"There's supposed to be an article in here about the new museum," I answered. "They're having a special show next week." The new museum is one that recently opened in Stoneybrook. I've been really busy lately, so I haven't been there yet, but I've heard a lot about it. It isn't a huge museum, like theMetropolitanMuseuminNew York, but there's plenty to see, anyway. There are exhibits about science and history, and lots of special activities for kids. But a big part of the space is devoted to art. The museum doesn't have any Picassos yet, or anything like that, but they do have some work by lesser-known artists, which I was looking forward to seeing. Also, they plan on sponsoring special exhibits every so often — the kinds of exhibits I would never have had a chance to see before, unless I went toNew York. There are a couple of small galleries in Stoneybrook, but nothing like this new museum.

I was pretty excited about it, but I got really excited when I finally found the article I'd been looking for in the Times. "Wow!" I said. "They're going to have a big show of Don Newman's stuff. A ret — retro — "

"A retrospective?" asked Janine. "That’s when they show work that an artist has done over a long period of years."

"I knew that," I said. "I just couldn't pronounce the word right away. This is so amazing! I'll be able to see his early work."

"Who is Don Newman?" asked Janine.

"He's a sculptor," I answered. "A pretty famous one. And it just so happens that he lives near here, at least part of the year. That's why theStoneybrookMuseumgets to have the world premiere of this show."

"What kind of sculpture does he do?" asked Janine.

"Mostly abstract," I said. "I saw some of it in a museum inNew Yorklast year, and I loved it. He uses these big, rounded shapes, sort of like Henry Moore's stuff. But he's also influenced by Brancusi — these simple but radical forms. And some of his most recent stuff is a little bit like Noguchi's huge architectural style. But I hear his early work is really different. It looks more like Giacometti's long, thin human figures."