The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio, Dottie Shinn Column: Rockwell Festivities to Begin Tonight

By Dorothy Shinn, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Nov. 8–Today begins a weekend celebration of all things Norman Rockwell at the Akron Art Museum, 1 S. High St., Akron, with a member preview from 5 to 9 tonight and all day (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Friday.

Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., this major traveling exhibit, American Chronicles — The Art of Norman Rockwell, is made possible by a grant from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, which has given $250,000 to bring the show to Akron.

The exhibit, which opens to the public Saturday, remains on view through Feb. 3. It includes some of the hundreds of covers Rockwell created for the Saturday Evening Post over nearly five decades, original oil paintings, some of his most famous illustrations, drawings, war bond posters and other works, plus some of Rockwell’s personal correspondence and archival photographs to offer insight into one of the country’s most beloved illustrators.

Programs include:

Nov. 17 — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Rockwell, cocktails and gourmet hors d’oeuvres. The evening can be completed by attending the Akron Symphony Orchestra’s E.J. Thomas Hall debut of Stella Sung’s Rockwell Reflections, inspired by the exhibit. Reservations required. $30 ($20 for museum members). For information, call 330-376-9186, Ext. 212, or, for concert tickets, 330-535-8131.

Nov. 22 — PBS Channels 45 & 49 present Norman Rockwell at the Akron Art Museum by Jody Miller at 10 p.m. Repeats at 9:30 p.m. Nov. 23, 6 p.m. Nov. 24 and 10:30 p.m. Nov. 25.

Nov. 29 — 6:30 p.m., Dino Massaroni portrait-painting demonstration in the museum’s Beatrice Knapp McDowell Grand Lobby. Free.

Jan. 20 — 1 p.m., Stanford University professor Wanda Corn presents Ways of Seeing — The Art of Norman Rockwell in the museum’s Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium.

Call 330-376-0185.

Today

Arts Alive! — Arts patrons will have a hard go to choose between Norman Rockwell at the Akron Art Museum and the presentation of the Extraordinary Achievement Award to the Tuesday Musical Association by the Akron Area Arts Alliance tonight at Tangier, 532 W. Market St., Akron. The evening begins at 6, and tickets are $125 each ($60 is deductible). Call AAAA at 330-376-8480 or e-mail info@akronareaarts.org.

Friday

Christkindl Markt — The 36th Annual Christkindl Markt opens in the McKinley Room of the Canton Civic Center, 1001 Market Ave. N., Canton. The opening day is highlighted by a luncheon with Frances Strickland, first lady of Ohio. The Markt is a fine arts and crafts show of more than 100 juried exhibitors. Presented by Canton Fine Arts Associates, with proceeds benefiting the Canton Museum of Art. Tickets to the luncheon are $35, which includes admission to the Markt Friday and Saturday. Markt hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $6 at the door. Call Carol at 330-453-7666, Ext. 105.

Trumbull Show — Deadline for entries for the Trumbull Area Artists annual exhibition is Friday and Saturday at Trumbull Art Gallery, 720 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Warren. Each TAA member may submit two works. Others must pay a $7 fee to enter. The exhibit, Cornucopia of Art, opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16. 330-395-4876.

Saturday

Workshop postponed — The Gretchen Bierbaum Collage Workshop that was to have been held Saturday at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, 2131 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, has been rescheduled for Dec. 1. The workshop will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a break for lunch. Cost is $55 ($50 for center members). Call 330-928-8092.

Glass classes — Marianne Hite

teaches a primer on fusing glass from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and a fused-glass ornament class from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Peninsula Art Academy, 1600 W. Mill St., Peninsula. The primer class costs $75 ($70 for academy members); the ornament class costs $30 ($25, members). 330-657-2248.

Razing history — Permission was recently granted by the city of Cleveland to raze the Cleveland Trust Co. Building, designed by Bauhaus-trained architect Marcel Breuer with Hamilton Smith in 1967. The decision not to reuse the building has raised questions about what constitutes a landmark and what responsibilities are shared in demolishing or reusing buildings. At 4 p.m. Saturday at the Sculpture Center, 12206 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, a series of events about these issues begins, under the sponsorship of several architectural and design firms, and arts and conservation groups. Today’s program includes The Primer on Breuer and the Bauhaus, a slide show by Tony Hiti, chair of the historic resources committee of the American Institute of Architects, Cleveland chapter. At 4 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Cleveland Cinematheque, Cleveland Institute of Art, 11141 East Blvd., University Circle, Cleveland, see Bauhaus in America, a film by Judith Pearlman, followed by a panel discussion. Admission is $8 ($6, students, staff). At 6 p.m. Nov. 28, Carl Stein, principal of elemental architecture, LLC of New York City, will talk about his firm’s historic rehabilitation projects. This will be at Judson at University Circle, 2181 Ambleside Drive, Cleveland. Call Susan Miller at 216-308-1622 or e-mail millerbowen@adelphia.net.

Tuesday

Portrait painting — Two six-week classes on portrait painting begin at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, 2131 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls. Dino Massaroni Portrait and/or Nude Figure Drawing runs Tuesdays runs through Dec. 18, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m. Elinore Korow Portraiture & Painting Techniques meets 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Dec. 19. Cost for either is $90 ($18, members). Call 330-928-8092 or e-mail cvartcenter @sbcglobal.net.

Design of the World — As part of the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series at Kent State University, the College of Architecture and Environmental Design presents Bruce Mau at 7 p.m. in University Auditorium, Cartwright Hall, on It’s about the Design of the World. 330-672-8046 or rwenger@kent.edu.

Dorothy Shinn writes about art and architecture for the Akron Beacon Journal. Send information to her at the Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640 or dtgshinn@neo.rr.com.

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