AHF congratulates Joseph Csatari on the publication of his book - BSA Norman Rockwell’s Boy Scouts of America
Joseph Csatari, internationally esteemed artist and illustrator is now an author with the October 5th release of his book BSA Norman Rockwell’s Boy Scouts of America. This 160-page hardcover volume chronicles the story of the 2 artists, Norman Rockwell and Joseph Csatari, who illustrated the history of Scouting in America as the official artists of the Boy Scouts of America.
Born in South River, New Jersey to Hungarian immigrant parents, Csatari still resides in the small town where he grew up. From an early age he loved drawing and decided to pursue a career in art following his graduation from high school. After completing his training at the Newark Academy of Fine Arts he continued his studies at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. During this time he worked in the design department of the Westinghouse Corporation. In 1953 Csatari joined the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to work in their advertising department. In 1973 he became art director in the magazine division of the BSA for Boy’s Life magazine. He also began to work with his long-time idol, Norman Rockwell, creating the paintings which illustrated the Boy Scout calendars. In 1976, Csatari was chosen to continue the calendar illustrations in the Rockwell tradition, the last of which Csatari did in 1990-91. He continues to do Boy Scout work today.
Along with his work for the Boy Scouts of America, Csatari has worked as a free-lance illustrator for many companies and products and is also highly regarded as a portrait painter. He has been commissioned to create numerous portraits of New Jersey clergy and in 2005, to honor the 50th anniversary of the American Hungarian Foundation, he presented its museum with a portrait he painted of the Foundation’s Director, Professor August J. Molnar.
Joseph Csatari was honored by the American Hungarian Foundation in 1983 with its Distinguished Service Award and its museum mounted a full retrospective of his art in 2001. The exhibition, “Joseph Csatari, The American Scene - A Career In Art” highlighted his Scout work and also displayed his book covers and advertising art along with portraits and landscapes, most in the highly naturalistic style for which he is known. He has been a longtime friend of the Foundation and proudly embraces his Hungarian heritage. We applaud him for his latest effort exploring the “Hungarian connection” to one of America’s iconic artists.
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American Hungarian Foundation 300 Somerset St (PO Box 1084) New Brunswick, NJ 08903-1084 USA 732-846-5777 email: info@ahfoundation.org
