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Draft:David Ashton (designer)

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  • Comment: The title of this draft either has been disambiguated or will need to be disambiguated for acceptance.
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    The disambiguation page for the primary name is David Ashton (disambiguation). Robert McClenon (talk) 23:55, 11 May 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Too many of the sources in this article are primary sources (interviews, a Vimeo profile published by Ashton himself, school alumni publications and blogs, etc.) Ashton might be considered notable for his design work at Camden Yards, but this would merit a redirect at best. WikiDan61ChatMe!ReadMe!! 21:25, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

David Ashton (born January 7, 1940) is an American graphic designer and illustrator. He’s known for creating the environmental graphic design of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which led to the redesign of Major League Baseball stadiums across the country.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

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In 1991, Janet Marie Smith, then-VP of planning and development for the Baltimore Orioles, invited Ashton on a tour of the stadium construction site. As they walked, Ashton hand-sketched a number of ideas he had for the project. Months later, he submitted his drawings and was hired to design all stadium graphics and touch points.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on April 6, 1992.[1] It was celebrated for its immersive, ballpark environment.[2] Many of the features that made it a success were Ashton’s designs. He reintroduced pennant flags to the ballpark, designed ushers’ and ticket takers’ uniforms to look like they were from the 1950s, and insisted major sponsors, like Budweiser and Coca-Cola, submit archival advertisements from the same time period so they would complement, rather than interrupt, the park experience.[3]

Ashton's respect for, and celebration of, nostalgic Americana were groundbreaking for stadium design at that time. Camden Yards would become known as “The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball.”[4]

In 2022, former MLB commissioner Bud Selig commented, “Camden Yards may be one of the two or three most powerful events in baseball history. It changed everything. It really did. I’m not sure people grasp the significance of it.”[5]

All of the original environmental graphics for the ballpark were created without a single computer, and most adhered close to Ashton's original sketches.[6] In March 2014, Ashton’s collection of over 100 original drawings for the project was accepted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Oriole Park at Camden Yards continues to receive accolades for its visitor experience, with Stadium Journey ranking OPACY the No. 1 Ballpark Experience in 2014, 2015, and 2016.[7][8][9]

References

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  1. ^ "Field of Dreams - Baltimore Magazine". 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-12. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ "#Shortstops: Janet Marie Smith's ballpark designs have changed the landscape of the game | Baseball Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ Brown, Patricia Leigh (5 March 1992). "DESIGN NOTEBOOK; Field of Dreams Comes True In Baltimore". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Baltimore Orioles sign new 30-year lease at Camden Yards: 'The ballpark that forever changed baseball'". CBSSports.com. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Celebrating 30 Years at Oriole Park at Camden Yards". MLB.com. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Oriole Park at Camden Yards". People’s Graphic Design Archive. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Orioles Park at Camden Yards Named No. 1 In Ballpark Experience - CBS Baltimore". www.cbsnews.com. 27 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Camden Yards Tops List Of Best Stadium Experiences In 2015 - CBS Baltimore". www.cbsnews.com. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Oriole Park At Camden Yards Ranked No. 1 MLB Ballpark - CBS Baltimore". www.cbsnews.com. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2024.