A proposal to create arts tourism on the New York State Thruway

 


What is The New York State Thruway Project?
(a pdf of this proposal can be downloaded here.)

Background

The NYS Thruway connects the state's two largest cities: New York City and Buffalo, and passes by most of the rest of NY's major cities: Albany, Schenectady, Utica, Syracuse, and Rochester. Its mainline sections cover 496 miles and it is a major road for Canadian visitors to the U.S.. It’s the 5th busiest toll road in the country with about 271 million vehicles each year traveling more than 8 billion miles.

Up and down the length of the Thruway are 27 rest area/travel plazas. Most of them provide food or gas or rest rooms and vending machines and a few of them simply provide a safe respite from the steady hustle of highway traffic. All of them provide a place to get out of your car, stretch your legs and collect your thoughts before resuming your journey.

The plan

Each of the 27 travel plazas will get its own 'historical' marker sculpture. The sculptures will look like official historical markers but instead of commemorating an historical event or a famous person who "slept here", they will highlight contemporary social issues such as this one:

ON THIS SITE STOOD

RY BRAUER, TYPICAL AMERICAN
TEEN. BY THE AGE OF 18, HE
HAD WITNESSED OVER 30,000
MURDERS ON TV.

The sculptures will touch on topics such as gender wage disparity, global warming, illegal immigration, taxes and many many others.

Each sculpture will be made of cast aluminum and acrylic paint and will stand 96" tall. They will be safely and securely installed into the ground and will leave no trace of their presence after deinstallation. Insurance will be provided by the artist.

After the installation is completed, this individual piece will qualify as "The longest sculpture trail" in the world. The official recognition process has begun with Guinness World Records.






















































































LETTERS OF SUPPORT


















Norm Magnusson, b. 1960, American

 

Awards / fellowships

Josh Baer Fund Grant, 2020

Ulster County Executive Award for Art in Public Places, 2017

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (sculpture) 2016-2017

NYFA (sculpture) 2015

NYSCA through CSRC (installation) 2014

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (installation) 2008

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (painting) 1998-1999 

 

Performance art

2022    “Norm’s Memory Sale”O+ Festival, Kingston, NY

            “Norm’s Memory Sale”Morton Memorial Meeting House, Rhinecliff, NY

            “Norm’s Memory Sale”Holland Tunnel Gallery, Newburgh, NY

2021    “The Definition of Pornography”11 Jane Street Arts Center, Saugerties, NY

2021    “Kill the Head (Losing my Self on a Zombie Movie)”Cocoon at the Cuneen-Hackett,                                 Poughkeepsie, NY

2017    “Swipe Right (Looking for Love in the Digital Era)”Cocoon at the Cuneen-Hackett,                                               Poughkeepsie, NY

2016    “The Signs in our Lives/Swipe Right”Cocoon at the Cuneen-Hackett, Poughkeepsie, NY

2015    “The Signs in our Lives”Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY


Public art projects

2022    “Bee Curious”mural, Morton Memorial Library, Rhinecliff, NY

2020    “Unarmed Black Men”54 St. Sculpture Garden, Queens, NY

            “Make America Kind Again”Billboard, Rhinebeck, NY

            “O+ Pop Up Pedestrian Art Exhibit”,Kingston, NY

2019    “Habitat for Artists 2”, Woodstock, NY

2018    “Habitat for Artists”, Woodstock, NY

            Inaugural exhibition, Emporium Sculpture Park, Hyde Park, NY

            The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY

2017    Wilderstein Biennial, Wilderstein Estate, Rhinebeck, NY

2016 – 17 “High Falls sculpture park”c/o Wired Gallery, High Falls, NY

2014    “O, pioneers”The Lawn on D, Boston, MA

            “Miners” Snyder House Historical Site, Rosendale, NY

            “On this site stood”Center for Sustainable Rural Communities, Schoharie, NY

2013    “Hidden gallery walk”Palenville, NY

            “I want to sleep with America”Woodstock, NY

2012    “Far and wide”Woodstock Artists Association Museum, Woodstock, NY

            “Historical tense”, Artspace, New Haven, CT

2011    “O+ Festival”, Kingston, NY

2010    “The art of inspiration”,Sculpture installation, Time Warner Bldg, N.Y., NY

            “Sculpture Key West Invitational,”Key West, FL

2009    “Sculpture Key West 2009,”Key West, FL

2008   “Strange bedfellows” Le Petit Versailles, NYC

2007    “On this site stood,”The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT.

