>> THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF NORMAN ROCKWELL, USED ON COVERS OF
WELL-KNOWN AMERICAN MAGAZINES SUCH AS THE SATURDAY EVENING
POST AND LOOK, HELPED HIS WORK TO BECOME AMONG THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE IN THE COUNTRY.
NOW, THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM IN STOCKBRIDGE WANTS TO CREATE A
CENTER FOR ILLUSTRATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, IT WOULD BE THE
FIRST OF ITS KIND.
THE MUSEUM IS COLLABORATING WITH THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
TO CONSIDER USING THE FORMER TOWN HALL FOR JUST THAT.
I SAT DOWN WITH CHURCH MODERATOR DEB MCMENAMY AND MUSEUM DIRECTOR
LAURIE NORTON MOFFATT TO LEARN MORE.
. >>> WE'VE BEEN FEATURING
THE EXHIBITIONS FOR 25 YEARS NOW AND ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, WE
STARTED TO CHECKED ILLUSTRATION ART AND WRAP THIS AROUND THE
NORMAN ROCKWELL COLLECTION, THE LARGEST ARCHIVE OF ITS KIND SO
WE HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN THE AREA OF
AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION ART NOW FOR REALLY A COUPLE OF DECADES
AND WE'RE SIMPLY OUT OF SPACE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HOLD TOWN HALL BUILDING TO HOUSE OUR
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS, HOUSE THE COLLECTIONS, BE THE PLACE WHERE
WE PROCESS AND DO THE RESEARCH ON THE COLLECTIONS, HAVE A
READING ROOM, STUDY GALLERY AND A LIBRARY OF OUR AMERICAN
ILLUSTRATION MATERIALS.
>> SO IN MANY WAYS, IT IS A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
YOU ARE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS AND RUNNING OUT OF SPACE.
SO DEB, WHY IS IT THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WAS
INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING WITH NORMAN O.C -- ROCKWELL?
>> WELL, THEY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF SPACE AND NEXT DOOR ON
PROPERTY THAT THE CHURCH OWNS, WAS BUILT MANY YEARS AGO.
>> SO IT HAS BEEN VACANT ABOUT A DECADE NOW?
>> IT HAS.
WHEN THEY MOVED DOWNTOWN TO A SCHOOL THEY OPENED UP, IT HAS
BEEN LEFT VACANT AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A
ADAPTIVE REUSE FOR IT.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, ON ONE OF THE HISTORIC BOOKENDS OF
OUR MAIN STREET AND HOPING THAT SOMETHING WONDERFUL COULD COME
IN AND USE THE SPACE AND ROCKWELL HAD A GREAT ITEM.
>> SO NOW YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY OF WHETHER THIS
COULD WORK BUT YOU MENTION THE DOWNTOWN BUILDING INSTOCKBRIDGE
AND IT IS VERY CLOSE TO HIS HOME AND ALSO HIS FIRST PAINTING?
>> YES, IT WAS A SPRING COMPANION PIECE TO THE
TRADITIONAL MAIN STREET STOCKBRIDGE THAT MEAN PEOPLE ARE
FAMILIAR WITH.
>> YOU SEE IT IN GREETING CARDS AND CHRISTMAS CARDS --
>> IT IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL NEW ENGLAND VILLAGE AND IN THE
SPRINGTIME VERSION, NORMAN AND MOLLY ROCKWELL ARE RIDING THEIR
BICYCLES TO THE TOWN HALL, ACROSS THE STREET FROM HIS FIRST
HOME IN STOCKBRIDGE AND IT IS ALSO THE TOWN'S CIVIC CENTER,
THE ROOT OF THE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY HE WHERE MEETINGS TOOK
PLACE IN THE MEETING HALL OF THE CHURCH AND THEN YEARS LATER WHEN
THE TOWNHALL WAS BUILT, THE CIVIC CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY
MOVED INTO THE TOWNHALL BUILDIN AND THIS TIES WITH NORMAN
ROCKWELL'S PAINTING "FREEDOM OF SPEECH" SO BEAUTIFULLY HE THAT
CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF A NEW ENGLAND TOWN MEETING AND THE
IDEA THAT THE PEOPLE ARE THE GOVERNMENT AND MAKE THE
DECISIONS AND ENGAGE IN CIVIL DISCOURSE IN A SPACE LIKE THE
TOWN HALL BUILDING.
