Dugout illustration © SEPS licensed by Curtis Licensing. All rights reserved
Paintings like Norman Rockwell’s The Dugout exert enormous power over the American cultural imagination. Beyond artworks, depictions of the Chicago Cubs in movies, folk songs, and sports media have cemented their image as mere “loveable losers”—their 2016 World Series Championship notwithstanding.
With this talk, Northwestern’s Bill Savage will explore these representations in relation to the historical accomplishments of the team over its 150 years of play and its position as a prominent part of Chicago—and American—culture. Sarah Kelly Oehler, Field-McCormick Chair and Curator of Arts of the Americas and vice president of Curatorial Strategy, will provide opening remarks and a brief discussion of The Dugout before welcoming him to the stage.
About the Speaker
Bill Savage is professor of instruction in the Department of English at Northwestern University, where he teaches the course Baseball in American Narratives. An active member of the Society for American Baseball Research, he has published scholarly essays on the history and literature of the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. In 2016, he wrote a fan-perspective column on the Cubs, “The View from Section 416,” for ESPN.com. Savage is a Cubs season ticket holder and curates a distinguished collection of old scorecards and new bobbleheads.
If you have any questions about programming, please reach out to [email protected].
Closed captioning will be available for this program. For questions related to accessibility accommodations, please email [email protected].
Sponsors
This program is supported by UNIQLO.
UNIQLO’s sponsorship of Third Thursdays at the Art Institute of Chicago reflects UNIQLO’s commitment to making art more accessible to people all over the world.
