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CHICAGO CUBS CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Oct 13, 2021, 11:36 AM
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CHICAGO – In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Chicago Cubs collaborated with muralist and Pilsen resident, Pablo Serrano, on a collection of prints that acknowledge the cultural pride Latinos feel and their shared history in Latin America. Fans can purchase the prints starting tomorrow, October 14, at 9 a.m. CDT, with proceeds benefiting the Latino Policy Forum.
Serrano, a Chicago native who resides in Pilsen, is the son of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States in 1979. He studied Graphic Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before becoming a high school art teacher at Farragut Career Academy in Little Village. Serrano holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and pursued a Ph.D. in Art Education from Northern Illinois University. His work focuses on using the creative potential of art to explore different aspects of citizenship, education and politics.
For this collection, Serrano created three individual prints that each include iconic elements of Wrigley Field, such as the famous ivy and scoreboard, as well as nods to each country represented (Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela) and the current Cubs players from those respective countries, including Sergio Alcántara, Adbert Alzolay, Robinson Chirinos, Willson Contreras, Rafael Ortega and Manny Rodríguez. When combined, the three prints create one large portrait that tells a cohesive story of cultural pride and baseball history.
“Each design features the colors of the respective flag of each home country but depicted as energy that ‘colors’ the environment around each player in dynamic ways,” said Serrano when asked to describe the designs featured in the print series. “Blending this cultural energy alongside the iconic elements of Wrigley Field, we see a fascinating juxtaposition of baseball history alongside young players who connect the game in profound ways to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. The bricks express the challenges that keep us from coming together and seeing the other sides of our experiences. Just like Cubs fans humanized the bricks through their written tributes, players through their lives transcend the stereotypes that keep us from achieving deeper levels of understanding. The iconic ivy to me represents the growth of the diverse and human dimension of baseball itself. A little crack in the floor is all that is needed to break through and literally climb over the walls in our lives.”
Proceeds from the collection will benefit the Latino Policy Forum, which builds a foundation for equity, justice and economic prosperity for the Latino community through advocacy and analysis. The Latino Policy Forum uses policy change to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies and strengthen community leadership.
“I hope to say that representation matters,” said Serrano when asked to share what message he hopes to send with his art. “These players were born outside the United States and bring an international dimension that enlarges not only the game itself in these countries but our own understanding of who we share the world with. The field is big enough for someone to be proud of where they are from and not try to whitewash the color and energy they bring to our international table. The colors these players bring also invites us to reflect on our own cultural identity and energy as citizens of the United States.”
This print collection is the sixth collaboration the Cubs have launched this year created to amplify these important voices, foster a dialogue around societal and cultural topics and recognize significant moments in time. Starting tomorrow, October 14, at 9 a.m. CDT, fans can purchase the prints for $49.99 each or $129.99 for all three prints (plus applicable taxes and fees) at www.cubs.com/pabloserrano while supplies last.
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