Art of the Athlete: Art and Social Practice

How do artists reflect and respond to social issues and advocate for equality, awareness, and change? Those questions inspired 36 UO students and student athletes from our Art of the Athlete program to create self-portraits this summer as part of a series of workshops. They explored contemporary art dealing with gender and race discrimination, this year’s Common Reading book Under the Feet of Jesus, and times in their own lives where they faced shelter and food insecurity. Work on display also includes partially painted self-portraits for one assignment called “My Incomplete Self,” which asked them to address what it takes to become the whole person they strive to be.