New Kids in the Neighborhood, 1967, Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978), Norman Rockwell Museum Collection.
It’s a short drive from anywhere in Otsego County to downtown Utica, but once you step inside the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute’s exclusive Norman Rockwell exhibit on display now, you’ll feel like you’re thousands of miles away.
Two stunning galleries of his famous Saturday Evening Post covers – all 323 of them — flank the installation of paintings and sketches covering the whole of the artist’s storied career and creating an exhibition that the Institute’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator Stephen Harrison says opens the viewer to “the breadth and depth of the entire career of this great American artist.”
“This is a perfect time to be showing these works,” Mr. Harrison said during a tour with The Freeman’s Journal / Hometown Oneonta. “In a world so full of strife, we might view these illustrations and paintings as a look at a simpler time but we also can see the work of an artist who portrayed the challenges our country faced throughout his long career.”
The exhibit – which runs through September 18, 2022 – opens chronologically with some of Mr. Rockwell’s earliest works – illustrations and paintings for Boy’s Life magazine that framed what Mr. Harrison called the artist’s “lifelong commitment to the Boy Scouts of America.”
FIRST DAY HIKE – 9 a.m. – Noon. Celebrate the new year with beautiful 1.3 mile walk around Gilbert Lake and then warm up by the fire in Briggs Pavillion. Counts towards the Winter Octet challenge by Otsego Outdoors. Gilbert Lake State Park, 18 CCC Rd., Laurens. 607-432-2114 or visit otsegooutdoors.org/events/
FIRST DAY HIKE – 9 – 10:30 a.m. Celebrate the new year with a guided tour with Forest Ranger Erin Petit. Dress for the weather and bring Water & Snacks. Counts towards the Winter Octet challenge by Otsego Outdoors. Free, registration required. Texas Schoolhouse State Forest, Jones Rd., New Lisbon. 315-778-4107 or visit otsegooutdoors.org/events/
FIRST DAY HIKE – 10 a.m. – Dusk. Celebrate first day of 2022 with self-guided hike along the Overlook Trail. First 100 will receive First Day Hike giveaway. No minimum age, leashed pets are welcome. Please dress for the weather, wear appropriate winter shoes/boots. Will also be collecting nonperishable donations for the Cooperstown Food pantry. Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 Co. Rd. 31, Cooperstown. 607-547-8662 or visit www.facebook.com/GlimmerglassStatePark/
“COOP EATS” RESTAURANT WEEKEND – 11/10-13 Participating restaurants offer Prix-Fixe dinner menu in addition to regular menus. Join us in exploring Cooperstown’s finest restaurants. Info, cooperstownchamber.org
ART EXHIBIT RECEPTION – 5-7 p.m. Includes lecture by the featured artist Sue Coe titled”Porkopolis – Animals and Industry.” Martin-Mullen art gallery, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine pkwy, Onoenta. Info, call Gallery Director Tim Sheesley at (607)436-2445 or (607)436-3456 or visit http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/art/gallery/gallery.html
THEATER – 7 p.m. High School musical, “Into the Woods.” Cooperstown Central School, 39 Linden Ave., Cooperstown. Info, cooperstowncs.org
BLOOD DRIVE – 2-6 p.m. In the gym, Oneonta Family YMCA 20-26, Ford Ave., Oneonta. To learn more check their FACEBOOK page.
