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All-Star Game Art a Labor of Love for Carnegie Mellon Alumnus Burton Morris
The All-Star assignment has been a labor of love for Burton Morris, a Pittsburgh native and longtime Pirates fan.
Burton Morris has hit another home run. The Carnegie Mellon alumnus recognized as the "King of Pop Art" for his bold, energetic portrayals of everyday American icons — such as baseball, popcorn and apple pie — is the official artist for Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2006 All-Star Game, July 11 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Once Pittsburgh was chosen to host this year's event, MLB and the Pirates commissioned Morris to create a logo and other works for the game and the many pregame activities, such as FanFest, a five-day baseball extravaganza of interactive exhibits at the David Lawrence Convention Center beginning July 7.
"They thought my artwork would be a nice fit," Morris said. "They thought my style would re-energize the game and help to give fans a new vision of Pittsburgh."
Morris said he presented several sketches to MLB and the Pirates. "It was a process, but I feel very fortunate that they liked my art. I wanted to incorporate the 'new' Pittsburgh in the logo image."
In addition to the logo, Morris has created art for banners and posters that will be on display in and around PNC Park and downtown Pittsburgh. He's produced artwork for the All-Star game program and he's crafting a mural featuring modern-day baseball players that will be displayed outside the right-field wall at PNC Park. He's also painting the bases that will be used during pregame festivities and will sign posters and programs at FanFest.
The All-Star game is the latest big hit for Morris, who has strung together a most impressive list of accomplishments since earning his bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon's School of Design in 1986.
In 2004, Morris was commissioned to produce the official artwork for the 76th Annual Academy Awards and his creations decorated Hollywood's Kodak Theater, the city of Los Angeles and movie theaters around the U.S.
Morris spent much of his childhood days drawing and reading comic books, like Dick Tracy, Batman and Superman. He attended pre-college courses at Carnegie Mellon while in high school and matriculated to the university's College of Fine Arts in 1982. As an illustration and graphic design major he learned to simplify objects, shapes and forms. He credits comic book illustrators for his inspiration and fellow alumnus Andy Warhol (A'49) for "opening the doors to the kind of art I'm doing today." He also credits part of his success to Carnegie Mellon.
"Carnegie Mellon is a great school. The atmosphere was conducive to thinking and creativity. It taught you how to think and understand the thought process."
That combination — thinking and creativity — has helped Morris reach all-star status.
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The All-Star assignment has been a labor of love for the Pittsburgh native and longtime Pirates fan. "I love Pittsburgh and I love baseball. As a kid growing up in the '70s I followed the Pirates very closely. I think I could name all the Pirates from those teams," he said.
In addition to the Academy Awards, Morris has produced art for many other international events, such as the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 38th Montreux Jazz Festival. His works have been displayed around the world, from the International Olympic Museum in Switzerland and Sotheby's in Amsterdam to the Carter Center in Atlanta, Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles, Microsoft Corporation headquarters in Seattle, and Central Perk, the coffee shop made famous by the long-running NBC television series "Friends."