View From the Mound: How Baseball and Art are Connected

American International College Liberal Studies Major and Baseball Pitcher James "Jay" Chiappetta created a virtual museum showcasing Surrealism in Professor John Nordell's History of Art course.  Nordell, a professional photojournalist, photographed Jay in action. "I love to encounter the life of my students outside the classroom," says Nordell, "as it helps me deeply understand their passions."

Click to view Jay's Virtual Museum. Once the page has loaded, click the "i" icon in the upper left corner for tips on navigating the museum.

Jay describes the connections between art and baseball:

Throughout the semester I learned that art has the power to reach every aspect of life. It even has the power to reach competitive sports. I have played baseball my entire life and I have learned that there are some overlapping ideas within baseball and in art. For my Surrealism museum project I decided to record my curatorial statement in Spanish because there were many Hispanic artists that were very influential in making surrealism popular. This was definitely a risk for me because I am not a fluent Spanish speaker.

Risk taking is very common when it comes to creating art. It is also very common in the sport of baseball. I am a pitcher and when I decide to throw either my fastball, curveball, or changeup there is a risk that each pitch will get hit. I have to decide based on the batter what pitch I think will be most effective. 

Taking risks in art and in baseball can definitely be stressful but most of the time I find those types of risks to be worth it. 

Jay begins a Master's Degree this fall, continuing his preparation to become a teacher.  Due to pandemic disruptions, NCAA athletes like Jay were granted an extra year of eligibility. Make sure you catch Jay on the mound next spring!