* Announcement: Baseball art exhibit in Boston

http://www.hilaryshepherd.com/rantsnraves/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/body-painting-2.jpgFrom Boston.com, the web presence of the Boston Globe:

Sometimes it seems like you could go a whole 10 minutes in Boston without someone pontificating about the good old days and the game of baseball’s lengthy and proud history. In case you find yourself in one of those ruts, you might want to check out this new exhibit at the Bank of America Gallery called “The Art of the Game: Aesthetics of Baseball, America’s Pastime.” Running through Oct. 31, the show, featuring work from notable artists such as Claes Oldenburg and Robert Rauschenberg, takes a multimedia approach to the game with painting, sculpture, photography, and prints of old-timey dudes such as Babe Ruth, who we’re assuming was some sort of sportsman. Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Bank of America Gallery, 100 Federal St., Boston.

* Announcement: Baseball art exhibit in Appleton, WI

Yesterday (Oct. 2), the Appleton Art Center opened “an exhibition featuring several works from its popular ‘Art of the Diamond: Baseball’ exhibit, which was originally on display in April and May as part of a series of events organized by Fox Cities arts groups under the title ‘Home Run for the Arts.’”

Also in the exhibition are several photographs dating from the 1930s and 1940s by Chicago photographer, George Brace, who from 1929 to 1993 captured iconic images of over 10,000 baseball players. Also included will be three vintage 1911 baseball cards depicting members of the celebrated Chicago Cubs infield — Joe Tinker, John Evers and Frank Chance — all of whom were in the Cubs lineup the last time the venerable Chicago ball club won the World Series 100 years ago. A highlight of the exhibit will be a rare, autographed baseball signed by Babe Ruth.

The exhibition runs through Nov. 15.

Speaking of art

The Sport Artwork Forum ran this interview with baseball artist Dick Perez, whose style would be instantly recognizable to a certain segment of baseball card (”art to go”?) collectors.

The forum ran a similar Q&A with John Hanley.

Several years ago, when I was researching the Montreal Expos, I spoke with Andres Gallaraga. It was one of my first athlete interviews and I think we were both a bit uncomfortable. But I had heard somewhere that he was an artist and asked him a few questions about that. That seemed to relax him a bit. I didn’t use any of that stuff for my project, but I learned a bit about getting people to open up by talking about things they like.

Other sports art sites you might find interesting (not solely about baseball, though):

American Sport Art Museum

The National Art Museum of Sport

* Art opening

“Oregon Nisei Baseball — The Early Years” exhibit featuring black-and-white images of Nisei teams and Northwest baseball tournaments.  Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center: 121 N.W. Second Ave. (503-224-1458) Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tue-Sat, noon-3 p.m. Sun.  Opening reception 1:30 p.m. Sun, Sept. 14; through Jan. 11, 2009.

From the Web site:

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, we are revisiting the very first exhibit put on in 1998. Originally curated by Miki Yasui and a team of community baseball advisors, the exhibit features black and white images of local Nisei teams and NW tournaments. Join us for this fun-filled and nostalgic exhibit, which runs through January 11, 2009.

The opening reception on Sunday, September 14th at 1:30 p.m. will feature a talk by Prof. Samuel Regalado of California State University, Stanislaus. He has written several articles on Nisei baseball and softball, as well as books on Latin American baseball.

* This would look nice on my bookshelf…

And a bargain at less than $12,000.

* Minor league baseball, Major League yuks

Came across this piece about a comic give-away courtesy the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on the Againwiththecomics blog.

* Because it’s never too soon to get them started

Baseball deco for kiddies.

* What am I bid?

Artist Michael Naples hosts “A painting a day” which allows visitors to bid on his work.

This one is baseball-related (what else) and would look very nice, framed, on a bookshelf. The auction is held via E-bay through Aug. 10. The bidding on the 6″x6″ item starts at $100.

Baseball with Books, by Michael Naples

* Field of Dreams? No, “Field of Life”

In the movie Field of Dreams, the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson appears on a Midwest baseball field constructed specifically for him by farmer Ray Kinsella.

“Is this heaven,” asks the bemused ballplayer, who had been banned from the game for his role in the 1919 Black Sox scandal? “No,” replies his host, “It’s Iowa.”

Well, it’s not quite Field of Dreams and it’s not quite heaven (and it’s certainly not Iowa), but graphic artist Dov Abramson has come up with his own spiritual metaphor in “Baseball: Field of Life.”

