In my mind, one of the sadder stories of an artist is the story of the truly great artist, illustrator, and commercial artist; Norman Percevel Rockwell. From the very beginning, living in New York, Rockwell had a skill and love for art. He particularly enjoyed drawing warships. In high school, he took art classes at the Chase School of Fine and Applied Art in New York. He withdrew from his public school to attend the National Academy of Design his sophomore year and then transferring to the Art Students League the following year under the guidance of Thomas Fogarty and George Bridgman. His first job was illustrating for a children’s book series called “Tell Me Why Stories,” and soon became the art director for the Boy Scouts of America’s magazine, “Boys’ Life.” He worked with the Boy Scouts for fifty years.

With some successes, Rockwell moved to a studio New Rochelle, New York. He was illustrating in several magazines including “Life,” “Literary Digest,” “County Gentleman,” and at the age of twenty-two he sold his first cover to the most prestigious magazine of that time, "The Saturday Evening Post," that was published on May 20, 1916. He was married to teacher, Irene O’Connor, but they divorced after twelve years of marriage. He would married three women, and all were three were teachers.

America loved Rockwell’s covers for "The Saturday Evening Post." Over his career, he created 322 covers for them. Most saw his covers as a portrayal the All-American culture. That is true if you live in an all white town. He never painted anyone but whites for the covers. Why? Was he racist? Simply put, no, he was not at all a racist. The fact is that Rockwell was given direct comments on this by his editor that wanted “No blacks. Only show white America." People generally do what their bosses tell them because they want to keep their job. He was a respected artist, but had no pull or power to do anything more than draw. If he did draw blacks, they wouldn’t buy the art and he be out money. It’s that simple. By the start if World War I, he was making forty thousand dollars a year. He made no less than that through the Great Depression. Unlike most people, he prospered in the 1930s. The studio was moved to Arlington, Vermont, where he lived with his new wife Mary Barstow and eventually, their three sons. In 1953 the family moved again to Stockbridge, Massachusetts because of the declining health of Mary. She passed away in 1960 and Norman remarried Molly Punderson the next year. All the while creating his art for millions to enjoy.

One of Rockwell’s most powerful covers for “Look” was The Problem We All Live With. This work shows little, six-year old Ruby Bridges going to the first day of school at the William Frantz Public School in New Orleans, Louisiana with her U.S. Marshal escort. People did not want her, or any blacks, to attend the school. Her new shoes and dress for the first day of school, and people throwing tomatoes at her like she was some sort of enemy. What a way to start first grade. At the school she was taught on her own floor of the school in a class of one, just her with her teacher, Mrs. Henry. Rockewll was one who always wanted kids to be kids and enjoyed capturing that in his art. It must have truely saddened him that a child had to go throught such a needless event of trama. "I'll tell you one thing for sure. I never found anything so great about old age that was worth the things I had to give up as a child to get here."

It is sad to me that Rockwell did not see his influence on art and did not see the value of his work. Rockwell had protected his art in an established trust in 1972. His art went on display on what is now known as the Norman Rockwell Museum.