s online art database. The partnership is part of a major global expansion of the project, which now counts 151 partners in 40 countries. Norman Rockwell Museum presents the world’s largest collection of original Norman Rockwell art, including beloved paintings from The Saturday Evening Post and the Four Freedoms, and the best in the field of American illustration. Experience Rockwell’s art, life and legacy in the artist’s picturesque New England hometown of Stockbridge, Massachusetts nestled in the culturally rich Berkshires.
The sweet-scented air of April is stirring up feelings of adventure—perhaps enjoying unexpected discoveries in old haunts? Take the Norman Rockwell Museum for instance. Located in Stockbridge, the second oldest town in the Berkshires (1834), this world-class attraction has two levels in the main building. Most folks are drawn to the montage of familiar paintings in the galleries easily seen from the entrance. But have you ever ventured down a set of stairs leading to a lower level? Here, in addition to a hands-on art room for kids’ workshops, the museum presents the collection of covers painted by Rockwell for the Saturday Evening Post. Most often, humorous themes depicting typical family life, the funny side of baseball and catching someone off-guard, invite families to relive moments of nostalgia. And, did you know that your family can also visit his studio? Footpaths lead from the main building to a rustic, red barn. Inside, his “perfect” studio is laid-out exactly the way he left it. Another cool museum to explore is Ventfort Hall in Lenox. Once a family’s summer residence, this colossal cottage from the Gilded Age (1890-1920) continues to undergo meticulous interior remodeling. If it’s been several years since your last visit, it’s time to take another look.
The entire first floor is now open for viewing and many rooms on the second floor have been restored as well. Oh yes, Ventfort Hall is full of mysteries and some say ghosts! At Arrowhead, home of Herman Melville, there’s a ton of discoveries to be made. Set against a woodland landscape, folks are invited into the Melville farmhouse. Climbing the stairs to his study, visitors gain a real sense of Herman’s life in the 1850s. He loved living there, naming the property “Arrowhead” after finding an arrowhead while working in the fields. The 2012 season will present live theatre written by the Melville family. Have you ever visited Western Gateway in Heritage State Park, North Adams? It’s almost hidden from Route 8, tucked away in what was once a bustling train depot. In addition to climbing aboard a full size locomotive, there are actually two museums to explore: the North Adams Museum of History and Science features rare artifacts set on three floors; and the Visitors Center’s museum which offers eclectic displays for all ages including a model train exhibit of North Adams in the 1850s, and a video describing the phenomenal event of blasting through almost five miles of earth and rock to lay train tracks connecting to eastern Massachusetts.
You might also take a peek at their web site for free monthly events. Finally, did you that the Little Cinema inside the Berkshire Museum has expanded its viewing season? Yup! And the Berkshire Camera Club also meets there. This club is open to any photography enthusiasts LIKE MEE! So, if rediscovering the Berkshires appeal to you, start now and plan your family’s next trip here and discover some of the Berkshires hidden gems.
TO CHECK OUT THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE BERKSHIRES:
http://www.nrm.org/