If you're reading this, then you're probably among the group of people who would love to be at Citizens Bank Park later today for the Phillies home opener against the Kansas City Royals. But sometimes tickets just don't end up in your hands on game day and you find yourself in need of an alternative. If you're in the Philadelphia area this evening between 5:00-9:00 pm, you should absolutely check out the Philly-centric art opening titled, "Fast, For A Catcher" by local artist and friend of the Level Mike Jackson.
Long time Level readers will remember his work popping up sporadically over the years on the site. His Cliff Lee wearing an umbrella hat was a favorite.
We chatted with Mike yesterday about his show debuting this evening at Indy Hall in Old City and he was absolutely stoked to show off his more than 50 pieces of various sizes and detail, all about baseball. He told us there's a big Phillies influence, but also legendary players from days past in addition to a few ball players that only exist in his artwork.
If you can make it down tonight, there will be original baseball cards available featuring 19 of the portraits Mike did of some of his favorite players. You can also pull a "golden ticket" -- good for trading up for more of his original artwork.
And be sure to look for the Hunter Pence lighting a stogie on the field at Citizens Bank Park piece that was inspired by an Instagram photo I took.
And if you're worried about missing the Phils home opener, they'll have it on at the show throughout the speaker system.
Here are the vital deets:
Mike Jackson (Twitter, website)
Fast, For a Catcher
Indy Hall, 22 N. 3rd Street
Mike Jackson’s love of baseball runs deep, and he has built an entire show around it. At 5:00 on Friday, April 5 – the same day as the Phillies’ home opener – Indy Hall will be opening its doors to showcase Mike Jackson’s visual appreciation for the American past time. The show will feature ink and watercolor drawings based on Mike’s own memories, and memories shared by others. It’s a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and quirks of baseball, and the life we make for ourselves around it. You’ll find drawings of some of your favorite teams and players – from Yogi Berra, Satchel Paige, and Andrew McCutchen, to your favorite Phillies, to the fans we encounter while watching the game. These drawings string the narrative that makes baseball remarkable on an individual level.
And Mike on the show:
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“With Fast, for a Catcher, I want to show that even though we’re all watching the same game, each of us takes something deeply personal from it. The title of the show itself is one of my favorite back-handed compliments of all time, and I use it to describe my own drawings while I’m working on them. Great things (and not so great) have happened to me while watching or listening to a baseball game. I love baseball because of the life that I’ve shaped around it.” - Mike Jackson