As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Norman Rockwell Museum will unveil an ambitious, multifaceted 2026 program of exhibitions, events, and creative workshops that invite visitors to explore — and imagine — America’s journey through art and visual storytelling.
“The year 2026 invites us to reflect on how our nation has evolved and to imagine the future we hope to build,” said Museum CEO and Director Laurie Norton Moffatt. “Spanning heroic historical painting and inventive comic-strip art, NRM’s exhibitions and programs will illuminate the shared human experience at the heart of American life, moving from the iconic to the innovative.”
In the year ahead, Norman Rockwell Museum asserts its role as a vital cultural hub—one that honors the past while embracing new forms of storytelling, from the grand sweep of history in American Stories: From Revolution to Rockwell, to witty, insightful imagination in Exploring Calvin and Hobbes. With accompanying workshops, talks, and guided tours, the season promises meaningful engagement for art lovers, families, history buffs, and curious creators alike.
“As we mark the 250th anniversary of the formation of our nation,” reflected Norton Moffatt, “we invite visitors not just to look back — but to take stock of the present and look ahead: at who we’ve been, who we are, and who we might become, through the storytelling lens of American illustration art.” 2026 marks an important moment in the history of the Norman Rockwell Museum, ushering in a year of transition with the announced retirement of longtime Director and CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt and the selection of a new leader by the Museum’s Board of Trustees.