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Rockwell art exhibit is well worth the wait

Thanks to COVID-19, the official ribbon-cutting event for an impressive new local art exhibit came far later and less exhilarating than originally planned.

Still, the reduced pomp and circumstance of the official opening in recent weeks should have no bearing on the rousing art display inside the newly named Medici Museum of Art — formerly the Trumbull branch of the Butler Institute of American Art — in Howland.

We are speaking, of course, about the “The Rockwell American Scouting Art Collection,” a massive and prestigious collection now on public display locally.

It is part of the art collection owned by the Boy Scouts of America and includes 65 original works by the 20th century artist / illustrator Norman Rockwell. The Medici Museum of Art became the custodian of the artwork earlier this year. The effort to bring the collection to the Mahoning Valley is more than a year in the making, but well worth the wait.

Here is just a sampling of what visitors will see.

One Rockwell painting shows a child putting on his first Boy Scout uniform and leaving his Cub Scout uniform behind. Another shows the younger brother watching his older brother go off to camp. A third painting shows a young boy wearing the oversized uniform of his older brother.

Another painting celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Boy Scouts. And a self-portrait, a 1969 painting, shows Rockwell demonstrating his technique for a group of scouts.

The artwork is available for viewing at the Medici Museum of Art. The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, but due to COVID-19 concerns, the museum asks that visitors call ahead to schedule appointments.

We urge residents to make time soon to arrange a visit to the to view the showcase.

We promise it is no less than spectacular and well worth the time.

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