Dylan Cease is already a Toronto legend, having established himself as Blue Jays’ most important players. This week, he found himself in a very different kind of spotlight: inside the Art Gallery of Ontario.
The AGO unveiled one of Cease’s paintings, “Eve of Toronto”, in Walker Court as part of a new collaboration between the Milton, GA-born pitcher and the museum. The work, an abstract, colourful tribute to his new city, was also turned into a limited-edition collection featuring prints, postcards, T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags. Proceeds from the collection will support the AGO’s charitable mission.
Cease began painting in 2022 as a way to step away from the demands of baseball. “Painting gives me joy,” he said in a statement released by the AGO. “It relaxes me.”
“Eve of Toronto” was created shortly after Cease arrived in Toronto and initially hung in Jays' manager John Schneider’s office. The painting is difficult to miss, built around bursts of colour and the word “Toronto” repeated throughout the composition. Schneider has joked about the attention it has received, but has also embraced the unlikely crossover between his ace pitcher and the local art scene.
Earlier this month, another original painting by the pitcher sold for $16,000 through a Blue Jays and Jays Care auction.
