Dozens of Baseball Artists Expected to Participate in Groundbreaking Online Event
Only a month or so after posting an idea about having an All-Star Baseball Art Exhibit on the Baseball Art Facebook page, BaseballArt.com founder Chris S. Cornell said that the unprecedented enthusiasm from the community of baseball artists and their fans has taken a decades old dream and turned it into a near reality.
On April 23, 2011, Cornell wrote: I’ve been tossing an idea around in my head for a couple of weeks. Would love some feedback: All-Star Art Show — Curate a baseball art show featuring an All-Star player at every position. Quality of the player is obviously important, but judge(s) could (and should) be swayed by quality of the art…
Apparently, the post struck a chord with the members of the baseball art community. Engagement on the Baseball Art fan page shot up dramatically, and the community experienced a sudden surge in its numbers. Artists and fans of baseball art responded with suggestions, they nominated players for the All-Time All-Star team that will be the subject of the first annual show, and they barraged Cornell with comments, phone calls and emails — urging him to get the project going.
Interest in the Baseball Art All-Star exhibit caused the engagement levels on the Baseball Art Facebook page to soar.
“The activity on the Baseball Art page over the past six weeks has been simply unbelievable,” said Cornell. The number of post views over the past month increased 493% and the number of new monthly fans rose by 132%. “I think that reflects how much interest there is, and has been, in this community,” said Cornell. “This is not my doing. The interest has been here all along, and so have these incredibly talented and passionate artists. A few online pages and websites have just helped focus that talent and energy, and that’s what we’re seeing here today.”
In response to the interest, Cornell today announced that BaseballArt.com is now accepting entries for the First Annual BaseballArt.com All-Star Art Show, which will be be held online, beginning July 8, 2011. The show will be viewable online, and selected pieces will be incorporated into a video presentation, which will commemorate the event.
Artists may enter as many pieces as they wish, but subjects are limited to the players and managers nominated by the baseball art community during the month of May. Entries should be submitted in the form of jpegs to Chris@BaseballArt.com. Artists retain all rights to their work, and BaseballArt.com’s rights to the images will be limited to including them in the online show and video, and in promoting the event. Awards will be given to artists in several categories — as selected by fans through Facebook page voting, and by a panel of expert judges, which will be selected in the coming weeks.
All entries must be received by 11:59 pm, June 30, 2011. Each entry must include the name of the subject, the medium, the size of the piece, the full name of the artist, and contact information (phone and/or email).