Press Release

Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Oct. 13, 2018- Jan. 13, 2019

(Dearborn, Mich. – Sept. 26, 2018) –  Visitors to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation this fall can see the iconic depictions of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms by artist Norman Rockwell October 13, 2018 through January 13, 2019. Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms, an internationally touring exhibition organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, illuminates both the historic context in which FDR articulated the Four Freedoms and the role Rockwell’s paintings played in bringing them to life for millions of people. 

The notion of the Four Freedoms has inspired dozens of national constitutions across the globe, yet President 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, did not turn out to be the immediate triumph he had envisioned. 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 artists 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 pieces of art soon became inseparable in the public consciousness, with millions of reproductions bringing the Four Freedoms directly into American homes and workplaces.

Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms provides a rare opportunity to see the famous paintings, as well as other works by Rockwell and his contemporaries, alongside interactive digital displays and virtual-reality technology. The exhibition is organized into five sections taking visitors on a journey of the Four Freedoms from President Roosevelt’s famous 1941 Annual Message to Congress to the artistic expressions by Rockwell, and his contemporaries to a fresh take on the Four Freedoms by artists of today. 

Members of The Henry Ford will have the chance to see the exhibition before it opens to the public on Friday, Oct.12 from 9:30 am to 5 p.m. Admission to Four Freedoms is free for members. Non-member ticket prices include admission to the museum and are $23 for adults (12-61), $17.25 for youth (5-11), $21 for seniors (62+) and children 4 and under are free. To purchase tickets, visit thehenryford.org. 

Leadership support for Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms is provided by Jay Alix, The Alix Foundation and the George Lucas Family Foundation. The national presenting sponsor is The Travelers Companies, Inc. Major support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Helen Bing, Elephant Rock Foundation, Ford Foundation, Heritage Auctions, Annie and Ned Lamont, Ted Slavin, and an anonymous donor. Media sponsors include: Curtis Licensing, a division of The Saturday Evening Post, and the Norman Rockwell Family Agency.

About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan is an internationally-recognized history destination that explores the American experience of innovation, resourcefulness and ingenuity that helped shape America. A national historic landmark with an unparalleled Archive of American Innovation, The Henry Ford is a force for sparking curiosity and inspiring tomorrow’s innovators. Nearly 1.8 million visitors annually experience its five attractions: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford Giant Screen Experience. A continually expanding array of content available online provides anytime, anywhere access. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school that educates more than 500 students a year on the institution’s campus. In 2014, The Henry Ford premiered its first-ever national television series, The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, showcasing present-day change-makers and The Henry Ford’s artifacts and unique visitor experiences. Hosted by news correspondent and humorist, Mo Rocca, this Emmy®-winning weekly half-hour show airs Saturday mornings on CBS. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org.

About Norman Rockwell Museum
The Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to education and art appreciation inspired by the legacy of Norman Rockwell. The Museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of art and archival materials relating to Rockwell’s life and work, while also preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting a growing collection of art by other American illustrators throughout history. The Museum engages diverse audiences through onsite and traveling exhibitions, as well as publications, arts and humanities programs, and comprehensive online resources. https://www.nrm.org/