The Intersection of Sports and Art: Exploring Their Creative and Competitive Connections

# The Intersection of Art and Sports: Breaking Down Stereotypes

For years, popular culture has presented the worlds of sports and art as fundamentally oppositional—jocks versus creatives, sweaty gyms versus quiet galleries, championship trophies versus art exhibitions. However, a recent exhibition, *Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture*, challenges this dichotomy by exploring the deep parallels between these two disciplines.

## The Art-Sports Connection

The *Get in the Game* exhibition, initially showcased at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and curated by Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, Seph Rodney, and renowned art historian Katie Siegel, brings together over 200 works from more than 70 artists and designers. The exhibition highlights how both athletes and artists dedicate themselves to constant practice, exhibit intense discipline, and perform on grand public stages—whether in arenas or galleries.

### 1. Practice vs. Natural Talent
One of the major themes explored in the exhibition is the role of practice in success. While natural talent is often celebrated in both art and sports, the exhibition underscores that continuous effort and adaptation are what truly define great athletes and artists. The audience was posed a thought-provoking question: “What do you admire more—talent or practice?” The overwhelming response was *practice*, reinforcing a universal value of perseverance.

### 2. The Museum as a Stadium
By transforming SFMOMA’s seventh floor into an interactive and dynamic space, the exhibition blurred the lines between sports arenas and art museums. Sounds of cheering crowds accompanied paintings and sculptures, while interactive elements such as a 22-player foosball table by Maurizio Cattelan and Gabriel Orozco’s altered ping pong table engaged visitors beyond the usual museum experience.

### 3. The Ethics and Labor Behind Sports and Art
Both fields require immense unseen effort. Athletes undergo rigorous training, sports scientists analyze their performance data, and entire teams work behind the scenes to ensure peak success. Likewise, artists spend years refining their craft, often relying on studio assistants, curators, and sponsors to bring their work to the public. This exhibition shines a light on the hidden labor that fuels these seemingly effortless feats of excellence.

## Art as a Medium of Protest in Sports

One of the most striking aspects of the dialogue between art and sports is their historical importance in social and political activism. The exhibition features works that address critical moments in sports history, from Tommy Smith and John Carlos’s Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics to Colin Kaepernick’s historic kneeling protest. Through pieces like Kota Ezawa’s animated recreation of athletes taking a knee, the exhibition emphasizes how sports remain a powerful platform for societal change, much like art.

## Fandom: Between Passion and Toxicity

The exhibition doesn’t shy away from exploring the complex world of sports fandom—highlighting its ability to bring people together while also exposing darker elements such as extreme tribalism, racism, and violence. Through artwork that examines the visual codes of fandom (from team jerseys to trading cards), visitors are prompted to reflect on how devotion to a sport or team shapes identity and community.

## Artists as Athletes

Interestingly, a significant portion of the participating artists in *Get in the Game* were former athletes themselves. Among them are former football players like Shaun Leonardo and Olympians like Savanah Leaf. Their experiences on the field influence their approach to visual storytelling, reinforcing the idea that the divide between sports and the arts is more imagined than real.

## What’s Next?

If you missed the exhibition at SFMOMA, *Get in the Game* will be traveling to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, later this year, followed by a stop at the Pérez Art Museum in Miami. Additionally, the museum catalog offers a unique perspective, featuring comic-style illustrations by AJ Dungo and personal reflections from athletes and artists alike.

Ultimately, *Get in the Game* reframes our understanding of sports and art as interconnected disciplines. Whether it’s the discipline of daily practice, the spectacle of public performance, or the raw passion that drives both athletes and artists, this exhibition challenges us to rethink our assumptions and appreciate the beauty of human expression—whether on the field or in the studio.

## Join the Conversation

What do *you* think—are art and sports truly opposites, or are they more alike than we’ve been led to believe? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on social media using #GetInTheGame.