2006    “The Byrdcliffe Outdoor Sculpture Show,”Woodstock, N.Y.

2000    “Pull toy”Cow Parade, Riverside Park, N.Y., N.Y.

 

Solo Museum Exhibitions

2015    “Funism”SUNY Ulster, Muroff-Kotler Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY

2011    “Public service public art project”  The Pember Museum, Granville, NY

2007    On this site stood"The Main St. Sculpture Project of 

                The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT.

2003    “Metaphorical Menagerie” The Pember Museum, Granville, N.Y.

2001    “Image and Allegory,”The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

2000    “Norm Magnusson -- American Painter”The Springfield Art Museum, MO

 

Solo Gallery Exhibitions

2022    “Monsters”,Betsy Jacaruso Gallery, Rhinebeck, NY

2021    “PORNWEAVINGSEXHIBITION, 11 Jane Street Arts Center, Saugerties, NY

2020    “kuh-myoo-nih-kay-shun, CMA Gallery, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

2013    “Decorating nature”Evolve Design Gallery, Woodstock, NY

2009    “Descent into the political”  Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA

2008    “America's Seven Cardinal Virtues”Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.

             “Youth Culture in America”Varga@Muddycup Gallery, Kingston, N.Y.

2006    “America’s Seven Deadly Sins”Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.

2004    “Figures of speech in paint” Inquiring Mind Gallery, Saugerties, N.Y.

2003    “Vacation”Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.

2002    “After the 11th”BridgewaterFineArts, N.Y., N.Y. 

2001    “The Animal Alphabet”  Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y. 2001  

1999    “Central Park Animals - Then and Now”The Arsenal Gallery, Central Park, N.Y. , N.Y.

1998    “American Paintings”Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, N.Y.

1997    “Norm Magnusson”J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

            “Travelogue”Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery

1996    “Norm Magnusson”Picturesque Gallery, Akaroa, New Zealand

1995    “Bestiary”Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery

1994    “The Normandy Paintings”  Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery           

1993    “Recent paintings”The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, NYC

1992    “Norm Magnusson”The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, NYC

 

Group Museum Exhibitions

2022    “Art and Social Justice”Woodstock Artist’s Association Museum, Woodstock, NY

2021    “Who Really Cares?”The Samuel Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY

2021    “New York Responds”The Museum of the City of New York, NY, NY

2015    “The Stories we tell”Samuel Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY

            “Nature Inc”The Rockland Center for the Arts , Nyack, NY

2013    “Current hues of the Hudson”The Museum at Bethel Woods, Bethel, NY

2011    “Far and wide”Woodstock Artist’s Association Museum, Woodstock, NY

2009    “Food”Muroff Kotler Visual Arts Gallery, SUNY Ulster, Stone Ridge, NY

2005    “Over the top - Under the rug”The Shore Institute of Contemporary Arts

2003    “Genetic expressions: Art after DNA”Hecksher Museum, Huntington, NY

2000    “Animals in Art”  The Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska

 

Selected Gallery Group Shows

2020    “Infinite Uncertainty” Opalka Gallery, Albany, NY

            “Read to Me”, JJ Newberry Gallery, Saugerties, NY

2019    “Protest Art” Time and Space Limited, Hudson, NY

            “Ecollagical”. The Idea Garden, Kingston, NY.

2018    “Radius 50”  WAAM, Woodstock, NY

            “Reflected Spirit”Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY

            “Political Art”The Gallery@Chatham, Chatham, NY

            “Sol invictus - interregnum” Greenkill, Kingston, NY

2017    “Radius 50”  WAAM, Woodstock, NY

            “Smoke signals” Tivoli Art Gallery, Tivoli, NY       

            “Tear down relics”   Cross Contemporary Gallery, Saugerties, NY

            “11 Jane Happening” 11 Jane St. Gallery, Saugerties, NY

2016    “Exquisite porch”morean arts center, St. Petersburg, FL

            “abc@WFG: an exploration of text-based art” WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

