Two Norman Rockwell paintings once owned by the Berkshire Museum have returned to the public eye with this week's opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles.
In 2018, the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, institution stirred up an international controversy when it announced plans to sell works from its collection including Rockwell's “Shuffleton’s Barbershop” and “Horseshoe Forging Contest.”
The sale, intended to bolster the museum's finances and keep its doors open, netted more than $53 million.
The pieces had been donated to the museum by Rockwell - a resident of nearby Stockbridge - in the late 50s and early 60s. Now, they're part of director George Lucas's billion-dollar temple of visual storytelling almost 3,000 miles away.
Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes spoke with Jennifer Huberdeau, who reported on the paintings' journey for the Berkshire Eagle.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Editor's note: this conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Huberdeau: Back in 2018, the Berkshire Museum was auctioning off part of its collection. They had deaccessioned it and had 40 items slated for sale, including "Shuffleton's Barber" shop and the "Horseshoe Forging Contest."
Both were donated to the museum by Rockwell himself, the family of Norman Rockwell, his three sons, and some very concerned citizens from the Berkshires, art lovers, took this to court to try to stop the sale of these two particular pieces and the 40 pieces in general.
In 2018, it was ruled that the museum could sell up to $55 million worth of artwork, including "Shuffleton's," but it had a caveat to it that it had to be sold to a nonprofit. It had to remain on view publicly, and that for two years it would be here in the Berkshires at the Norman Rockwell Museum. All of that happened. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art purchased it and it was here until 2020. It hasn't been seen since then, but that's because there were some construction delays due to COVID.
Landes: Now, the Lucas Museum in question — it's finally opened, some 28-odd-100 miles from where the paintings used to reside in downtown Pittsfield. So tell us about that. What is this new home for them out in in Los Angeles?
Huberdeau: So, the Lucas Museum is filled with narrative art, which he describes, Mr. Lucas describes, as visuals that can tell a story. Usually, they're illustrations, comics, manga, cinema, and there is a large gallery dedicated to Norman Rockwell because he is the quintessential illustrator and narrative storyteller in his paintings.
Landes: For those unfamiliar with Rockwell's work, though I imagine if they're listening to WAMC, they might have some idea — what were some of the narratives that Rockwell ended up enshrining about sort of common day-to-day life in America throughout the 20th century?
Huberdeau: He really focused on American ideals, things he wanted to promote as what America was best at, and that was family and friendships, understanding, coming together as a community, sharing common values, the golden rule, the four freedoms that we all celebrate here in the United States.
Landes: For those who aren't Berkshire residents, they may not fully understand how emotional and how intense the conversations were about these paintings leaving the Berkshires. Can you take us back a few years ago? And I covered this as well. It was a huge deal in Berkshire County. This conversation of these Rockwell pieces being sold to raise money for the Berkshire Museum take us back to that debate. What was that like here?
Huberdeau: It was really contentious. There was a dedicated group of people who were protesting outside of the museum. There were people who were writing letters to the paper. They were writing letters to the attorney general, to the governor. People did not want these pieces to leave the Berkshire Museum, even though they hadn't been on view for several years, because of the condition of the museum.
Landes: We heard so much at the time about how this sale, how this deaccession, as it was known publicly, would impact the ability of the museum to survive.
From a personal perspective, years after this debate, we have seen the Berkshire Museum survive. We have seen it pivot more towards science and this new aquarium space. What are your reflections as a journalist covering this conversation, seeing all these years later, sort of how things have developed since those concerns?
Huberdeau: Over the course of the last few years, we have seen a great deal of construction happen at the museum.
We've seen it reopen recently, and there's been a lot of preservation and a lot of effort to blend new technology with the way the museum used to look. There is an emphasis on science, but there has always been an emphasis on science in that museum, and in history and in art.
I think people think that they sold off the whole collection of art that they have. They sold off select pieces. They still have a large art collection, and I think you're seeing more of that art as they're integrating art, history, and science together in some of those first floor rooms that they have now, especially the windows, the cabinets of curiosity exhibit.
Landes: Do you feel like the reemergence of these paintings in L.A. closes the door on this long conversation about them for the Berkshires?
It did really capture quite a spirit of Berkshire County, enthusiasm, even patriotism to Berkshire County. The idea of these pieces leaving this region, knowing that they are going to be at the Lucas Museum, knowing that they are going to be part of this larger celebration of Rockwell, do you think this closes the door, or is there still more to be discussed and debated about the sale of these paintings?
Huberdeau: I think this closes a chapter for people from the Berkshires and opens a new one where they can go to the Lucas Museum and visit them if they have the chance.
I've had people reach out to me and say that they're excited, that they know that they're on view, that they're going out to visit relatives in California, that they're going to go see them. I think the Berkshire Museum has also started a new chapter with its new building and its new programming, and people are waiting to see what's going to happen there. Obviously, some of the money from the sales of the paintings went toward those renovations.
