"Throw Rug" 2024. U.S. Dollar bills, canvas backing. |
This exhibition provides some answers to those questions and more as it tracks one artist's career from his early days creating lovely paintings of animals to today, and his evocative public art pieces.
AND A SIDE PROJECT
IN DEFENSE OF THE DESIRE TO CREATE ART THAT PERSUADES
Much contemporary art is concerned primarily with itself, relating to its surrounding society with little or no interest at all. The bulk of it exists either in the rarefied, self-intellectualized realm of cutting-edge galleries or in the popular outlets of decorative art found in malls across the country, and neither of these venues serves the public well.
The cutting-edge galleries are, by design, not intellectually inviting, even to well-educated Americans, and the mall art is, by design, not intellectually challenging to anyone. The average American looking for meaning in the visual arts is either rebuffed by elitism or disappointed by emptiness. This is not how it should be.
To be sure, there is a small middle ground: a small mass of art that is not intellectually elitist, but is intellectually engaging; a small batch of art that invites interpretation and can actually deliver its message to the thoughtful viewer; a small trove of art that is as much fun to look at as it is to think about. This wonderful middle ground, however, is rarely embraced by the high-end gallery art world, for it is too populist in its approach; and it is rarely embraced by the world of art criticism, for it already gives itself away to the thoughtful viewer; and it is rarely embraced by the public, for it is rarely seen in the institutions that are truly hospitable to them.
As Dave Hickey wrote in “The Invisible Dragon,” referring to the contemporary art world’s institutional discounting of beauty and accessibility: “they must, almost of necessity, distrust appearances -- distrust the very idea of appearances and distrust most of all the appearances that, by virtue of the pleasure they give, are efficacious in their own right.” He continues, “there are issues worth advancing in images worth admiring...” and this is what I try to create: artworks of aesthetic merit on topics of cultural importance; visual artworks that celebrate both craftsmanship and content, and aspire to the level of social poetry, artworks that fly in the face of what critic Peter Schjeldahl recently characterized as the “post-modern cringe at meaning and sincerity.” (“The drawing board,” The New Yorker, 11/4/2002)
The poet W.H. Auden said “poetry makes nothing happen,” but poetry can make things happen, artworks can change minds, at the very least, this is a great and noble goal for art. A quick anecdote: my dad lives in Georgia, in Newt Gingrich’s old district. He knows nothing about the contemporary art world, but knows all about government funding for the arts and what a perverse pursuit it is. A few years back, you see, he got a mailing from the religious right, which reproduced the notorious “Piss Christ” photo by Andre Serrano. “Your tax dollars are funding a sacrilegious abomination!” the mailing screamed. “The NEA must be stopped!” And, indeed, the NEA’s funding of individual artists was stopped. Now tell me poetry makes nothing happen. To be sure, this was a despicable misuse of Serrano’s image, but a politically effective misuse nonetheless. Art that made something happen.
How does art make things happen? Well to begin with, it should seek to be understood, not strive to be beyond understanding. It should be relevant and reveal truths: social, emotional, psychological, political, and on and on . . . it should be insightful. It should illuminate, illustrate, and stick. Years later, my dad still remembers “Piss Christ.” It stuck. And where the religious right’s appropriation of Serrano’s piece was both sneering and pandering, I prefer to strive for an artistic efficacy that does neither.
My goal is to create bodies of work that fill that middle ground described above, bodies of work that can achieve enough volume to make things happen. But make what happen? you may ask. Well . . . at the beginning, art can have a personal effect; it can console or clarify; and at the most (dare I dream big?) art can effect social change, it can comment and illuminate, juxtapose and reveal. It can be the spoonful of sugar that helps the sweet medicine of meaning go down, followed by understanding and persuasion. Beauty is the great under-appreciated friend of meaning.
Is this art as advertising? Well, yes, in that it shares the same goals of advertising. And is advertising effective? Ask Michael Dukakis who lost a campaign because of one ad run by his opponent or John Kerry who got swiftboated out of office. Ask Noam Chomsky or Nike. Advertising can be persuasive; it can change people’s minds, and so can art.
Is this art as political cartooning? Yes, but aspiring to an even deeper level of communication, a visceral communication fortifying the intellectual communication.
Is this art as illustration? Most certainly. Accessibility of meaning is one of the prime benchmarks used to define the fine line between art and illustration and used to relegate illustration to the base world of the commercial and elevate art to the grand world of the divine. And accessibility of meaning, the creation of intelligent sub-text that can be “read” by the thoughtful viewer, is one of my main goals.
Tell me with a straight face that you’ve never walked into an art gallery or a friend’s studio and wondered what the work is about, but decided not to ask, for fear of being thought a rube. Most of the art viewing public feels the same way; they have been conditioned to believe that it’s hopelessly bourgeois to look at contemporary art and ask “what’s it about?” Sneak a peak at the gallery’s explanation on the front desk, the slick explanatory text that has replaced the once-meaningful artist’s statement as our only hope of understanding what’s going on. Now read it again. Do you really believe it? “Meaning” in art has widely been replaced by the emperor’s new meaning and this alienates even more of the public. I seek to engage the public in meaningful art.
In my studio, art should convey meaning, it should be accessible, engaging, beautiful; but please don’t mistake my personal goals as some misguided mandate demanding universal adherence. I like much purely decorative art, and I like a lot of what I see in the more cutting-edge galleries. There will, of course, always be a place for these things and I don’t begrudge their existence, I simply feel that frequently they don’t serve a great majority of the public.
Now, dear reader, you will no doubt have no trouble digesting the first part of my plan, the plan to create art that is relevant, meaningful and accessible. But even as I write, I hear your groans regarding the second part of my plan: the plan to achieve enough volume to make things happen, because I sadly suspect that deep down, most people in or around the art establishment agree with Mr. Auden. Please don’t.
Richard Serra, whose work I greatly admire, said, speaking about architecture, that it isn’t art, because it serves a practical purpose, and that art, by definition, doesn’t. But art can be functional, it can be political, it can serve the public good. I strive to create a structure of art upon which socially relevant issues can be beautifully carried. And, excuse my bias, but I think it’s a structure eminently worth building.
BIO:
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
2023 “Norm’s Memory Sale”WAAM, Woodstock, NY
“Morton Monologue Madness”,Rhinecliff, NY
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
2023 Porchfest mural, Rhinebeck, NY
2020 “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
2023 “Behind the Veil”Woodstock Artist’s Association Museum, Woodstock, NY
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
2023 “Smoking, drinking,& behaving badly” Lockwood Gallery, Kingston, NY
“50/50”Leake Street Gallery, London, England
2022 "FOCUS: Art & Social Justice", WAAM, Woodstock, NY
“The Narrative of Things”,Holland Tunnel Gallery, Newburgh, NY
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
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 Mikaela Davis and John Lee Shannon, WAAM*
2022 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
Woodside Heights Art Museum – Queens, 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