SO THIS IS A WONDERFUL SYMBOLIC REFERENCE TO AMERICAN
ILLUSTRATION ART WHICH IS THE PEOPLE'S ART.
IT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF JOURNALISM FOR ARTISTS.
IT IS ARTISTS HAVING THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FREELY THROUGH IMAGES
AND TODAY, WITH IMAGES BEING SO UBIQUITOUS AND BEING THE WAY WE
TAKE IN SO MUCH INFORMATION, I THINK UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT
ILLUSTRATION ART AND HOW WE'RE INFLUENCED BY THE VISUAL IS
SOMETHING THE RESEARCH CENTER WILL HELP FOSTER AND EDUCATE AND
SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE MOMENT.
>> AND DAISY ROCKWELL WHO IS AN ARTIST IN HER OWN RIGHT BUT THE
GRANDAUGHTER OF NORMAN ROCKWELL TALKING ABOUT SHE CAST HER HER
VOTE THERE, SIGNED HER MARRIAGE LICENSE THERE, WHAT IS THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING?
>> WELL, IT IS ICONIC.
CERTAINLY THE CENTER SPACE O FSTOCKBRIDGE IS THE RED LION
INN AND FOR YEARS, THE
GOVERNMENT HAS DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAINTAIN THE IMAGE
OF THE CENTER OF TOWN AND YOU LOOK AT IT TODAY AND IT LOOKS
VERY MUCH LIKE IT DID IN THE 1964 IMAGE, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
SO TO HAVE THIS BUILDING, COLUMNS OF THE BUILDING, SUCH A
STATELY HE STRUCTURE ON MAIN STREET, HAS BEEN IMPORTANT TO
THE PEOPLE IN THE TOWN TO MAINTAIN IT.
THERE IS NOT A LOT OF SENTIMENTS TO IT BEING GONE SO HAVING IT BE
USED IN A WAY THAT INCORPORATES ALL ENDS OF MAIN STREET IS VERY
SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT.
>> ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THE CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH IS THE MISSION OF IT IS VERY MUCH IN KEEPING WITH THE
TOWN MEETING.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IS RUN BY THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH SO
WE HAVE CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS THAT DECIDE HOW AND WHAT WE WILL
DO WITH OUR MISSION AND THAT PROPERTY AND WHERE WE WILL GO.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AT OUR CONGREGATIONAL MEETING, THERE
WAS UNANIMOUS SENTIMENTS THAT WE PROCEED TO WORK IN A PARTNERSHIP
TO USE THIS BUILDING NEXT DOOR FOR THE DESIGN THEY HAVE IN
MIND.
>> GREAT.
THE NEXT STEPS FOR THIS PROCESS, AS I UNDERSTAND, IT WOULD BE A
$10 MILLION UNDERTAKING MOST LIKELY SO WHERE DO YOU GO WITH
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY?
>> WELL, WE HAVEN'T DETERMINED THE BUDGET OR FINANCIAL ASPECT.
PROJECT.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WORK WITH THE TOWN TO TEASE OUT THE
PROCESS THAT WOULD RESULT IN CLEAR TITLE TO THE BUILDING AND
ZONING ARRANGEMENT THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THE MUSEUM TO
OPERATE A RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER THERE.
SO THE NEXT STEP WILL BE WORKING WITH TOWN COUNCIL, THE CITIZEN,
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHURCH TO TEASE OUT ALL OF THOSE SORT
OF LOGISTICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT AND THEN
THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE REFINING THE DESIGN, GETTING A MORE
ACCURATE COST ESTIMATE OF THE PROJECT AND STARTING
FUND-RAISING.
AND IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND OVERALL OUR MUSEUM
WILL BE RAISING MONEY TO GROW OUR ENDOWMENT AND ADDRESS THE
AREAS OF THE MUSEUM THAT WILL BE VIE
-- VACATEING TO MOVE INTO THE MUSEUM.
SO WE'RE HE LOOKING AT A SIGNIFICANT FUNDRAISING BUT THE
FIRST STEPS ARE TO LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY AND LEGAL ASPECTS TO
IT WILL BE A SMOOTH ROAD TO MAKING IT HAPPEN.
>> APPRECIATE YOU BOTH COMING IN TODAY.
THANK YOU