“Future Olympic Star,” Norman Rockwell, 1976. Pencil on poster board. Norman Rockwell Museum Digital Collections. Collection of the Franklin Mint. ©NRELC: Niles, IL.

The Olympics are finally here, and Norman Rockwell Museum wishes the very best to all the hard-working athletes taking part in this summer’s games!

Though not necessarily a sportsman himself, Norman Rockwell was frequently called upon to create images celebrating our national love of athletics—pictured here, Future Olympic Star was created by the artist back in 1976 for the Franklin Mint. The image of a young, athletic boy and his dog was then turned into a porcelain figure, and sold as part of the Mint’s “Joys of Childhood” collection. Of course, Rockwell created many different sports-related artworks through his long career—from baseball to football, fishing, basketball, boxing and bicycle-riding.

The artist’s enduring images of popular sports and America’s youth at play are celebrated in a lively new exhibition, Norman Rockwell: Sports! currently on view at Norman Rockwell Museum through October 28, 2012. The exhibition includes such classic paintings as Strictly a Sharpshooter (1941), The Recruit (1966), and the Four Sporting Boys (1951) series for Brown & Bigelow’s calendars. Also on view is Rockwell’s original bicycle, which he rode regularly to maintain the stamina he needed to endure long hours painting in his studio.

Go for the gold! Click here for more information on Norman Rockwell: Sports! and related programming.