(STOCKBRIDGE, Mass.) – James Warhola will share family stories and discuss his own work as an award-winning illustrator at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Thursday, July 27, at 5:30pm, in conjunction with the new exhibition, James Warhola: Uncle Andy and Other Stories.
Warhola was influenced as a child by his artistic family — especially his famous uncle, Andy Warhol. Warhola will share stories of his family visits with the legendary artist and his mother and discuss his own journey as an illustrator of picture books, science fiction subjects, and popular periodicals, including Mad magazine.
Born in Pittsburgh, Warhola watched his uncle create illustrations for shoes, shopping bags, and advertisements, which piqued his interest in the world of art. Like Andy Warhol, Warhola attended Tam O’Shanter’s Saturday Art Classes at the Carnegie Museum of Art and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.
A move to New York City brought Warhola to the Art Students League, where he refined his painting skills and set out to establish a career as a freelance illustrator. First specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration, Warhola has since created artworks for more than 350 book jackets, including “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein and “Neuromancer” by William Gibson. In 1987, he accepted his first of 35 children’s book commissions, a path that offered new opportunities for expression. Warhola has been a regular contributor to Mad magazine since 1980, and has been a primary illustrator for the popular Garbage Pail Kids card series.
James Warhola splits his time between the Hudson Valley of New York and Baltimore, Md.
James Warhola: Uncle Andy and Other Stories explores Warhola’s career as a science fiction, fantasy, and children’s book artist, including original illustrations for his acclaimed picture books, “Uncle Andy’s: A Faabbbulous Visit with Andy Warhol” and “Uncle Andy’s Cats,” which document his memorable family gatherings.
The talk is free for museum members or included with museum admission. Reservations can be made by calling 413.931.2221 or email: register@nrm.org.
Thursday Evening Lecture and Performance Series
Inventing America: Art and Cultural Connections
Thursdays, 5:30 p.m., July and August
Enjoy this engaging series of talks and performances inspired by our current exhibitions and the persuasive power of visual imagery in its many forms. Free for Museum members, or included with Museum admission. Reservations are suggested.
Upcoming Events:
Andy, Edie, and the Sedgwicks of Stockbridge
Thursday, August 3, 5:30 p.m.
Coming of Age: American Portraits from Copley to Warhol
Thursday, August 10, 5:30 p.m.
Norman Rockwell and the American Ideal: A European Viewpoint
Thursday, August 17, 5:30 p.m.
Inside The Famous Schools
Thursday, August 24, 5:30 p.m.
Art Music: An A Capella Evening with Quintessential
Thursday, August 31, 5:30 p.m.
About Norman Rockwell Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to education and art appreciation inspired by the legacy of Norman Rockwell. The Museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of art and archival materials relating to Rockwell’s life and work, while also preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting a growing collection of art by other American illustrators throughout history. The Museum engages diverse audiences through onsite and traveling exhibitions, as well as publications, arts and humanities programs, and comprehensive online resources.
The Museum’s dedication to a deepened understanding of the art of illustration has led to the formation of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies. The first of its kind in the nation, this research institute supports sustained scholarship and establishes the Museum’s leadership in the vanguard of preservation and interpretation relating to this important aspect of American visual culture.
Located on 36 park-like acres in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Rockwell’s hometown for the last 25 years of his life, the Museum is open seven days a week, year-round; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Museum hours from May through October are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays during the month of August; from November through April: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Rockwell’s studio is open May through October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Museum admission is $20, $18 for seniors, $17 for military veterans, $10 for students, and free for children 18 and under.
Norman Rockwell Museum welcomes active U.S. military members with free admission throughout the year. Additionally, we are a Blue Star museum and offer active U.S. military personnel and their immediate family, complimentary admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day.