Museum Partners with Artist Bill Purdom for 75th Anniversary Artwork

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The greatest team in history now has an official portrait – thanks to renowned baseball artist Bill Purdom.

In celebration of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 75th anniversary in 2014, the Hall has partnered with Purdom to produce an original painting to commemorate its Diamond Anniversary. The artwork features 67 living Hall of Famers as of June 12, 2014, the Museum’s 75th birthday, in a casual team-photo setting, with each member depicted in a uniform as they would have appeared during their careers.

Purdom spent more than 700 hours researching, composing and painting the original acrylic-on-canvas work.

Commissioned by the Hall of Fame for retail sale, the original painting has been purchased. However, the work is also available as an inkjet-on-canvas, fine-art giclee, finished in two different limited editions:

75th Anniversary Giclee with Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Set

Hand-signed and numbered by the artist, the giclee is matted and framed with a Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Set produced by the US Mint featuring $5 gold, $1 silver and half-dollar clad coins. Also included is a capsule of brick dust, taken from bricks removed from the original Hall of Fame building during its 2005 renovation. The finished size is approximately 58 inches by 25.25 inches and includes a certificate of authenticity. Available in a limited edition of four pieces at a retail price of $2,000.

75th Anniversary Giclee

Gallery-wrapped around a sturdy box frame, each giclee is hand-signed and numbered by the artist and measures approximately 52.5 inches by 17 inches. Includes a certificate of authenticity. Available in a limited-edition print run of 500 at a retail price of $500.

Purdom has painted 81 great moments in baseball history to date, including 10 first-pitch paintings of ballparks that have opened around the country over the past 25 years. Since 2005, Purdom has painted the annual lithograph for the Museum’s Membership Program, and three of his original paintings and 56 of his lithographs have been accessioned into the Museum’s permanent collection.

The 67 members of the Hall of Fame featured in the artwork are: Hank Aaron, Roberto Alomar, Luis Aparicio, Ernie Banks, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Bert Blyleven, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Lou Brock, Jim Bunning, Rod Carew, Steve Carlton, Orlando Cepeda, Bobby Cox, Andre Dawson, Bobby Doerr, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Carlton Fisk, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Pat Gillick, Tom Glavine, Goose Gossage, Tony Gwynn, Doug Harvey, Rickey Henderson, Whitey Herzog, Monte Irvin, Reggie Jackson, Ferguson Jenkins, Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Barry Larkin, Tony La Russa, Tom Lasorda, Greg Maddux, Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Bill Mazeroski, Willie McCovey, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Eddie Murray, Phil Niekro, Jim Palmer, Tony Pérez, Gaylord Perry, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Ryne Sandberg, Mike Schmidt, Red Schoendienst, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter, Don Sutton, Frank Thomas, Joe Torre, Billy Williams, Dave Winfield, Carl Yastrzemski and Robin Yount.

For more information or to reserve your giclee, please visit our web store or call 1-888-425-5633.