Acres of Air

Jackson's Casady's fourth solo exhibition, "Acres of Air," examines LA's multi-dimensional history and our community's enduring relationship with America's pastime, baseball, through abstract and satirical paintings. The work in the show will focus on deconstructing the field’s landscape and exploring the overlooked, and not typically portrayed, unheroic moments within the game using varied painting techniques.

A series of large abstract paintings in the show will conjure untamed, green landscapes, referencing wild baseball fields before the development of stadiums. The work will offer meditation and critique on the environmental impact these stadiums have on the land and neighborhoods.

The show will also feature satirical figurative paintings of deprecating moments in the game that aren’t usually depicted – players making blunders, unruly fans, and many more scenes rendered by Casady with surrealism, symbolism, and humor in mind. As a fan, amateur player, and student of baseball since he was a kid, Casady is excited to say something new about America’s oldest game.

Another component of the project is the "Art of Baseball" workshop. The program will feature an art lesson and outdoor sports activities, taking place at the South Pasadena Arroyo Seco Little League fields. Participants will engage in a plein air painting lesson on the field, enjoying the experience of painting outdoors in a unique space and gaining a new appreciation for the landscape through this novel experience. After the lesson, the participants will engage in various baseball drills, thus cementing the baseball field as a place for creativity, teamwork, exercise, and learning.

Our goal is to raise $85,000 by year's end — with every dollar going directly toward materials and supplies for the exhibition as well as the community workshop.

Any show about baseball and the landscape of Los Angeles, should also acknowledge Chavez Ravine. Partnering with Buried Under the Blue, a non-profit group fighting for awareness, support, and justice for the Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop neighborhoods displaced by Dodger Stadium, the exhibit will raise funds for and historical awareness about these communities as well as illustrate the beauty of the lush and pastoral landscape of Elysian Park.

Fulcrum Arts is an established 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, and through their Emerge Program all contributions made to this project through Fulcrum Arts are 100% tax-deductible.