Artist of the Month ~ Duane Corey

Baseball has been the national pastime since shortly after
the Civil War and remains so to this day. The game crosses social, cultural, and regional lines by Americanizing immigrant groups from all over Europe and welcoming neighbors from all over Latin America.  More than a game,
baseball preceded the Civil Rights Movement, breaking down racial barriers while building equality for African Americans in the United States.  Played in New York City urban school yards and in Kansas rural pastures baseball is the ultimate American Pastime which chronicles over half of our country’s history and social development.   Baseball’s legacy is lasting.

Shadow Ball in Jasper’s Town is a “storytelling” collection of work about baseball in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  Bridgeport’s past is strikingly similar to that of America. 
The city emerged from a small fishing village in the early 1800s, later becoming an “Arsenal of Democracy” during World Wars I and II as factories producing artillery parts.  Thousands of immigrants came to the region from all over the world, looking for an opportunity, work, to become American, and achieve the American dream.  In Bridgeport’s microcosm, many of these immigrants succeeded, like Pt. Barnum, Igor Sikorsky, and Jasper McLevy, who served as mayor for over a dozen years catalyzing change.

After the Civil War, African Americans began migrating North also in search of the American Dream, doing whatever it took to make it here - that “it” being a life of freedom, equality, and peaceful existence.  Society in America at this point was still very segregated and baseball at this time was more popular than any other
sport.  Even though many opportunities existed for those talented enough to play, baseball remained segregated with some rare exceptions.  All over America, African American baseball player began forming their own leagues which eventually united into the Negro League. While some played in small parks, others played in 50,000-seat stadiums in Chicago, Washington, and New York City attaining a new status.

This exhibit is a glimpse into Bridgeport’s baseball legacy and connection to the Negro League.  It is a
nostalgic look at where we were as a society and how far we’ve come, a look into the shadows of the past, a look at one town, Jasper’s Town - Shadow Ball in Jasper’s Town.

On exhibit from October 1-31, 2012 in the Stairwell Art Space at the downtown Fairfield University Bookstore. Duane Corey works for the Department of Public Safety at Fairfield University.