Gallery Talk, Bob Rockwell

Bob Rockwell to Present Gallery Talk on "A Collector's Perspective"

October 9, 2003

What fuels a passion for collecting? The response of one notable collector, Bob Rockwell, will be the subject of a special Gallery Talk at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art on Wednesday, October 15 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. In an interview format, Bob Rockwell will share personal stories of the grandeur of the West, the heroic individuals and artists who inhabited it, and his own adventures bringing the art of the West to the East. It will be an oral history of the West, Western art and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

The Gallery Talk is open to both museum members and the public. Admission is free to members and $3.00 for not-yet members. All guests are encouraged to arrive early to view the special exhibition before the talk. Since space is limited, seating is by reservation only. Reservations may be made by calling 974-2807.

The Gallery Talk complements a special exhibition of paintings and bronzes selected from the museum's collection by Bob Rockwell. Featured among these are works by the masters of Western art: Remington, Russell, Rungius, Miller, Bierstadt, Clymer and Dye. "A Collector's Perspective" will be presented in two parts: the first through December 31, and the second from January 12 through March 31, 2004.

"The Gallery Talk will delve deeper into the story the exhibition tells of Bob Rockwell's West," says Executive Director Kristin Swain. "His choices in collecting were influenced by growing up in the West and his fascination with frontier history. His enthusiasm for the subject and efforts to seek out the best works make this presentation a rich mix of art history and personal history."

Bob Rockwell puts it another way. "The West gets in your blood," he says. "It's more than about painting a pretty picture. It's got a meaning to it. No country has had a more interesting history than our American West from the early 1800s to the early 1900s. I want to talk about all this greatness."

Bob Rockwell has been telling Corning audiences about the West since the mid-1960s, when he began exhibiting works from his Western art collection at the Rockwell Department Store his family ran on Market Street. In 1975, he donated a large number of items from his collection to form the Rockwell Museum in partnership with Corning Incorporated, then Corning Glass Works. The museum's first home was in the Baron Steuben building on Market Street. In 1982, the Rockwell Museum moved to its present location in the former Corning City Hall. Since that time, Bob Rockwell's original donation has been augmented by generous contributions from other family members and friends. Notable among these is fellow collector Clara S. Peck, who shared his passion for the West. Miss Peck's generous bequest to the Museum established the Peck Fund for the purchase of new works.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art today owns one of the largest and finest collections of Western American art in the United States and provides the public with a chance to see the Best of the West in the East. All of the Rockwell Museum's exhibits and services - galleries, events, Artpacks, Trading Post gift shop, Kids' West play area, and the adjacent Cantina - reflect the people, places, and ideas of the West, immersing visitors in an authentic Western experience.

The art in the museum's galleries are organized by themes: Wilderness, Buffalo, Horse, Indian, and Cowboy. Here, myths are exploded and new ways of thinking about art encouraged. In addition, three or four special exhibits per year bring focus to other subjects. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is entirely different from the museum visitors found prior to 2000. The building's interior was completely redesigned to convey the feel of the West, and colorful new galleries present the collection in an outstanding, dramatic setting.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is located at the corner of Cedar and Denison Parkway in Corning, just one block from historic Market Street. It is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Directions and further information about the Rockwell Museum of Western Art can be found by calling 607-937-5386.