The Lucas County Board of Commissioners joined the Toledo Mud Hens and the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo in announcing the event schedule for opening weekend festivities and unveiled public art projects that will be located around Fifth Third Field when the Mud Hens begin play in their new home ballpark.

The Mud Hens open the 2002 baseball season at home on Tuesday, April 9. The first event that will be held at Fifth Third Field will be an arts gala fundraiser on Saturday, April 6, 2002 called “Grand Slam Saturday Night: Celebrating the Art of the Game.” On the next day, Sunday, April 7, the Lucas County Board of Commissioners and the Toledo Mud Hens will host a free open house to allow the public to tour the ballpark. Details of the open house will be released in the next few weeks.

“The opening of our community’s new ballpark will certainly be a celebration of the future not only for the Mud Hens, but downtown Toledo and our region as well,” said Sandy Isenberg, President of the Board of Lucas County Commissioners. “This unique and state-of-the-art family entertainment destination has captured the attention and imagination of passersby throughout the construction process. I believe there will be a lot of curiosity and excitement among the public to see the finished product firsthand.”

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo unveiled renderings of five pieces of public art that will be located at various points in and around Fifth Third Field. The Arts Commission recruited and received more than forty submissions from artists all over the country and world. Those submissions were narrowed down to five finalists by a Design Review Board made up of Arts Commission members and representatives from the Lucas County Board of Commissioners, Toledo Mud Hens, the Warehouse District, Toledo Museum of Art, The Collaborative, and ballpark consultant The Gateway Group. (A list and description of the public art projects is attached.)

“We have promised the community will see a ballpark that encompasses the best amenities already found at many major league baseball facilities around the country,” said Joe Napoli, general manager of the Mud Hens. “The public art projects reflect a growing trend nationwide to incorporate art in the design of ballparks to enhance the overall experience of attending a game.”

“We are also particularly pleased that Fifth Third Field will have such an impressive collection of public art for the fans to enjoy,” said Isenberg. “It is important that our public buildings express the best in our community and its culture, and this collection will certainly achieve that goal.”

The cost of the public art projects will total $450,000. The majority of that cost will be paid for through private donations and proceeds from the arts gala celebration. The remaining $54,000 will come from the City of Toledo’s “1% for the Arts” fund. The Board of Lucas County Commissioners will front $150,000 for gates to be installed at the ballpark as part for one of the public art projects, to be repaid from the arts gala proceeds.

The White Family Dealerships has already committed to fully underwrite one of the public art pieces at a cost of $120,000. The sculpture entitled “I Got It” is by artist Frank Gaylord. Mr. Gaylord is best known for creating the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“We told the public the ballpark project would involve a public-private partnership,” said Lucas County Commissioner Bill Copeland. “The private sector has certainly done their part so far, and we expect that trend will continue with their support of the public art projects that will only add beauty to Fifth Third Field.”

Construction on the ballpark is still on schedule, as a deadline to completely enclose the Fifth Third Field to the elements was met last week. Visible work yet to come includes the installation of seating and laying the playing field surface. Both efforts will be ongoing over the next several weeks.

“While people have seen the ballpark construction progress at a rapid pace, it still seems hard to believe that opening day at Fifth Third Field is now less than six months away,” said Lucas County Commissioner Harry Barlos. “The looks on people’s faces will be worth watching during the opening weekend celebration, because the ‘gee-whiz’ factor will be at work with adults and kids alike.”

Ticket sales for the 2002 Mud Hens season are going strong. Not only have luxury suites and club seats sold out well before expectations, the sales of season tickets and multiple-game packages are progressing beyond projections. Single game tickets will go on sale early next year. Fans can call the Mud Hens ticket office at (419) 893-9483 for more information.