Local artist James Marshall has created more than 300 brick murals.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s Little League and Little League Umpires are working with the city and local artist James Marshall to construct a monument paying tribute to former league contributors and community members.
“Medicine Hat Little League has been an active league – and quite a successful league – for a really long time,” Candice Henson, district administrator for District Four Alberta Little League, told the News. “Over the past few years, we’ve unfortunately lost a number of our players. (The monument) commemorates what they’ve built and left for us.”
The monument will feature a mural by Marshall as well as a memorial column with the names of Little League community members who have passed. The back of the monument will hold plaques with the names of Little League supporters. The two-line plaques may be purchased for $100, with proceeds going toward the cost of the monument.
The mural itself will depict several current Little League players of various ages. When choosing an artist to commission the mural, Henson said Marshall was the league’s first pick.
“Mr. Marshall’s work is amazing and heartwarming and he seems to really get the feel of what he’s doing,” said Henson. “He really builds something that lasts through the generations and through all the people that come and go … We’re just so fortunate that he was willing to come out of retirement to work with us, because there’s no one else like him.”
Marshall, a well-known artist both in Medicine Hat and internationally, was happy to be included in the project.
“I couldn’t turn down these young kids. They were pretty excited,” he said when speaking of the players who will be depicted.
The monument is expected to be completed in the spring of and will be placed in Lion’s Park.
“Lion’s Park is really the heartbeat of our Little League program because so much goes on there all the time,” said Henson.
Henson hopes the monument, which will be seen from two diamonds in the park, becomes a place of reflection as well as community.
“We really wanted something that we could place in a location that people could come and see and spend a moment or two just remembering their loved ones that they’ve lost or remembering the community and the programming,” said Henson.
“It means so many different things to different people. Little League kind of builds (itself) based on community values and being good citizens and giving back, which is why it’s a primarily volunteer organization.”
