Rockwell, USA: encouraging childhood discovery and community values through illustration

Norman Rockwell is best known for creating illustrations that capture the heart of small-town America and the children that live there. Decades later, there are adults who are ready to believe that kids these days have lost interest in the outdoors and exploring their community, but is this a hasty conclusion? Even in modern times, children can still fly kites, tell ghost stories, and sell lemonade. In keeping with the sentiment of Rockwell’s work, art can help encourage children to learn and play outside of their homes as well as show adults that they can create an environment that nurtures children’s sense of adventure and conception of community. I have created a series of 8 illustrations that highlight the joys of small-town life and then explain how these scenarios are important to the development of both the children and the community.