If you're in the DC area...

check out the free Norman Rockwell exhibit, Telling Stories, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum until January 2nd. And if you're not a fan of Rockwell's work, well then I hate to tell you, but you don't have a soul.

Rockwell was a masterful storyteller who could distill a narrative into a single frame. His pictures tell stories about the adventure of growing up, of individuals rising up to face personal challenges, the glamour of Hollywood and the importance of tolerance in American life. He created his pictures with strategies similar to those used by filmmakers.

The pieces in the exhibit are from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's personal collections. It's pretty amazing how many Rockwell's they own between the two of them. Ah, to be rich...