Event Calendar

The first comprehensive traveling exhibition devoted to Norman Rockwell's iconic depictions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Four Freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Want, and Freedom of Fear. 

Rockwell, Roosevelt, & the Four Freedoms explores the indelible odyssey of humanity’s greatest ideals. 

The notion of the Four Freedoms has inspired dozens of national constitutions across the globe, yet Franklin D. Roosevelt’s declaration that the United States was willing to fight for Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—now considered a sublime moment in rhetorical history—did not turn out to be the immediate triumph envisioned by the President. As the nation found itself sliding ever closer to direct involvement in World War II, the underlying meaning of his words captured surprisingly little attention among Americans. Following his January 6, 1941, Annual Message to Congress, government surveys showed that only half of Americans were aware of FDR’s Four Freedoms and that less than a quarter could identify them correctly. Moreover, many had no clear idea why the United States was being called upon to enter the war. 

It would take the continuous efforts of the White House, the Office of War Information, and scores of patriotic artists to give the Four Freedoms new life. Most prominent among those was Norman Rockwell, whose images became a national sensation in early 1943 when they were first published in The Saturday Evening Post. Roosevelt’s words and Rockwell’s artworks soon became inseparable in the public consciousness, with millions of reproductions publicizing the Second War Loan Drive bringing the Four Freedoms directly into American homes and workplaces. When Eleanor Roosevelt convinced United Nations delegates to include these ideals in its postwar statement of human rights, FDR’s words—now forever entwined with Rockwell’s images—achieved immortality. 

Born amid the turmoil of World War II, the Four Freedoms have since become one of its greatest legacies, a testament to the paramount importance of human rights and dignity. Brought forward by one of America’s greatest presidents and immortalized by one of its most beloved artists more than seventy-five years ago, the Four Freedoms continue to inspire, resonating across generations as strongly today as they did in their time. 

CO-PRESENTING MAY 25, 2018 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2018: 
ROOSEVELT HOUSE (REIMAGINING THE FOUR FREEDOMS) 

OCTOBER 13, 2018 - JANUARY 13, 2019: 
THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM 
20900 Oakwood Blvd. 
DEARBORN, MI 


FEBRUARY 9, 2019 - MAY 6, 2019: 
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND THE TEXTILE MUSEUM 
701 21st Street, NW 
WASHINGTON, DC 


JUNE 4, 2019 - OCTOBER 27, 2019: 
Le Mémorial de Caen 
Esplanade Général Eisenhower 
CS 55026 
14050 Caen Cedex 4 
CAEN, FRANCE 


DECEMBER 15, 2019 - MARCH 22, 2020: 
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON 
1001 Bissonnet 
HOUSTON, TEXAS 


FALL 2020: 
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM 
9 Glendale Rd / Rte 183 
STOCKBRIDGE, MA 


The New-York Historical Society 
170 Central Park West 
at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street)

New York, NY

The impulse to collect is human. We collect for many reasons: to gather information about the world, to preserve the past, or to follow our interests and desires. For some, it is a lifelong pursuit. 

Pioneering collectors have long shaped Smithsonian Libraries. Each had their own unique passions, from hot-air balloons to seashells, from Japanese prints to world’s fairs. Together, these diverse collections form a vast network of knowledge. 

Smithsonian Libraries continues to build upon the work of these curious collectors. We preserve historic treasures and everyday items to provide a window onto the past. We seek out new sources and collections to advance research and scholarship. And we share our collections with the world to inspire curiosity and spark new ideas. Like a modern day cabinet of curiosity, Smithsonian Libraries collections span eras and disciplines, enabling discovery, inspiring creativity, and illuminating history. 

Our collections are living and breathing. What will we collect next? 

10am - 5:30pm 
(summer hours may vary) 

Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition Gallery 
Smithsonian National Museum of 
American History 
14th Street & Constitution Avenue NW

Washington, DC

Today only about 200 complete sets of The Birds of America exist. The Museum’s set, bound in four leather portfolios, was acquired by the State of North Carolina in 1848 and kept for more than a century at the State Library before being transferred to the Museum. The hand-colored engravings were recently conserved and rebound. In the new Audubon Gallery, the NCMA presents Audubon’s work in special cases designed for each of the enormous “double elephant” volumes, with hydraulic lifts that allow staff access so that the pages can be turned periodically to display a new selection of birds. 

Tue – Thu 10am – 5pm 
Fri 10am – 9pm 
Sat & Sun 10am – 5pm 
Closed Mondays & some holidays 

NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART 
2110 Blue Ridge Road

Raleigh, NC

A new exhibit on the History and Influence of The Great Gatsby. The exhibit will feature memoribilia from the original 1926 stage play and silent film, as well as the 1949 film starring Alan Ladd, the 1974 production starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, in addition to a tuxedo and Gatsby Pink Suit on loan from Brooks Bros. from the 2013 Warner’s Bros. production.

Wed - Sun 10am - 3pm

The Fitzgerald Museum
919 Felder Avenue

Montgomery, AL

Welcome to the world of comic art, where a wide variety of visual and narrative storytelling styles have evolved from panels in early newspapers to contemporary comic images. Through unique original drawings and printed pages, this exhibition features the artistic skills of master artists and emerging talents who have created some of the most famous, funny, and frightening characters to appear in print.

One early comic figure, the Yellow Kid, debuted in a full-size panel in the color pages of the New York World newspaper in 1895 and sparked the rise of comics as a popular new American art form. By the mid-1900s, in addition to the growing number of mainstream comic creators, diverse independent artists were creating comic art that examined their own life stories and commented on culture and politics. These innovators and change makers expanded the art form to include mini comics, graphic novels, fanzines, and web comics.

The lively visual content, dramatic narrative, and strong character development found in comics have attracted devoted audiences who follow the latest installment in whatever format the story appears. Over time, comic art and its characters have permeated film, television, books, and marketing—making characters familiar to viewers who may or may not read comics themselves.

Mon - Sat 8:30am – 4:30pm
Sunday: Closed

Graphic Arts Galleries, Ground Floor
Libray of Congress
Thomas Jefferson Building
10 First Street, SE

Washington, DC