Toledo, Ohio (PRWEB) January 16, 2008
The boys of summer will take the field once again for a new season and across the nation fans will dream about a World Series victory. The Detroit Tigers have one of the most exciting teams in recent years with their new additions in 2008 and look to be one of the teams to beat. On the eve of opening day for the Detroit Tigers and Toledo Mud Hens, renowned sports artist James Fiorentino will have an opening at MMK Gallery in Toledo, Ohio on Wednesday, April 2nd from 7-10 PM. James’s show will be on display for the month of April and some of the proceeds from the sales of the original paintings will go to the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA Tigers) charity. There will be twenty or more originals on display for the opening depicting baseball stars of present and past including Jim Leyland, Ty Cobb, Pudge Rodriquez, Magglio Ordonez, Justin Verlander, Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Cal Ripken Jr. and Bob Feller, just to name a few. Some guests attending the opening will be former and current Detroit Tiger/Mudhen baseball players and team officials.
James will also have his first book of sports art on sale at the gallery that night which was released Fall 2007. The coffee table style book will feature more than 150 images of James’s sports art from his early years to his current paintings of 2007. Illustrated through-out the book are James’s portraits, action shots, collages and trading cards for all mainstream and non-mainstream sports. There will also be a limited edition Jim Leyland poster that will be available exclusively to the gallery that night. Cindy Millen, coordinator of MMK Gallery said, “We in the Toledo-Detroit baseball area are thrilled to have James Fiorentino exhibiting his work here. With so much great baseball history between our two cities, and the Tigers and the Mud Hens, there is no better way to celebrate that legacy than through the work of one of the finest sports artists in our country today.”
James became the youngest artist at the age of 15 to have a painting displayed in the National Baseball Hall of Fame with his likeness of Reggie Jackson. James also became the youngest artist member of the NY Society of Illustrators at 19 with artists such as Rockwell and Wyeth. James has worked with many sports legends such as Ted Williams, Muhammad Ali, Brett Favre and Cal Ripken Jr. His work is in the collection of many stars of today including Jeter, Pujols and A. Rod. James’s work can be seen in card sets for Topps, Upper Deck and Kelloggs. Many of his paintings can be seen in museums, galleries, corporations and private collections.
For more information, contact Visionary Art Inc. at 908-782-8509 (www.jamesfiorentino.com) or jamesart@patmedia.net or MMK Gallery’s Cindy Millen at 419-344-2424 or irish@toltbbs.com .
