MPR: MIA's 'Sports Show' documents interdependence of media and sports

Curator David Little, whose book by the same name is published by University of Minnesota Press, chats with MPR.

Little_Sports coverSt. Paul, Minn. — It's rare when sports and art merge, but the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' "The Sports Show" is the first exhibition from a major art museum to trace the rise of a 'global sports culture."

At the MIA, Curator David Little walks up to a panoramic turn-of-the-century photo near the beginning of the Sports Show. It's a sweeping sepia-toned shot of an opening day baseball game between Washington and Boston.

Thousands of men are in the stands and line the outfield. They're dressed formally, some with top hats or bowlers, and their eyes are fixed on the field.

"First of all, this is around 1900, and look at the fans," Little said. "What are your thoughts on what the audience looks like?"

Read and listen here.

Published in: Minnesota Public Radio
By: Chris Roberts