Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
https://rockwellcenter.org/news/onlin...
ONLINE SYMPOSIUM:
Illustration, Puppetry, and American Popular Culture:
The Art and Legacy of Tony Sarg
A SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZED BY THE ROCKWELL CENTER FOR AMERICAN VISUAL STUDIES
AND THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS
Symposium Information
Zoom Webinar (online)
Friday, October 20, 2023 – 7pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, October 21, 2023 – 10am to 3:30pm
Description
Organized by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and the American Theater for Puppetry Arts in Austerlitz, New York, this interdisciplinary online symposium brings together artists, puppeteers, designers and scholars from across the humanities to explore the life, art and work of Tony Sarg (1880-1942), the charismatic illustrator, designer, puppeteer, and entrepreneur whose prolific career sheds light on the creative imagination and the ability of artists to inspire a collective sense of wonder and joy.
On Friday, October 20, participants are invited to take an interactive virtual tour of the exhibition with co-curators Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and Lenore D. Miller, and with Darin E. Johnson, founding CEO and artistic director of American Theater for Puppetry Arts. On Saturday, October 21, a series of virtual talks and panel discussions will shed light on the many aspects of Sarg’s career—from his work as an illustrator and champion of the puppetry arts in America to his founding designs for Macy’s parade balloons and holiday windows, involvement with two World’s Fairs, commercial whimsy and architectural projects, and legendary Nantucket Sea Monster Hoax. Sarg’s artistic legacy will also be explored by contemporary artists and performers who have also made their mark by combining artistry and skill with showmanship, canny innovation, and a keen desire to engage with the public.
Saturday October 21, 2023
12:45 - 1:15 pm
The Turning Page: Sarg’s Illustrations for The Marshall Adventures of Henry and Me
Sarg’s whimsical drawing style, gift for visual storytelling, and ability to capture the comedic moments made him an apt and able artist for popular periodicals and books for all ages. In addition to the many children’s books that he wrote and illustrated, Sarg also created drawings for humor books for adults by noted authors Irvin S. Cobb, Belle K. Maniates, and William Allen White. Katherine Walker Schlageck, White’s granddaughter and Associate Curator of Education at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Kansas, will discuss Sarg’s illustrations for The Martial Adventures of Henry and Me, a World War I era book based on the letters that White sent home to his family. In the summer of 1917, White, editor of the Emporia Gazette, and Henry J. Allen, owner of the Wichita Beacon and later governor of Kansas, traveled to Europe as inspectors of Red Cross activities. Sarg’s illustrations and the creative team behind the book’s story will be explored. Schlageck first encountered Sarg’s work when she served as Assistant Curator at the Nantucket Historical Association in the mid-1980s.
https://rockwellcenter.org/news/onlin...
ONLINE SYMPOSIUM:
Illustration, Puppetry, and American Popular Culture:
The Art and Legacy of Tony Sarg
A SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZED BY THE ROCKWELL CENTER FOR AMERICAN VISUAL STUDIES
AND THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS
Symposium Information
Zoom Webinar (online)
Friday, October 20, 2023 – 7pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, October 21, 2023 – 10am to 3:30pm
Description
Organized by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and the American Theater for Puppetry Arts in Austerlitz, New York, this interdisciplinary online symposium brings together artists, puppeteers, designers and scholars from across the humanities to explore the life, art and work of Tony Sarg (1880-1942), the charismatic illustrator, designer, puppeteer, and entrepreneur whose prolific career sheds light on the creative imagination and the ability of artists to inspire a collective sense of wonder and joy.
On Friday, October 20, participants are invited to take an interactive virtual tour of the exhibition with co-curators Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and Lenore D. Miller, and with Darin E. Johnson, founding CEO and artistic director of American Theater for Puppetry Arts. On Saturday, October 21, a series of virtual talks and panel discussions will shed light on the many aspects of Sarg’s career—from his work as an illustrator and champion of the puppetry arts in America to his founding designs for Macy’s parade balloons and holiday windows, involvement with two World’s Fairs, commercial whimsy and architectural projects, and legendary Nantucket Sea Monster Hoax. Sarg’s artistic legacy will also be explored by contemporary artists and performers who have also made their mark by combining artistry and skill with showmanship, canny innovation, and a keen desire to engage with the public.
Saturday October 21, 2023
12:45 - 1:15 pm
The Turning Page: Sarg’s Illustrations for The Marshall Adventures of Henry and Me
Sarg’s whimsical drawing style, gift for visual storytelling, and ability to capture the comedic moments made him an apt and able artist for popular periodicals and books for all ages. In addition to the many children’s books that he wrote and illustrated, Sarg also created drawings for humor books for adults by noted authors Irvin S. Cobb, Belle K. Maniates, and William Allen White. Katherine Walker Schlageck, White’s granddaughter and Associate Curator of Education at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Kansas, will discuss Sarg’s illustrations for The Martial Adventures of Henry and Me, a World War I era book based on the letters that White sent home to his family. In the summer of 1917, White, editor of the Emporia Gazette, and Henry J. Allen, owner of the Wichita Beacon and later governor of Kansas, traveled to Europe as inspectors of Red Cross activities. Sarg’s illustrations and the creative team behind the book’s story will be explored. Schlageck first encountered Sarg’s work when she served as Assistant Curator at the Nantucket Historical Association in the mid-1980s.