“A friend showed me an article a couple of years ago about the similarity in form between the [kabala] Tree of Life and the baseball diamond,” said Abramson in an e-mail interview. “I always thought it would be cool to visualize the idea. I finally sat down and did it for Opening Day, 2008.”

Each defensive position on the baseball diamond, including a spot for the first base umpire, follows the Tree of Life design and retains the Hebrew headings. “Those were the ‘given,’” said Abramson, “I didn’t want to play around with them, so I assigned the baseball elements that made the most sense to me to each one. I guess some work better than others.“

It got great response from baseball fans. As with some of my work, which almost always deals with Jewish themes — sometimes in unexpected ways — I did expect some raised eyebrows about mixing kabala with baseball. But since I know that I did it with the utmost respect and with no intention of cheapening the kabala, I think it was received well.”

Abramson, 33, was born in Saratoga Springs, NY and made what he jokingly refers to as “involuntary aliya” with his parents when he was eight. He now lives with his wife and two daughters in Jerusalem where he works as a “visual communicator.”

“I got bit with the baseball bug before I can remember,” said Abramson, who fondly recalled watching Yankees games broadcast by the late Phil Rizzuto and Warner Wolf on the evening news. “My parents tell the story that on the airplane to Israel, all I cried about was that I was being taken away from baseball.”

It was difficult to follow his favorite sport at their new home in the Negev. “As I grew up, I totally assimilated into Israeli culture: sports, music, books, etc. All my friends were Israeli, and I never hung out with the ‘American’ crowd. But the one thing I never lost my love for baseball, which Israeli’s just don’t get.” In the ensuing years, Abramson gradually lost touch, falling into what he calls a “15-year baseball coma.” But new technologies brought the game back into reach. Abramson credits the Internet, ESPN’s availability in Israel, and MLB.TV, Major League Baseball’s Web presence, with returning his lost friend.

Needles to say, Abramson was overjoyed when baseball came to Israel in the form of the Israel Baseball League.

“Pro ball in the Holy Land? Never thought that would happen in my lifetime. So I dusted off the old gloves I brought with me in 1983, packed up the girls, and went to the ballpark at Gezer.”

“Even though I am married to an Israeli, speak Hebrew with my daughters, and rarely travel to the States, I now never miss a game or a stat.”

For more information on Abramson’s work, visit his Web site.

[This article appears in the May 8 edition of NJ Jewish News.]

* Anouncement: “Art of Baseball” opens at the George Krevsky Gallery

From a GKG press release:

It wouldn’t be spring without baseball. Nor would it be spring without the annual “Art of Baseball” exhibition at the George Krevsky Gallery.

Now in its 11th year, the exhibit opens with a reception on Thursday, May 1st, and will be on view through Saturday, June 7th.

This year’s theme – Building a Team – refers not just to the coach’s task of choosing a roster to play the game, but also to the curator’s task of bringing together talented artists from all over the country who depict the game that obsesses fans of all ages. For five weeks the gallery’s walls will be densely hung with over 40 artworks by more than 25 artists; men and women who interpret Abner Doubleday’s invention through an artist’s eye.

“You can observe a lot by watching,” Yogi Berra said. You can also learn a lot about our national pastime by looking at the remarkable range of artworks that will be on view — from hyperrealism to folk art, from commentary on current issues confronting the game to unapologetic doses of pure nostalgia. “Building a Team” will be a visual delight for the baseball lover, the art lover, and the many people who love them both.

For more information and additional images from the exhibition, please visit our website at www.georgekrevskygallery.com.

The Art of Baseball

From the Litchfield County (CT) Times, this article about sports art dealer Bill Goff, whose “primary business is to publish and market, by direct mail and web site, limited-edition, signed and numbered offset lithographs of ballpark/arena/golf scenes and sports still lifes.”

For you art afficianados out there…

(Hope I spelled that right). In recognition of spring training, the Week in Review Section of today’s New York Times has a series of sketches drawn in 1962 by Sports Illustrated’s Robert Weaver. There’s a slide show of several these drawings — with text by illustrator and art teacher DB Dowd — of the marvelous (Mantle and Maris, DiMaggio) and the mundane (a soft drink vendor) on the Times Web site.

Baseball, a la Norman Rockwell

Execrpted from an entry on darkmattermag.com:

“When I was young, I collected autographs of active and retired baseball
players using a book that actually listed their home addresses. This
book even had addresses for old umpires, including the umpire depicted
in the center of Rockwell’s painting, “Beans” Reardon. So, I have a small reproduction of Bottom of the Sixth signed by good old “Beans” right there on the chest protector. I’m sure it wouldn’t get much on Antique Road Show, but I still cherish it today.”