            “O+Art”The Anvil Gallery, Kingston, NY

2015     “Group show“Wired Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY

2014    “re:Purpose“WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

            “Works on paper” Atwater Gallery, Rhinebeck, NY

            “Playing with a full deck” GCCA, Catskill, NY

2013    “Museum of controversial art” BAU Gallery, Beacon, NY

            “The Kingston Museum of Controversial Art”KMoCA, Kingston, NY

            “Cut & Paste”Muroff-Kotler Gallery, SUNY Ulster, Stone Ridge, NY

            “These animals are driving me to abstraction” WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

            “Winter solstice show” AiEarthling Gallery, Woodstock, NY

2012    “FU”  WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

            “Zoom In”  imogen Holloway gallery, Saugerties, NY

            “From Wall St. to Main St.”GCCA, Catskill, NY

2011    “SpoOk”,Oo Gallery, Kingston, NY

            “SpOor”,Oo Gallery, Kingston, NY

            “Change of climate”, Suite 503 Gallery, NY, NY

            “Rock City Pop Up”,Van Brunt Projects, Woodstock, NY

             “Route 28 or thereabouts” Van Brunt Projects, Beacon, NY

2010     “Define the decade” GCCE, Catskill, NY

“SKW inside”Lucky Street Gallery, Key West, FL

 “Mill Street Loft invitational”, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

 “Group show”Kleinert James Art Center, Woodstock, N.Y.

2009    “Decorating nature”Gallery 668, Battenville, N.Y.

“spctclr vws”One Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY

“Inaugural”Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, NY

2008    “Hudson Valley Invitational” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.

“Animal allegories”Gallery 668, Battenville, N.Y.

            “Wild thing” Ira Wolk Gallery, Napa, CA

2007    “Variations on a rainbow”Le Petit Versailles, N.Y., N.Y.

            “About face: artists not afraid of U-turns” GCCA, Catskill, N.Y.

2006    “New Hudson Room” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.

2005    “Compared to what” Gallery OneTwentyEight, N.Y., N.Y.

            “This is not an archive”Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.

2004    “Ambush”VanBrunt Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.

            “Happy Art for a sad world”  Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.

2002    “Reactions”Exit Art, N.Y., N.Y.

2001    “Biennial”Bradford Brinton Memorial, Big Horn, Wyoming

2000    “Animals as Symbol” Curated online exhibition, Guild.com 

            “Salon”HereArt, N.Y., N.Y.

1999    “Urbiculture”  Sylvia White Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.

            “A big show of small work” Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y.                    

            “Portraits 2”Jorgenson Gallery, N.Y., N.Y. 

            “Wish you were here”  Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.

            “Framed” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y. 

1998    “Open your heart”  Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, N.Y.

            “A big show of small works”   Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.

            “Anima Mundi”  Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.

1997    “Whit, Whimsy & Humor”  Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, N.Y.

            “Winter show”  J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.

            “PhotoSoho”  Buhl Foundation, New York, N.Y.

            “Art walk ‘97 Show”J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francico, CA.

            “A big show of small work 2”  Bridgewater/Lustberg, NYC

1996    “A big show of small work”  Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.

            “Summer exhibition”  J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.

1995    “Creative Conflict”  Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.                              

            “High/Low/Art Soup”  Renee Fotouhi Fine Art, East Hampton, N.Y.

            “Animal Kingdom”  The Union League Club, New York, N.Y.     

            “Open your heart” Christinerose Gallery, New York, N.Y.

            “Preview of 1995”  J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.

1994   “Then and Now”  Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York,N.Y.

            “Summer 1994”  J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.

            “Accidental Tourist”  Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York, N.Y.

            “Garden in the Gallery”  Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.

1994    “Group Show”Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France

1993    “Celebration of Victor Hugo”Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France

            “Group Show”Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France

            "Apres New York"  Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France

 

Online Exhibition

2023    “50/50”, Leake Street Galleries, London England

2020    “Stay Home, Make Art”,The Samuel Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY

            “Future Conditional”Project for SouthWritLarge.com


Curation

2017    “Abstract Evocative”,WAAM, Woodstock, NY

2016    “abc@WFG: an exploration of text-based art”,WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

2016    “Beautiful Nonsense”,RoCA, Nyack, NY

2014    “re:Purpose”,WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

2013    “The Museum of Controversial Art”,BAU, Beacon, NY

2013    “The Kingston Museum of Controversial Art”,KMOCA, Kingston, NY

2012    “FU”,WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY

 

Lectures/Workshops/Classes

2021    “Nature Based Art”,Rhinebeck Central School District, Rhinebeck, NY

2018    “Influences and inspiration”The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck, NY

