Baseball Exhibit, "Diamonds Are For Ever"

• Date: 1985 - Present

• Location: USA

• Subject: Sexual/Gender Orientation

• Medium: Painting

• Artist/Author/Producer: Eric Fischl

• Confronting Bodies: Ziff Sistrunk, executive director of Chicago Sports Council

• Dates of action: July, 1989

• Location: Chicago, Illinois

Description of the Art Work

"Boys at Bat" is a painting of a picnic scene with a father and son. The father, completely nude except for a baseball cap, is swinging a baseball bat while the son stands aside holding a bat staring.

Description of incident

"Diamonds Are Forever," a baseball art exhibit sponsored by Worldwide Cultural Affairs and American Express Company at the Chicago Cultural Center. Sistrunk alleged the painting promotes sexual molestation and homosexuality while using baseball as a front. He met with Cultural Center officials requesting the removal of the painting.

Results of incident

The painting remained with the support of the Cultural Center and American Express.

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Record no 336