Press Kit

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Sean Kane’s artwork merges portraiture and hand-lettered designs with classic baseball gloves, creating a connection to the era and story of the ball players he depicts.

Sean’s works reside in the collection of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and numerous private and corporate collections including the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Philadelphia Phillies and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. His paintings have been exhibited at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art and West Virginia University.

The National Art Museum of Sport recognized Sean as an “Artist of the Month” in 2016. His works have been featured on ESPN. com, NBC Sports. com and MLB Network Radio.

Sean is a Chicago native now living and working a long fly ball from Toronto. His work is online at SeanKaneBaseballArt.com.

Statement & CV/Resume at bottom of page

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Media Inquiries

Press inquiries please contact Sean Kane.

Email sean@seankane.com

Or Contact form

Telephone 519.836.5647

Location

Studio is located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Available for photo shoot and interview.

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Quick Facts

  • Creating each painted glove usually takes between 100-130 hours to complete, including researching the player and history, sourcing the baseball glove, sketching designs, hand-lettering the type and painting the portrait.

  • I find vintage baseball mitts, some a century old, from online sports antiques dealers and at memorabilia shows.

  • I first got the idea to use baseball mitts as my canvas in 2001. “I think of them as a sort of time machine, helping to transport the viewer to the time and place of a ballplayer's career.” I refined the concept and began seriously making them in 2011.

  • Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn was the first player to see my first painted glove. He loved it and autographed it.

  • At last count, twelve former MLB players, including a few Hall of Famers, have my art in their collection.

  • I have been commissioned to paint seven gloves for the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Glove art prices currently range from $3200-$4500 USD for paintings in my shop and Custom commissioned gloves start at $4500 and up depending upon number of portraits, design complexity and cost of glove.

  • Each glove is a one-of-a-kind, unique keepsake that is custom designed and created for a specific glove and player story.

  • I cheer for whoever is playing on the radio when I’m painting. My hometown, boyhood ties have me rooting for the Chicago Cubs.

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Quotes & Kind Words

“Sean's work is amazing!”

— Bob Kendrick, President, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

“Loving the unique baseball art on classic gloves being produced by Sean Kane. Very, very cool.”

— Dan Evans, Former L.A. Dodgers' General Manager

“I have been involved in baseball for many years and I can say without reservation that Sean's baseball glove artwork displays the history of our great game in a unique, creative and beautiful way. Sean's gloves are a must see for every baseball fan.”

— Bill Schroeder, Milwaukee Brewers TV announcer and former big league catcher

“Sean curated my thoughts. I’m incredibly impressed with his skill. And as a designer – the ability to listen and the collaboration between us – he’s an artist with a specific focus, and he’s at the top of his game.”

— Jonathan Cole, Architect. His firm, Pendulum Studio, has designed 26 minor-league baseball stadiums.

“Ontario-based illustrator Sean Kane buys up vintage baseball gloves and paints museum-quality baseball artwork on them, creating magnificent keepsakes that stand alone in the sports marketplace. Kane's attention to detail comes through in every little brushstroke. First-rate!”

— Paul Lukas, ESPN.com Uni-Watch column

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Photos • Web and High-Res

Download photo files from Dropbox: Sean-Kane-Press-Kit (opens in new window)

Photos by Sean Kane. Media usage rights granted with name credit.

Most High-Res smallest side 1800pixels.

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Artist CV / Resume

Download CV from Dropbox: Sean Kane Artist CV (opens in new window)

American, Canadian. Born Chicago, Illinois, 1970. Lives and works in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Statement

My work merges portraiture with bygone baseball gloves to celebrate the game's great figures. These acrylic paintings embrace the unique character of classic gloves, re-purposed with player portraits, hand-lettering and graphic elements to create a connection to the era and story of those depicted.

The work derives from a desire to visually connect my passion for the game's history, the look of the game on and off the field, and a fondness for vintage mitts since childhood, when I was given my father's old glove.

These works are intended to evoke special memories for the viewer-- of a first glove, favorite players and baseball moments they've experienced. These paintings are also meant to playfully attract and engage the unfamiliar fan, sparking their curiosity about players, eras of the game and the gloves themselves.

Exhibitions - Solo & Group

  • 2020 “Discovering the Game That Was”, solo show, WriteDesign Studio, Guelph, ON

  • 2019 "Spaces for Sports: Playing on the Land", group show, D&R Greenway Land Trust - The Marie L. Matthews Gallery, Princeton, NJ

  • 2018 "Baseball as Art", Group Show, Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby, NC

  • 2017 "Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming American", Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa, OK. Painting exhibited alongside historical artifacts.

  • 2016 "African American Baseball and Hispanic Culture, 1860-1960", Center for Democracy and Citizenship Education, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Painting exhibited alongside historical artifacts.

  • 2015 "Baseball as Art", Group Show, Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby, NC

  • 2015 Milwaukee Brewers Visitors Clubhouse, Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI

  • 2014 "Negro Leagues Béisbol," Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, MO. Paintings exhibited alongside historical artifacts.

  • 2013 "Sean Kane Baseball Glove Paintings," Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, New York, NY

Collections - Museums & Public

  • National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, NY

  • Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, MO

  • The National Pastime Museum, San Francisco, CA

Collections - Foundations and Corporations

  • Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Baltimore, MD

  • Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Hollywood, FL

  • Milwaukee Brewers Fantasy Camp, Phoenix, AZ

  • Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia, PA

  • Richie Ashburn - Harry Kalas Foundation, Philadelphia, PA

Collections - Private

  • Ball players with works in their collection available upon request.

Awards and Honors

  • 2019 Ontario Arts Council, Visual Artists, Creation Projects Grant, Canada

  • 2016 The National Art Museum of Sport, Artist of the Month, January, Indianapolis, IN

Exhibition-Ready Baseball Glove Art Show for Your Venue

A ready-to-install exhibit presenting Sean Kane's baseball-themed paintings – artworks which highlight the game’s history and feature some of the greats who shined on the diamond. Info: SeanKaneBaseballArt.com/glove-art-exhibit

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Press inquiries please contact Sean Kane. Email sean@seankane.com Or Contact form.