Shelburne Museum Marks Norman Rockwell Day September 26

SHELBURNE, Vt. — September, 2026 —

Shelburne Museum will honor the life, art, and enduring legacy of Norman Rockwell with a special Norman Rockwell Day on Saturday, September 26, presented in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition Norman Rockwell: At Home in Vermont. The celebration draws on Rockwell’s Vermont years and creative methods through a full day of programming designed for collectors, art enthusiasts, families, and aspiring artists. A preview lecture kicks off the weekend on Friday, September 25, with Proof: Norman Rockwell and Photography, a talk by Russell Lord, Chief of Curatorial Affairs at Norman Rockwell Museum, examining the pivotal role photography played in shaping Rockwell’s process and painted imagery.

Saturday’s programming opens with drop-in artmaking from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., inviting visitors of all ages to create collage-and-drawing compositions inspired by Rockwell’s detail-rich storytelling. Curator-led tours of the exhibition are offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., led by Carolyn Bauer, Marna and Chuck Davis Curator of American Art, and Tom Denenberg, John Wilmerding Director and CEO. The tours explore Rockwell’s Arlington, Vermont, years from 1939 to 1953, during which his illustrations offered Depression-era and wartime America an idealized, reassuring vision of everyday life.

The weekend’s centerpiece is Model Behavior: A Panel and Gathering of Rockwell Models, scheduled for 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Former models, including Mindy Pelham, who posed for The Babysitter, and Mary Whalen, known from The Young Lady with the Shiner, will share firsthand memories of working with the artist, followed by an extended audience Q&A. The day closes with an all-levels figure drawing session from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., led by educators Sara Wolfson and Kat Redniss, featuring live models recreating poses from Rockwell’s celebrated Four Freedoms series, originally published in The Saturday Evening Post over four consecutive weeks in 1943.

Norman Rockwell: At Home in Vermont remains on view through October 25 and examines how the people, landscapes, and experiences of Arlington shaped the artist’s enduring vision of American life. Most Norman Rockwell Day programs are free for members or included with museum admission, with registration recommended for select sessions. Full program details and registration are available at shelburnemuseum.org.