Nights at the Museums

My six regular readers may remember when the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., borrowed eight pages of original art from Mom's Cancer for its LitGraphic exhibition in November 2007. Notwithstanding my contribution, it was a very good show with terrific art by some great artists, some of whom turned out to also be great people when I met them at the opening.

When LitGraphic closed in mid-2008, the Rockwell curators asked if they could hold onto my drawings for a few more years while they took the show on the road to share with other museums. I was told this was unusual for Rockwell exhibitions, but LitGraphic had proven so popular that other institutions wanted it as well. I liked the Rockwell people so much, and they took such respectful care of my pages, that I didn't hesistate to agree. After a little lull (to let the excitement die down and everyone's adrenaline levels subside to normal, I guess), an actual tour has firmed up:

- The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio; Oct. 2, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010 (as I mentioned previously, I'll give a talk at the exhibition opening in Toledo on October 2)

- The Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, W. Va.; Feb. 20, 2010 to May 23, 2010

- James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, Penn.; Nov. 13, 2010 to Feb. 13, 2011

- Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, Mass.; November 2011 to January 2012

- The Munson-Williams Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, N.Y.; March 3, 2012 to April 29, 2012.

There are a few obvious holes in the schedule that may yet be filled by other venues. If you're near one of those cities in the next couple of years and a fan of comics, I think LitGraphic would be worth looking for and checking out. I don't know which pieces are making the journey, but the original show at the Rockwell had work by Dave Sim, Terry Moore, Sue Coe, Peter Kuper, Barron Storey, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner, and many others. Sharing wall space with such creators was truly a lifetime honor and memory for me.

My Night at the Museum--Rockwell, that is. The opening was actually heavily attended; my wife and I just sneaked in a few minutes early for some alone time.