A New Home for a Famous Painting

From a News Report in Early 2024

Earlier this year, in the month of February, something very special happened in the world of art. A famous and beloved painting found a brand new home! This wasn’t just any painting; it was a masterpiece by a great American artist named Norman Rockwell.

The painting is called “The Rookie,” and it shows a young baseball player sitting in a crowded locker room, looking a bit nervous and excited on his first day with a major league team.

For many, many years, “The Rookie” was owned by a famous movie director. It hung quietly in his private collection, where only a few people could see it. But this winter, the director decided it was time to share this wonderful piece of art with everyone. He arranged for the painting to be sold at an auction. An auction is a special sale where people bid, or offer money, to buy something. The person who offers the most money gets to take the item home.

On that day in February, the auction was very exciting! People from museums and private collectors all wanted to own this important painting. Finally, after several minutes of fast bidding, a museum in Texas made the winning offer. The museum paid a huge amount of money—over $2 million!—to become the new owner of “The Rookie.”

This is wonderful news for students, families, and art lovers. Now, instead of being in a private house, the painting will be displayed in a public museum. This means that anyone who visits the museum can stand in front of it, look closely at the details, and feel the story it tells.

Norman Rockwell was famous for painting scenes from everyday American life. His work helps us understand the feelings and experiences of people from different times in history. “The Rookie” is more than just paint on canvas; it’s a snapshot of a hopeful moment, a story about dreams and new beginnings.

Museum experts say the painting will be carefully transported to its new home in Texas. They will check its condition, clean it gently if needed, and then find the perfect spot on a wall with good lighting. By this summer, the painting should be ready for its first visitors. The museum plans to create a whole exhibit around it, teaching people about Norman Rockwell, the history of baseball, and the art of storytelling through pictures.

This event shows us how art can travel and find new audiences. It started in an artist’s studio decades ago, spent years in a private collection, and is now beginning a fresh chapter where millions of people can enjoy it. Sharing art is a positive way to connect our past with our present. It allows us all to learn, imagine, and appreciate the creativity that people bring into the world.

So, if you’re ever in Texas, you might just get to meet “The Rookie” face-to-face!

Part 1: Vocabulary in Context

Directions: Each vocabulary word is bolded below. Read the definition and the example sentence from the text. Then write your own original sentence using the word correctly.

Masterpiece (noun) – A piece of art, like a painting or sculpture, that is done with great skill and is considered to be very valuable or excellent.
Text Example: “This wasn’t just any painting; it was a masterpiece by a great American artist named Norman Rockwell.”
Your sentence: ________________________________________________________________
Auction (noun) – A public sale where items are sold to the person who offers to pay the most money for them.
Text Example: “He arranged for the painting to be sold at an auction.”
Your sentence: ________________________________________________________________
Displayed (verb) – Shown or presented for people to look at.
Text Example: “Now, instead of being in a private house, the painting will be displayed in a public museum.”
Your sentence: ________________________________________________________________
Collection (noun) – A group of similar objects, like paintings or coins, that someone has gathered together over time.
Text Example: “It hung quietly in his private collection, where only a few people could see it.”
Your sentence: ________________________________________________________________
Exhibit (noun) – A special public showing of objects, like art or historical items, often in a museum.
Text Example: “The museum plans to create a whole exhibit around it…”
Your sentence: ________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Multiple Choice Comprehension

Directions: Circle the letter of the best answer for each question. Base your answers on information from the article.

What is the name of the famous painting discussed in the passage?
A) The Baseball Star
B) The Locker Room
C) The Rookie
D) The First Day
When did the painting find its new home?
A) Last summer
B) In the winter, earlier this year
C) Many years ago
D) Next month
Where was the painting before it was sold?
A) In a different museum
B) In a school library
C) In a private collection
D) In an art studio
What is an auction?
A) A place where artists create paintings.
B) A type of painting by Norman Rockwell.
C) A public sale where people bid money to buy items.
D) A room in a museum where art is kept.
Why is it positive that the painting is now in a museum?
A) Because the museum paid the most money for it.
B) Because it will be cleaned more often.
C) Because the public can now go to see it and enjoy it.
D) Because it is a painting about baseball.

Part 3: Short Answer & Critical Thinking

Directions: Answer each question in complete sentences. Use details from the text to support your answers.

Describe the scene shown in Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Rookie.”
What are the steps the museum will take to prepare the painting for visitors? Name at least two steps mentioned in the article.
The author says, “Sharing art is a positive way to connect our past with our present.” What do you think this means? Use an example from the article or your own experience.

Answer Key & Grading

Part 2: Multiple Choice Answers

C) The Rookie
B) In the winter, earlier this year
C) In a private collection
C) A public sale where people bid money to buy items.
C) Because the public can now go to see it and enjoy it.

Part 3: Sample Answers

The painting shows a young baseball player sitting in a crowded locker room. He looks nervous and excited on his first day with a major league team.
Museum experts will (1) carefully transport it, check its condition, and clean it gently if needed, and (2) find the perfect spot on a wall with good lighting. They will also create a special exhibit around it.
Answers will vary. Example: Art from the past, like “The Rookie,” shows us how people lived, felt, and dreamed in a different time. When we see it today, it helps us understand history and connects our experiences to those of people before us. The painting captures the universal feeling of starting something new, which people still feel today.