Stephanie Plunkett

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, the Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Norman Rockwell Museum, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she came to work at the museum; what lessons we can learn from Rockwell’s life and work, and why she and the museum are trying to change how the public views and appreciates the yet-to-be-fully-appreciated field of illustration.

The episode begins with a segment of “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. The track was a recording from their live show at the Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, New York, on May 17, 1939. That same year, Rockwell and his family moved from New Rochelle, New York, to Arlington, Vermont. The album from which the track was pulled is called, Glenn Miller: A Legendary Performer. You should listen to the entire album. Find it where ever you find music.

As we learn from Stephanie in this episode, Rockwell’s paintings were restored/preserved at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. You can visit their website, and learn about their educational offerings here.

A few artists and illustrators were mentioned in this conversation, including: Thomas Fogarty, George Bridgeman, Clyde Forsythe, Marshall Arisman, Robert Weaver, Seymour Chwast, Mead Schaeffer, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, James McMillan, Frances Jetter, and Yuyi Morales

To learn more about the Norman Rockwell Museum, visit nrm.org.

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