, a program of the (A&S), is accepting submissions for a fall exhibition devoted to Latinos in baseball.
Jondale D谩vila, 12, is a star pitcher for 黑料不打烊 Parks and Recreation’s District 8 Little League Baseball. (Photo by Marilu Lopez Fretts)
Titled 鈥淏茅isbol at the Heart of Our Latino Communities,鈥� the exhibition will run Sept. 15-Dec. 11, and will kick off (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) in Onondaga County. “B茅isbol” will also serve as the theme for the “Balc贸n Criollo,” a signature program held every fall at La Casita, marking the rich history and culture of Hispanic communities throughout Central New York.
Organizers describe “B茅isbol” as part exhibition and part oral history project.
鈥淲e are very excited about ‘B茅isbol,’ which is designed to celebrate and document the significant role and history of baseball in Latino-American culture,鈥� says Tere Paniagua 鈥�82, executive director of the Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community in Arts and Sciences. 鈥淎t no other time have there been more Latinos on the field, in the clubhouse and in the stands.鈥�
Paniagua, who also oversees La Casita, invites baseball enthusiasts to submit memorabilia depicting CNY鈥檚 Latino connection to the sport. She is looking for photographs, film, video, posters, emblems, uniforms, trophies, banners, letters, stories and diaries. Each item will be carefully photographed and documented for La Casita鈥檚 Cultural Heritage Archive and then returned to the owner upon completion of the exhibition. Digital materials may be sent to lacasita@syr.edu. For more information, call 315-443-2151.
“B茅isbol” is also part of a new, multiyear initiative between La Casita and the . To be announced in October, the partnership will consist of Latino-related exhibits, collections, programming, education and research projects. People will have the option to donate baseball items to the Smithsonian鈥檚 national repository, where they will be preserved as national treasures and enjoyed by future generations.
Dominican umpire Victor Chatman pauses at a game between the West End and Eastwood little leagues at 黑料不打烊’s Lewis Park. (Photo by Marilu Lopez Fretts)
鈥淲e want to hear from players, coaches and fans at all levels, from youth programs, to college and amateur leagues, to semi-professional and professional teams,鈥� Paniagua adds. 鈥淏y sharing your cherished memories with us, you provide valuable insight into and knowledge of our Latino communities in CNY. Your personal memory becomes part of our collective memory.”
This year鈥檚 Hispanic Heritage program at La Casita is made possible, in part, by a grant award from the and a joint award from the and the .