2017    “The Hudson Valley Celebrity Series - Norm Magnusson”The Gallery in Rhinebeck, NY

2016    “Clarity vs. poetry”Morton Memorial Library, Rhinecliff, NY

            “25 years of artistic practice”Pecha Kucha, Online from Beacon, NY

2014    “Descent into the political”Kleinert-James Gallery, Woodstock, NY

            “Nature art”Rockland Country Day School, Congers, NY

2013    “Decorating Nature”Rhinebeck Science Foundation, Rhinebeck, NY

2010    “Define the decade”Greene County Council on the Arts, Catskill, NY

2009    “Animal alphabet”Woodstock Day School, Saugerties, NY

2008    “Art that’s changed the way I see the world around me”Woodstock Day School

2001    “Image and Allegory”The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

2000    “Metaphorical menagerie” The Springfield Art Museum, MO

 

Concert Series – Creator and Producer *WAAM is in Woodstock, NY

 

2023    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Marshall Crenshaw, WAAM*

2021    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Peter Dougan & Andrew Farnsworth, WAAM*

2020    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Marco Benevento, WAAM*

2019    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Perry Beekman and Lou Pappas, WAAM*

2018    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by David Van Tieghem, WAAM*

2017    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Jill Sobule, WAAM*

2016    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Tracy Bonham, WAAM*

2015    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by The Clear Light Ensemble, WAAM*

2014    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Baird Hersey and Prana, WAAM*

2013    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Paul McMahon and Linda Mary Montano, WAAM*

2012    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Karl Berger, WAAM*

2011    John Cage’s 4’33” - performed by Mimi Goese and Ben Neill, WAAM*


Selected Bibliography


“Museum Exhibit Celebrates the Diversity of Local Artists”  Poughkeepsie Journal, August 9, 2017

 

“Abstract Evocative at WAAM” Woodstock Times, April 13, 2017

 

“100 Amazing Ideas”  Rodale’s Organic Life, Feb/March 2017

 

 “Local Artist with big success”  Living Rhinebeck, October, 2016

 

“Double take: New art show highlights familiar incongruity”  Rockland Co. Times, Feb. 18, 2016

 

“Beautiful nonsense: a show at the Rockland Center for the Arts” Chronogram, Feb, 2016

 

“Art for the fun of it” Blue Stone Press, September 4, 2015

 

 “Funism at SUNY Ulster” Woodstock Times, September 3, 2015

 

“Magnusson’s Decorating Nature” Woodstock Times, January 15, 2015

 

“Edible imprint: ‘Historical’ marker: Scottie Webb” Edible Hudson Valley, Summer, 2014

 

“ ‘Historical’ signs are really an art installation” Times Journal, June 3, 2014

 

“Woodstock artist opens local exhibit at the Schoharie Hive”Schoharie News, June 2, 2014

 

“Animal allegories”,  Animal Imagery Magazine, Spring 2012.

 

 “The I-75 Project: Offering up food for thought at every rest stop”,  HolyKaw.alltom.com,Nov. 15, 2011.

 

“The I-75 Project”, ArtOlution (art/revolution)October, 2011

 

 “The I-75 Project”, Idea.IdeaBing.com, Sept. 27, 2011

 

“America’s Seven Deadly Sins: The Political Art of Norm Magnusson”, Tikkun.org, Sept. 24, 2011.

 

“Work in progress: Interstate 75”, CSPA Quarterlyissue 6, 2011

  

“#110 The I-75 Project, activism with a smile”, ThisGivesMeHope.com, Aug. 4, 2011.

                                                                                                            

“Political art dots local museums’ landscape” Granville Sentinel, May 12, 2011.

 

“Artist erects social markers in Granville, NY” Rutland Herald, May 6, 2011.

