Foundry Art Centre Presents Three Exhibits For Holiday Season
The Foundry Art Centre in Historic St. Charles will present three exhibits over the holiday season, from November 11 to January 6, 2006, including the nationally acclaimed “Norman Rockwell’s Family Life Series,” the annual “Paperwork In, On and of Paper II,” and the “Collaborative of 13” exhibits. The opening reception for these exhibits is Friday, November 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Norman Rockwell’s Family Life Series
“Norman Rockwell’s Family Life Series,” curated by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is part of a series of traveling exhibitions. This exhibit includes 80 framed prints that offer poignant reflections on American family life, from youth to old age, as portrayed by Rockwell during the mid-20th century.
The works in the collection originally were commissioned in the 1950s and 1960s by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company for its national advertising campaign. These popular images appeared in such leading publications as The Saturday Evening Post, Time and Newsweek, with advertising copy that inspired readers to consider purchasing life insurance. Many of Rockwell’s Stockbridge neighbors, as well as the artist himself, appeared as models in the series.
“This exhibit exemplifies the impact Rockwell has had on art, society and popular culture,” said Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Norman Rockwell Museum. “The general public has an abiding affection for Norman Rockwell. His paintings continue to touch people in a way that transcends age and culture.”
Norman Rockwell’s Family Life Series is one of the largest collections of advertising images created by this American icon for any single company. The Foundry Art Centre will showcase some of the artist’s most famous black-and-white illustrations such as “Lemonade Stand,” “Welcome Mat” and “Family with Pups.”
PaperWork In, On and of Paper II and Collaborative of 13
“PaperWork In, On and of Paper II” will be on display in Gallery I and II and will feature any work in any media that utilizes paper as an integral component of expression.
The Ameristar Gallery will feature the “Collaborative of 13” exhibit, a collection of artwork created by a group of award-winning women artists with the common goal of raising funds for St. Louis arts organizations by selling a series of original collaborative pieces. The 13 artists chose the medium of collage as the most universal and flexible for the exhibit.
The Foundry Art Centre is a fine arts gallery overlooking the Missouri River at 520 North Main Center, in the Frenchtown district of Historic St. Charles. The Foundry features a Smithsonian-caliber art gallery hosting juried exhibitions plus 20 working artist studios where visitors can watch the creative process and buy art directly from the artists. This nonprofit organization also provides community meeting rooms, event space and a children’s art gallery. Hours are Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, call (636) 255-0270 or visit www.foundryartcentre.org.
