Art of the Athlete 3

The JSMA’s education programs not only focus on introducing art to K-12 and university students, but also on giving them meaningful opportunities to engage in art so they may integrate art into their lives for years to come. Art of the Athlete is one such example: it teaches university student athletes how the process of looking at and creating art translates to better observation skills and serves as an outlet for non-verbal creative expression.

For four weeks over the summer, eleven UO student athletes learned color theory, unique practices in photo transfer methods, and plaster mold casting. They also studied a range of artists -- from historic Greek and Roman artists, who focused on the athletic body as subject matter, to contemporary artist such as Kehinde Wiley, whose work addresses power and race.

The Art of the Athlete outreach program results in works of art for the public to view and writing samples that document how the project makes meaning for them.  The exhibition—our third in three years!--becomes a forum for the student athletes to express what is sometimes invisible on the field and on the court.  The opportunity to record a segment for the museum’s Guide by Cell audio tour program also gives them the experience of evaluating how art and the JSMA benefits not only themselves, but also fellow UO students and visiting K-12 school children.