Hult Center Podcast

Jean Fruth, one of MLB’s and NFL’s preeminent photographers, speaks with Jill Cole (PA, Eugene Emeralds) about her documentary, women in sports and all things baseball. About Jean Fruth:Jean Fruth’s trajectory as one of baseball’s preeminent photographers has taken her on a round-the-horn tour of the sport’s most indelible landmarks. Growing up in New York City, Jean’s earliest memories are of her Grandfather listening to his beloved New York Mets on a tiny transistor radio. In school, Jean fell in love with the alchemy of photography. When she moved west as a young adult she immersed herself in the business, becoming a portrait photographer in the wine country of California. When life got busy and she found herself spending hours at the field of her son’s Little League games, she started shooting the action, eventually submitting images to the local paper. That’s when the local editor spotted her keen eye for sports photography and invited her to submit more. Jean tried her hand at different sports but found that nothing compared to the art and poetry of baseball—to outsider’s: a slow-moving sport, to the aficionado: an orchestra of strategy, timing, and sheer athleticism.Jean would eventually meet legendary San Francisco sports photographer Michael Zagaris “Z,” as he’s known in the sports world. Z took Jean under his wing and invited her to shoot alongside him at the Oakland Coliseum—the only major ballpark without a railing in front of its dugout. Jean began producing front page-worthy shots, then the real magic happened when Jean stepped away from the pack and began shooting from novel perspectives, including the cheapest seat in the house, the upper deck of the outfield. These images captured the attention of the MLB and the NFL, and would guide the next decade of Jean’s career, which she spent covering the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and San Francisco 49ers. In between seasons, when most sports photographers take a break from the longest season in sports, Jean found herself chasing it, covering the Caribbean League in Winter months, then traveling with La Vida Baseball, a digital media company, that tells the story of Latino baseball across the United States and Latin America. In 2014, Fruth was invited to give a presentation of her grassroots baseball images at the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, where she grew even more convinced of the unique ability of baseball to reflect the culture of where it’s played. Eventually, she approached the Baseball Hall of Fame and proposed that they hire her as their traveling photographer, to add a contemporary voice to the museum’s marketing and connect it with the sport’s rich history, to attract a younger audience through social media. The original concept for the position grew organically and Jean’s work became a cornerstone of the organization’s marketing efforts and its permanent archive, which she helped assemble.Through her journey, Jean has recognized the transformative power of baseball to help young people develop strength, skills, friendships, and to learn and practice the concept of teamwork. As a result, together with her partner, former Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson, she formed a non-profit organization called Grassroots Baseball, to promote and celebrate the amateur game around the globe, with a focus on encouraging interest and participation at the youngest levels. She is documenting their journey in a series of books, starting with Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin (Simon & Schuster, 2019) with an introduction by Cal Ripken, Jr., and an afterword by Johnny Bench.Get Tickets: https://hultcenter.org/events/jean-fruth-2026/

Take a deep dive with Amythyst Kiah in this episode of the Hult Center Podcast as she takes us through her origin story and the details of her new album Still + Bright produced by Butch Walker. Amythyst will be at the Hult Center on November 17 as part of the Choose What You Pay series! Find details at https://hultcenter.org/events/amythyst-kiah/

We got to chat with Isabeau Waia’u Walker about her new record Heavyweight, its production, the challenges of being in a studio environment and cruising to find the best new music.

We were lucky to chat with Gangstagrass (all of Gangstagrass!) about their new album The Blackest Thing on the Menu, how they blend hip-hop and bluegrass, their favorite songs to play live and the most delicious foods to eat on tour. Tune in to this episode of The Hult Center Podcast and check out Gangstagrass at the Hult Center, Thursday, January 23.

Daniel Pingrey of TAE and the Neighborly joins us on this episode of the Hult Center Podcast and breaks down the band's debut record, personal influences and touring with a baby.https://www.taemusic.com/taeandtheneighborly

We talk with Mikey Moo about his new album “Fresh Idiot,” how it came together over 7 years and putting a band together to perform it live. Tune in to this episode of The Hult Center Podcast and check out Mikey Moo at the Hult Center, Wednesday, December 11 as part of the 10x10 Series. Tickets are just $10.https://hultcenter.org/events/10-x-10-mikey-moo

We chat with My Brightest Diamond about her new album “Fight the Real Terror,” her writing process and Sinéad O'Connor. Tune in to this episode of The Hult Center Podcast and catch My Brightest Diamond at the Hult Center, Thursday, October 17 at her 10x10 performance. Tickets are just $10.https://hultcenter.org/events/10-x-10-my-brightest-diamond

We chat with Josh Gren (Director of Marketing & Communications, Oregon Bach Festival) about all things Bach Fest coming to Eugene, OR and the surrounding area June 28 through July 14, 2024.