Norman Rockwell’s unparalleled role as an American icon-maker and storyteller is highlighted in American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, opening today at the Newark Museum. The exhibit runs through May 26, and was organized by Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.

The presentation will outline the intricacies of Rockwell’s nearly seven decade career while highlighting his inspirations and reflections.

Guests will see many of Rockwell’s original pieces coupled with accompanying commentaries throughout the exhibition.

Rockwell, who died in 1978, painted the best of America, creating indelible images of the lives, hopes and dreams of Americans in the 20th century, according to publicity for the show. Narrative and painterly images were woven into his work, much of which graced the covers of “The Saturday Evening Post.”

All of the original works on view in American Chronicles are drawn from the permanent collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum, including such beloved and well-known images as “Triple Self-Portrait,” “Girl at Mirror,” “Going and Coming,” “Art Critic,” “Rosie the Riveter,” “The Problem We All Live With,” “Saying Grace,” “Four Freedoms,” and many more.

The exhibition will include materials from the Norman Rockwell Museum’s archives demonstrating how Rockwell worked.

Rockwell had already honed his craft as a painter and illustrator by the age of 14, when he enrolled at Chase Art School. He sharpened his skills in the Art Students League.

At age 18, Rockwell designed a book illustration for Carl H. Claudy’s, “Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature.” During his 65-year career, he created iconic images of American life in the 20th Century.

American Chronicles traces the evolution of Rockwell’s art from choreographed reflections in such paintings as “No Swimming” (1921) to powerful, consciousness-raising images like “The Problem We All Live With” (1964), which documented the traumatic realities of desegregation in the South. A complete set of all 323 of Rockwell’s covers for “The Saturday Evening Post” are included in the exhibit.

Tickets for the exhibit are $15 for adults and $10 for children, veterans, seniors and students with valid I.D. Admission is free for members of the Newark Museum. A complimentary shuttle service begins tomorrow from Newark Penn Station and Broad Street Station, courtesy of Prudential, and will be provided on weekends from noon to 5 p.m., every 20 minutes.

For more information, visit The Newark Museum, 49 Washington St., Newark, www.newarkmuseum.org.