St. Petersburg museum pays tribute to Norman Rockwell

That America will be on display July 13 until Nov. 9 in the photography gallery of the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg.

Presented by Arvida Realty Services, Norman Rockwell's Family-Life Series is a collection of 78 prints depicting various aspects of American life with an emphasis on the family during the 1950s and 1960s. The collection is on loan from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.

The Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company originally commissioned it as an advertising campaign.

According to museum Vice President Kathy Oathout, "This is a wonderful opportunity for the museum to display the work of one of America's greatest illustrators." She adds, "The Rockwell collection is of special significance to us because it covers the decade during which the Cuban Missile Crisis and John F. Kennedy's assassination took place. In fact, Mr. Rockwell painted Mr. Kennedy on more than one occasion."

The Rockwell display will join other museum exhibits: The newly revamped Kennedy Galleries, The Cuban Missile Crisis and U2: The Spy Plane.

The museum will also offer several Rockwell-oriented events during the collection's four-month stay. The list includes lectures, special Rockwell Events for groups and organizations, and art-related activities for children, students and adults.

Admission to the Norman Rockwell exhibit is $3.95 for adults, $3.45 for seniors, and student tickets are $2.95. Day passes, which provide admission to all exhibits within the museum complex, are $13.95 for adults, $12.95 for seniors, and $5.95 for students. Annual passes are available for just $2 more.

For more information check the museum's web site at www.floridamuseum.org or call 1-800-777-9882.