Tyler Gibson
In the summer of 2007, I volunteered at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I was unsure at first whether I would enjoy completing two weeks of community service with a group of total strangers. My fears were almost immediately put to rest, however, as soon as I met our team leader and our group. I felt comfortable as we all talked and got to know each other. That first night, I could feel that we were in for a great two weeks. Most of the volunteers came from nearby areas in New England, but some came from as far away as Florida.

The main reason I decided to participate in community service at the Norman Rockwell Museum was because Norman Rockwell’s works have always enthralled me. I am not particularly good at art, but I thought it might be fun and inspiring to work in this world-famous museum and to learn more about this art legend. I especially enjoy working outside, and this program provided plenty of opportunities for us to roll up our sleeves and work hard on the beautiful grounds of the museum. My responsibilities included weeding and mulching in the amazing gardens, preparing the patio for parties, and painting a fence that seemed to go on for miles. Everything we did was fun because we were working alongside other members of our team, so the time always passed quickly. When the weather did not permit outdoor work, we helped inside the museum, which was an incredible experience. I did everything from organizing shelves to helping in a small art class for children to even leading a tour through the galleries. We were always busy and never bored for a minute.

At the end of each day, our weary group drove back to the middle school that was our home away from home. Where did we sleep? In the art room! We always spent our evenings together as a group, doing something fun. On many nights we watched movies. One night we bowled, and the competition heated up. We also traveled to a nearby town for some shopping and exploring. I feel like we really got to know each other well because during the day we worked side by side, and in the evenings we had fun and enjoyed self-cooked meals together.

A highlight for me while working at the Norman Rockwell Museum was meeting one of Rockwell’s models and listening to him share his experiences. He was only a young boy when he modeled for Norman Rockwell, and now he works in the museum. An unforgettable sight was the chronological display of every single Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover in the bottom level of the museum. This was the first room of the museum that I showed my parents when they came to pick me up at the end of the two weeks.

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