03/01/2005 Whirl Magazine

Paint It Black and Gold by Katie Mavrich

If you are a Pittsburgh sports fan, chances are you know Johno Prascak. You might not know the name, or know to see him, but you are familiar with his work.
He's the artist behind a gamut of Pittsburgh sports paintings. You've seen his work at Heinz Field, in Art's Gallery-as in Steelers' founder Art Rooney - in Monroeville, the annual Dapper Dan Dinner, Mario's South Side Saloon (where Prascak bartends during the week), the new Smithsonian Sports Wing at the Senator Johno Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Dave and Buster's at the Waterfront, and just recently, the big one-the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Prascak discovered his undeniable talent as a young man afflicted with ulcerative colitis. At the time he was only able to use his eyes and hands so he turned to art as a past-time. He took inspiration from Picasso and Van Gough, then added his own touch-sand. "It's bumpy, and it gives it a three- dimensional look," Prascak says.
In 1989, Prascak did one of his first sports paintings, of Rooney. "I left part of his face off because he passed away [the year before]," Prascak explains of his artistic interpretation. "I put that away in my parents attic in Dormont and I forgot about it."
But memories have a funny way of resurfacing at the right times. In 2000, Prascak was first commissioned by the Steelers to do a painting of Heinz Field for Art's Gallery. The name of the gallery sparked the recollection of the painting that he had done 11 years prior. " I told the merchandise people that I had an Art Rooney painting somewhere, maybe they won't want to buy it, but I have it. It had cobwebs on it from being in my parents attic," he says with a laugh. "It's like writing a book 11 years ago and finally getting it published."
It snowballed from there: Prascak has painted Terry Bradshaw, Larry Fitzgerald, various depictions of Heinz Field, Mario Lemieux, and other Pittsburgh sports likenesses-look for a Johno interpretation of Arnold Palmer this year.
Unfortunately, the Steelers lost the AFC Championship game and their dreams for this year's Super Bowl. But Prascak will have some exciting projects nonetheless. There's the possibility of a Ben Roethlisberger piece, as well as others. So at the close of a successful season, both for the Steelers and for Prascak, we can only look forward to the 2005-2006 season, and more exciting artworks from Prascak.