By Michaela Bishop
Northeast News
August 10, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – This Friday, the Kansas City Museum will be opening its doors to the public for a panel discussion entitled “Latinos and Baseball: In the Barrios and Big Leagues.”

Gene T. Chavez curated a panel exhibition in 2015 at the Kansas City Museum entitled “Mexican American Fast Pitch Softball Leagues: Connecting Communities across State Lines,” and because of how well that exhibition went, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History wanted to take the connection to the national level. The Kansas City Museum and the Smithsonian are taking donations and loaned items for a future traveling exhibit centered on Latinos and baseball. Kansas City Museum Recreation Director Paul Gutierrez discussed the museum’s goal for the “Latinos and Baseball: In the Barrios and the Big Leagues” collecting initiative.

“Our hope is that individuals will either be able to donate or do a long-term loan of artifacts,” Gutierrez said.

Anyone wishing to loan or donate personal items relating to the future “Latinos and Baseball: In the Barrios and Big Leagues” exhibition will need to visit the Library in the Main building on August 12th and 13th. Director John Gray of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History described in a July 26 press release why they chose baseball for their 2020 traveling exhibition.

“Baseball plays a major role in everyday American life since the 1800’s, providing a means of celebrating both national and ethnic identities and building communities,” Gray said.

The Smithsonian is locating props and documents from all over the United States and Puerto Rico. Some of the artifacts the Museum’s are trying to collect through donations and loans include: documented stories, baseball equipment, stadium signs, game memorabilia, food vendor signs, home movies, period photographs and much more.

The Director of Collections and Curatorial Services for the Kansas City Museum, Denise Morrison, said that some pieces have already been loaned for the museum to use, but they are hoping for more.

“It’s going to be interesting to see who will donate or loan their artifacts for a long period of time,” Morrison said.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is not the only Smithsonian Museum to help with this exhibit. Others involved are: Smithsonian Latino Center, Smithsonian Affiliations, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The collective initiative events at the Kansas City Museum are free of charge, and will be held on August 12th and 13th. You can find a scheduled list below.