 

 “Rewriting history with a wink” Utne Reader, April 13, 2011

 

“Street signs and pixilated leaves: the art of Norm Magnusson”  Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2010

 

 “Art of Social Conscience: The I-75 Project by Norm Magnusson” LaughingSquid.com, Oct. 25, 2010

 

“Just a little bit subversive”,CommonDreams.org, Oct. 21, 2010

 

 “Gentle, public activism: Magnusson’s I-75 Project”,  TheSocietyPages.org, Sept. 22, 2010

 

“Markers of American Decline”,  ProvisionsLibrary.com, Sept. 22, 2010

 

“Signs of trouble on the I-75”, osocio.org, Sept. 9, 2010

 

“Decorating nature by Norm Magnusson”, Wine and Bowties, Feb. 20, 2010

 

“Artist adds colors to nature” GreenPacks, Feb. 19, 2010

 

“Mother nature’s forest canvases, kicked up a few colorful notches”Greenwala, Feb. 16, 2010

 

"Decorating nature series", GreenMuze, 15 February, 2010

 

“Political descent”, Woodstock Times, November 5, 2009


”Norm Magnusson’s ‘historical markers’”, 
Woodstock Times, July 31, 2008

 

“Norm Magnusson”  Sculpture, June 2008

 

On this site stood a man with a message”  The New York Times, Sep. 30, 2007

 

"Signposting America,"Eyeteeth: A journal of incisive ideas, Aug. 18, 2007

 

“Standing ground – The Aldrich goes Americana, sort of”,Bedford Mag., July 2007

 

"Parting shot: Norm Magnusson,"Chronogram, August, 2007

 

“Magnusson’s markers highlight social issues,” Ridgefield Press, July 12, 2007

 

“I saw the sign”,Modern Painters, June 2007

 

Norm Magnusson - On this site stood,” American Towns, June 3, 2007

 

“On this site stood: culture jamming history,” Art Threat, May 29, 2007

 

“Énoncé de l’artiste,”Esse arts + opinion, Spring-summer 2007

 

"Painting politics,"The Woodstock Times, August 3, 2006

  

“A blossoming of political art”The Huffington Post, June 6, 2006

 

“Art that pushes the limits of studio walls,”Atlanticville Press, September 7, 2005

 

“Caution: angry artists at work,”The New York Times, August 27, 2004

 

 “Vacation,”The New York Times, September 12, 2003.

 

“Norm Magnusson,”  The Week, August 29, 2003.

 

"Images of a beautiful era, and of scientific breakthroughs,"The NY Times, July 27, 2003

 

"Pember Museum has Art Exhibit,"The Granville Sentinel, February 19, 2003

 

 “Artist’s ‘funism’ provides lesson behind each animal,”Springfield News Leader, Oct.18, 2000

 

"The Artist’s Way,"  Adweek,August 16, 1999

 

"Norm Magnusson,"  Review, March 1, 1997

 

"Travels with Magnusson,"  Where New York, February, 1997

 

"Ecological awareness with paint and a brush,"  The Villager, February 12, 1997

 

"From the Big Apple to Akaroa,"  The Press (Christchurch), March 27, 1996

 

"Fun-ism in art,"  The Beta Theta Pi Magazine,  Spring 1996

 

"Museum/Gallery Notes,"  Wildlife Art News, Sept./Oct. 1995

 

"Norm Magnusson,"  Cover, September, 1995

 

"Viel Rauch um nichts,"  Der Vogel,August 18, 1995

 

"Raw News,"  Raw Vision, Summer 1995

 

"Animal Rites,"  The Villager, June 28, 1995

 

“Norm Magnusson,"  The New Yorker, February 28, 1994

 

“Scene Change,”The Villager, February 16, 1994

 

“Dimanche, les ecoliers invitaient aussi a voter,"Le Courier Cauchois, March 27, 1993

  

 “La peinture sur le chemin des ecoliers,"Le Courier Cauchois,January 23, 1993

 

“A la decouvert d’un peintre americain avec les ecoliers de Villequier,"  

Paris Normandie,1/22/93

 “A Self-taught Village Artist Creates a ‘Funism’ Style,"The Villager,  Sept. 9, 1992.

 Enjoyable and Accessible Art,"  The  Villager, August 19, 1992

 Museum Collections

 Anchorage Museum of History and Art - Anchorage, Alaska

The Samuel Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY

The Museum of Modern Art - New York, NY

(Franklin Furnace/Artist’s book collection)

The Museum of the City of New York, NY, NY

The New-York Historical Society, NY, NY

The Pember Museum - Granville, NY

 

Public/Corporate Collections

AmSouth Bank - Birmingham, Alabama

Fidelity Insurance - Boston, Mass.

Kenneth Cole - New York, N.Y.

