On Thursday evening, the Binghamton University Art Museum opened six new exhibitions, headlined by “Baseball in Cuba: A Photographic Essay by Ira Block” in the main gallery.
“Baseball in Cuba” features a series of photos by Ira Block, who has worked on over 30 stories for National Geographic Magazine. The show examines the role of baseball in the lives of Cubans, who can all share the sport despite cultural and economic differences within the nation. The intimacy of the photos was achieved through special access granted to Block by the Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educación Fisica y Recreacion, the Cuban Ministry of Sports.
The photos show a diverse slice of the population of Cuba, from young children playing baseball in the street with masking-tape balls to old men wearing tattered uniforms to play in stadiums much like those of high school teams in the United States. The communist legacy and impact of the embargo by the United States is clear in the photos, shown by the contrast between the bright colors in the landscape and the well-worn equipment on display.
Lauren Sahlman, a junior majoring in English, remarked on the collection’s striking vibe.
“I just really appreciated the vibrancy of the content of the photos, as well as the colors of the photos,” Sahlman said. “I just thought is was really lively even though it was still.”
In the mezzanine gallery, the show “The Bard in Bold,” is exhibiting contemporary posters for showings of Shakespeare’s plays across the globe. These included a bright pink poster for “Romeo and Juliet” as part of Shakespeare in the Park and a Serbian iteration of a poster for the comedy “As You Like It.” This exhibit is part of a larger collection curated by designer Mirko Ilić, who, along with Steven Heller, authored an accompanying book, “Presenting Shakespeare: 1,100 Posters from Around the World.”
The lower galleries are now presenting several shows curated by graduate students. These include “Keith Arnatt: Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” “The Wedgwood Revolution” and “Picturing Children at the Turn of the Century.” The Keith Arnatt collection was donated by John Tagg, a professor of the art history department. Additionally, there is a small exhibition curated by established creator Lucie Nelson, “The Kabuki Stage in Japanese Woodblock Prints.”
In the main gallery, curators also highlighted a recent lithograph acquired by the University. “Sixth Avenue I,” by Fairfield Porter, was donated by Gil and Deborah Williams of Binghamton, who also donated part of their photography collection for “Picturing Children at the Turn of the Century.”
The opening on Thursday featured a variety of Cuban foods, including plantains and papaya catered by Sodexo and selected by museum staff. Nukporfe, BU’s African dance and drumming ensemble also performed during the opening.
“Baseball in Cuba” is the keystone piece to the University’s “Cuba Month” happening in October. The month will feature performances, lectures and a gallery talk, most of which will take place in the Binghamton University Art Museum.
The current exhibition will be on view in the galleries of the Binghamton University Art Museum through Dec. 17.