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WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball

January 13 through March 13, 2011

 

Josh Gibson
2006
Oil on canvas
36 x 36 x 1½”

Safe at Home
2005
Oil on canvas
60 x 60 x 1 ½”
Collection of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Kadir Nelson at work in his studio

 

WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Original Paintings by Kadir Nelson

 

 


Original Paintings by Kadir Nelson
Muskegon Museum of Art Walker Galleries A & B

WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball, Original Paintings by Kadir Nelson, will be on display at the Muskegon Museum of Art from January 13 through March 13, 2011.

Award-winning artist and author Kadir Nelson spent over a decade researching, writing, and illustrating the history of Negro League baseball, from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Nelson’s paintings would ultimately fill the pages of the book We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, which became a New York Times bestseller and received the Coretta Scott King Author Award. This nationally touring exhibition comprises 33 paintings from Nelson’s book and 13 preliminary sketches that speak to the Negro League’s overwhelming success despite the daunting odds against it. “We are the ship,” declared Rube Foster, former pitching great and founder of the Negro National League, “all else the sea.”

We Are the Ship tells the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the 20th century. Most of all, it is a story of the hundreds of unsung heroes of the Negro Leagues who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved most: play ball.

The Muskegon showing of We Are the Ship, in addition to Nelson’s paintings of baseball greats Satchel Page, Jackie Robinson, James “Cool Papa” Bell and others, includes fascinating Negro League memorabilia from area collections.

The exhibition’s national tour was developed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, Kansas City, Missouri. The presenting sponsor of We Are the Ship is Frontier Communications. Additional major support is provided by Thomas Tuttle, Warner Norcross and Judd LLP, the Joseph Schulze Family Diversity Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, and a host of other supporting players to be announced at the opening reception.

WE ARE THE SHIP Special Programs

Thursday, January 13
OPENING EVENT
5:30 pm Opening Reception
Featuring music by Vincent Hayes Project and visit by Cecil Kaiser, left handed pitcher with the Homestead Grays, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Detroit Stars
Appetizers and adult beverages will be served. Free and open to the public.
7:00 pm Special Presentation by artist and writer Kadir Nelson
Free and open to the public.

Thursday, January 13, starting at 2:00 pm
Autographed Memorabilia Sale
Louis Manley, Jr., collector, enthusiast, and head of the Michigan Chapter of Negro League Players, will have available for sale quality Negro League autographed memorabilia (baseballs, bats, posters, photos, and figurines). A portion of the sales will support the MMA presentation of We Are the Ship.

Friday, January 14
Fifteenth Annual Unity Breakfast
At Muskegon Community College
This event, sponsored by the Greater Muskegon Urban League, will feature special guest, author, and artist Kadir Nelson speaking about his work on the book We Are the Ship:  The Story of Negro League Baseball. Call Ed Garner of Muskegon Area First at 231.724.3172 for reservation information.

Thursday, January 27, 7:00pm
Shadow Ball

Living History Performance by Bobby Norfolk
Bobby Norfolk’s performance takes the audience through the heyday of the Negro Baseball Leagues. Bobby brings to life an important but sometimes forgotten era in baseball history, telling passionate, humorous, and often unbelievable stories of exploits both on and off the field, focusing on the St. Louis Stars own James “Cool Papa” Bell and the Kansas City Monarchs’ Satchel Paige. Admittance: A suggested donation of $10 appreciated.

Saturday, February 12, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Super Baseball Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
Celebrate African-American History month at the MMA! Explore the heritage of the Negro Baseball Leagues and the art of Kadir Nelson during this full day of history and culture. Free admission and activities, including the film Sandlot, make and take baseball pennant, and guided tours.