Kohler – Kohler, WI

Simmons, U.S.A. - Atlanta, Georgia 

 

Selected Private Collections:

 Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Elyssa Ackerman                                    Woodstock, NY

Mr. William Burback                                                                       Garrison, NY            

Mr. and Mrs. Kristen and Johann Eveland                                   New Canaan, CT.                 

Mr. Kenneth Cole                                                                 New York, NY

Mr. and Mrs. Ione and Marshall Crenshaw                                  Rhinebeck, NY

Ms. Kim Dickens                                                                   Los Angeles, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Marty and Jen Flanagan                             Atlanta, GA

Alison and Stephane Gerson                                                            Woodstock, NY

Mr. Joe Reece                                                                      Los Angeles, CA

Ms. Jill Sobule                                                                      Los Angeles, CA

Mr. & Mrs. Andy and Kate Spade                                      New York, NY

Mr. Theo Spencer                                                                New York, NY

Dr. & Mrs. Harlan Waksal                                                 Telluride, Colorado

Tanya Wexler & Amy Zimmerman                                     New York, NY


Narrative bio

Norm Magnusson has an art career spanning over 35 years.

 He’s in the permanent collection of NY’s MoMA, The Museum of the City of New York, The Dorsky Museum, The New-York Historical Society, and The Anchorage Museum of History and Art amongst many other corporate and private collections.

 He’s received numerous awards and grants including two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants, A NYFA Fellowship, two NYSCA grants, a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Grant and the Ulster County Award for Art in Public Places amongst many others.

 As a visual artist, he’s shown in galleries and museums in New York, New Zealand, London, Paris and all over the U.S. He’s been reviewed everywhere from the NY Times to the Washington Post to the Utne ReaderSculpture Magazine, TrendHunter.com and many other national and international magazines, websites and blogs.

 As a curator, he’s brought together exhibitions such as “FU”, which examined and illustrated U.S. fair use laws as they pertain to visual artists; “The Museum of Controversial Art”, which re-created some of the most controversial art through the ages; “Beautiful Nonsense”, which consists of objects and art meant to challenge the intellectual sure-footedness with which we move through our everyday lives, “abc@WFG”, a survey of text-based art; and “Abstract Evocative”, an exhibition of abstract art at WAAM in Woodstock.

 As an educator, he’s taught art to under-privileged kids in NYC and over-privileged kids in Woodstock, NY, where he created a 12-class curriculum entitled “Art that’s Changed the Way I See the World Around Me” in which artists and gallerists and rock stars and film makers and authors and academics came and spoke on that topic with visual and audio aids. Most recently, he launched a new curriculum of appreciating and creating land-based art for 5th grade students.

 For the last 12 years, on August 29, the date of its world premier in Woodstock, NY, Magnusson has produced an anniversary concert of John Cage’s 4’33” at the WAAM Museum in that town, a concert series originated to commemorate that town’s role in debuting this amazing piece of art.

 A decade ago, he returned to his first creative love, acting; starring in productions of plays by David Mamet and David Ives, and as Pozzo in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” He performed in the The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck’s production of Eve Ensler’s “A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant, and a Prayer” and, most recently, as George in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” He has also appeared in numerous feature films, mostly playing a shrink or a professor.

 In 2013, he wrote his first ever words and images monologue “The Signs in our Lives” and performed it at the Hudson Literary Festival in 2014 and 2015. It was followed by the monologues “Swipe Right (Looking for Love in the Digital Era)” in 2017, and “Kill the Head (Losing my Self in a Zombie Movie)”, about his months working as a stand in and photo double for Bill Murray. In 2021, he wrote and performed “The Definition of Pornography”, which debuted at 11 Jane Street Art and Performance Space concurrent with his “PORNWEAVINGSEXHIBITION” of visual art. 2022 found him performing the acclaimed “Norm’s Memory Sale” at various galleries and performance spaces in the Hudson Valley. 

 He’s the co-founder of FISHtheMOUSEmedia, a developer of educational apps for iOS, where his “Animal Alphabet” app was widely acclaimed and honored with a prestigious Gold award from the Parents’ Choice Foundation.

 He serves on the board of directors of two 501(c)3 organizations, CultureConnect and GoodJTDeeds and is the father of 3 wonderful kids, all of whom are especially talented at seeing the world around them with appreciative eyes and a grateful heart.

 

 


A souvenir from the days of toll booths.

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