(WSVN) - The Miami Marlins teamed up with local artists to create some custom jerseys, and the wearable art has hit a home run with fans. Heather Walker has tonight’s 7 Spotlight.
You may have seen their work around South Florida.
Street artists Adam Vargas and Rick Mastrapa, better known as Atomik and Abstrk, have left their mark on Miami.
Atomik’s artistic calling card is his signature smiling orange character, inspired by the Orange Bowl mascot Obie.
Atomik: “I just kept going with it, and the feedback was remarkable.”
Abstrk, like his name suggests, uses shapes and patterns in his free-flowing style. He draws inspiration from his passion for photography.
Abstrk: “I have just thousands of street photography, street photos I use for references when I paint.”
The Miami-Dade natives were among four local artists chosen to create custom jerseys for Marlins fans. The jerseys celebrate different heritages that help make up the melting pot of South Florida.
Tiago Pinto, Miami Marlins: “The unique design, done by an artist, that has the same background as the community we’re celebrating.”
Atomik: “My mother was born in Mayagüez in Puerto Rico. I’ve painted on the island several times. I’ve visited the island. I still have family that lives there.”
Atomik spray-painted a wall outside his studio to inspire the final design of his Puerto Rican jersey.
Atomik: “On the front, it’s a PR in graffiti style. In Puerto Rico, there’s the coquí frogs, so I basically rendered that in graffiti style on the back.”
Abstrk: “My mother and my father left Cuba as children.”
Asbtrk focused his jersey design on his family’s Cuban roots, using pictures he took while visiting the island.
Abstrk: “There’s cars, there’s buildings, just architectural elements. The Cuba letters, I kind of got inspired by the style of like that playful typography.”
Other countries are also represented.
Angel Portillo, known as Porti, brought his Venezuelan jersey to life.
And longtime graffiti artist Max Torres, who goes by the name Arive, arrived to sign autographs for fans celebrating their Dominican heritage.
We found this baseball fan sporting the Dominican jersey at a Marlins game, and he was born in Cuba.
Guillermo Galis, fan: “I’ve got ’em all. All the ones they’ve given away, I got ’em all at home. I have lived in the states for 61 years, and I used to play baseball in Cuba, and I love baseball.”
A shared love of the game and a passion for different cultures were on full display at the ballpark.
Atomik: “That day was amazing for me, it was very full circle. Since my character comes from the Orange Bowl, and loanDepot park is where the Orange Bowl used to be, I was able to paint a mural in the stadium.”
Abstrk: “Just being born and raised in Miami, the team celebrating, you know, artists that are from here and working with artists from here just makes the city like stronger.”
There are still a few more heritage celebrations at Marlins games in September, including Nicaraguan, Japanese and Canadian. And as this season winds down, the Marlins tell us they’re already planning for next season.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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