First Fridays at the Museum: Norman Rockwell in the 1940s: A View of the American Homefront

CATALINA一 The Catalina Island Museum will host virtual First Fridays at the Museum on March 4 with a first look at their latest exhibition, Norman Rockwell in the 1940s: A View of the American Homefront.

The event will take place at 6 p.m. over Zoom. Guests will explore Rockwell’s most iconic images of the era, from his influential Four Freedoms, inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 Address to Congress, to his determined Rosie the Riveter and fictional private Willie Gillis. The latter told the story of one man’s army in a series of popular Post covers.

Norman Rockwell Museum Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, will guide participants through an exploration of Rockwell’s art, which inspired the nation by portraying the fundamental resilience, strength, optimism, and compassion of the American people.

Distant from the activities of the war raging in Europe and Asia, Rockwell was compelled to record his interpretation of the effects of World War II on servicemen and women for Americans at home.

Participants will look at Rockwell’s most iconic images of the era, from his influential Four Freedoms, inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 Address to Congress, to his determined Rosie the Riveter and fictional private Willie Gillis, who told the story of one man’s army in a series of popular Post covers.

This exhibition also commemorates the 80th anniversary of Catalina Island’s involvement in World War II. During the virtual First Fridays event, the museum will present memories of what life was like on the island during that time through oral histories and stories from several longtime island residents.

The event is free for museum members and $5 for non-members. For more information on the museum’s calendar of events, visit Catalina Museum.

Norman Rockwell in the 1940s: A View of the American Homefront was organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.