Thursday, February 24, 7:00 pm
The Negro Leagues
Special Lecture by Larry Lester
Larry Lester, one of the founders of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and a renowned and published scholar on the Negro Leagues, will talk about his work and accomplishments as a dedicated advocate for former League players. This program is free and open to the public. Mr. Lester campaigns for retroactive pensions for the players and raises funds to purchase headstones for unmarked athletes’ graves. More recently, in 2006, he successfully campaigned with Senator Bill Nelson (of Florida) and the Satchel Paige family for Congress to designate May 20th as “Negro Leaguers Recognition Day.”

Saturday, February 26, 1:00pm-4:00pm
Negro League Baseball Memorabilia Clinic
Louis Manley, Jr., researcher—collector, and agent for living Negro League players—will be available to discuss and consult with area collectors of Negro League memorabilia. Mr. Manley is the head of the Michigan Chapter of Negro League Players and has been a collector of Negro League memorabilia for the last 20 years, specializing in the collection of authentic autographs. Please limit your selection of pieces you bring in to five or less.

Saturday, February 26, 4:00pm 
Panel Discussion & Reception
The Negro Leagues
Panel features Larry Lester, former Negro League players for the Detroit Stars Melvin Duncan and Eugene Johnson, Kent State University Associate Professor Leslie Heaphy, sports writer Thomas Tuttle, and Renee Rasberry, collector, enthusiast, and daughter-in-law of the late Ted Rasberry—former owner of the Detroit Stars and Kansas City Monarchs. Enjoy refreshments in the galleries after the program. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, March 3, 7:00pm
Special Lecture by Ron Shapiro
Ron Shapiro is a sports agent, New York Times best-selling author, and civic leader. Ron’s involvement in sports for over 35 years in many different capacities will allow him to provide a unique perspective on how sports, baseball in particular, have changed, and to a limited extent, discuss developments in civil rights and African American participation in baseball. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, March 10, 7:00pm
Performance by Joyce Stearnes Thompson
Joyce Stearnes Thompson will present a talk entitled, “The ABC’s of Norman ‘Turkey’ Stearnes,” and she will then perform from her CD, Turkey Stearnes’ Daughter Sings Church Favorites.*
*Turkey Stearnes was a renowned player with the Detroit Stars and was considered one of the best hitters in the League.

2nd & 4th Thursdays*, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film Series
January and February Brown Bag films celebrate the opening of We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.
Free admission and free coffee and cookies.
January 13
There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro League Baseball Leagues
(58 mins.) Learn about Negro League Baseball by watching compelling interviews of players such as Satchel Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Buck Leonard, and Judy Johnson.  Those interviews combined with historical footage weave the complex and controversial story of Negro League Baseball. 
January 27
Pitching Man, Satchel Paige Defying Time
(55 mins.) This film tells the story of Satchel Paige, an extraordinary athlete who overcame major adversity to play baseball. Paige played 40 years on makeshift rural sandlots and in major league ballparks against the best in the game. Paige entered into the major leagues as a rookie at the age of 42 and eventually became the first Negro League player to win induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame.
February 10
Inning 5–Shadow Ball, 1930~1940
Baseball Film by Ken Burns
(151 mins.) Inning Five of this 10-part PBS series, Shadow Ball, tells the story of the Negro Leagues in the 1930s. The title refers to a common pre-game feature in which the players staged a mock game with an imaginary ball. Though unintended, the pantomime was an apt metaphor for the exclusion of blacks from major league play at that time.
February 24
Only the Ball Was White
(30 mins.) Only the Ball Was White is based on the 1972 book written by Robert Peterson. In this film and book he exposed the true stories of the Negro League players, their trials, tribulations, and eventual triumphs breaking the color barrier.

 

GROUP TOURS

Call 231.720.2571 to book group tours for visitors of all ages.

 

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

School Tour Information

Fun Activities and Lesson Plans 

Lesson plans and bibliography are provided courtesy of Dr. Leslie Heaphy, Assoc. Prof. of History at Kent State University.  Lesson plans are geared for Middle School students (6th, 7th, 8th grades).
 

 

EAST-WEST ALL-STARS
2006
Oil on canvas
30 x 60 x 1 ½”