'Get in the Game' exhibition explores connections between art and sports

Key Concepts

Get in the Game: Name of the traveling exhibition exploring the intersection of sports and American life.
Art and Athletics Integration: The central theme of the exhibition, showcasing how sports can be viewed as art and how art can reflect sports.
Cultural Commentary: How artists use sports imagery and themes to address social issues like race, gender, violence, and access.
Curatorial Approach: Bridging perceived divides between art and sports enthusiasts, attracting new museum visitors.
CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy): A degenerative brain disease found in athletes, depicted in some artworks.
Guernica: Pablo Picasso's famous anti-war painting, referenced by an artist in the exhibition.
Native American Regalia: Traditional clothing and adornments used in Jeffrey Gibson's artwork.

The "Get in the Game" Exhibition: Colliding Worlds of Sports and Art

The "Get in the Game" exhibition, a collaboration between the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) and currently hosted at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, explores the profound intersection of sports and American life. It challenges the perceived divide between the worlds of sports and art by presenting traditional art forms like paintings alongside fashion, design, and even sports equipment such as fishing rods, surfboards, and bicycles displayed as sculptures. The exhibition aims to demonstrate the deep connections and parallels between these two seemingly disparate realms.

Bridging the Perceived Divide and Engaging New Audiences

A core objective of "Get in the Game" is to bridge the gap between sports and art, making museums more accessible and relevant to a broader audience. Laura Pratt, a curator at Crystal Bridges, initially considered herself "no sports person" but found herself connecting deeply with the exhibition, realizing how sports touch "so many parts of people's lives." Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, a co-curator from SFMoMA, noted that "throughout the development of the exhibition, we started to see so many more parallels than we thought possible between sports and art." The exhibition is designed to attract individuals who might not typically visit a museum, offering them a relevant entry point and encouraging "closer conversations" about shared cultural experiences. It also provides art-loving guests with new ways to experience art through unexpected topics.

Exploring Social and Cultural Themes Through Sports Art

The exhibition delves into various critical social and cultural themes, using sports as a lens for commentary:

Race and Access: Derek Fordjour's painting, Open Swim, highlights racial disparities by depicting the "limited hours that Black citizens had to the public pool, one hour a day versus seven hours a day" for others. Deborah Roberts' works, Red, White, and Blue and Health and Violence, also explore race and gender.
Health and Violence: Shaun Leonardo's charcoal drawings of CTE brain scans (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) bring attention to the severe health consequences faced by athletes, particularly in contact sports.
Anti-War and Conflict: Hank Willis Thomas's quilt of team jerseys offers a contemporary take on Picasso's famous anti-war painting, Guernica, suggesting a different kind of "battle" within sports culture.
Indigenous Identity and Empowerment: Indigenous artist Jeffrey Gibson embellishes a punching bag with beads and Native American regalia in his work titled What We Want, What We Need, transforming a symbol of aggression into one of cultural expression and resilience.
Women's Gains in Sports: The exhibition highlights the significant progress of women in sports. Artist Savanah Leaf notes how the art reflects societal shifts, with "people are starting to invest now in female athletes a lot more than they ever did before."

Featured Artists and Their Perspectives

Several artists in the exhibition have personal connections to sports, often as competitive athletes themselves:

Savanah Leaf: A former collegiate professional and Olympian volleyball player, now a film director and video artist, presents her work Run. She draws parallels between the intuitive, physically present, and problem-solving nature of being on the court and the creative process of an artist. She states, "what it's like to be on the court as a volleyball player, it's like very much you have to be physically present in the moment while also reacting and responding to all the problems that unfold. And I think that feels very much like being an artist."
Ernie Barnes: Known as "Big Rembrandt" by his teammates, Barnes was a professional football player from the segregated South who became a successful artist. Laura Pratt describes him as "a perfect example of the integration of art and athletics," translating his real-life experiences from a "pivotal time in both cultural and sports history" into his paintings.
Jean Shin: Her work, Altered Trophies Everyday Moments, features awards given for mundane activities like sewing or pushing a stroller, creating "a trophy for everyone" and embodying the exhibition's inclusive spirit.

Interactive Elements and Future Travel

The exhibition also includes interactive elements, such as an "elongated foosball table created by Maurizio Cattelan," inviting visitors to "get in the game themselves" and score a goal.

"Get in the Game" is a traveling exhibition, scheduled to move to the Perez Art Museum in Miami in mid-March.

Synthesis and Conclusion

The "Get in the Game" exhibition successfully demonstrates that sports and art are not mutually exclusive but rather deeply interconnected facets of American life and culture. By showcasing diverse artworks that range from traditional paintings to embellished sports equipment, the exhibition effectively bridges perceived divides, making art more accessible and relevant to a broader audience. It serves as a powerful platform for artists to explore complex social issues such as race, gender, violence, and access, while also celebrating the spectacle, effort, and cultural significance of sports. The personal connections of many featured artists, particularly those with athletic backgrounds, underscore the inherent parallels between the creative processes in both domains. Ultimately, the exhibition encourages viewers to step back, analyze societal shifts, and recognize the profound ways in which sports permeate and reflect contemporary culture.