THE ART OF AN ATHLETE ORIGINAL COLLECTION
In August of 2020, Maxwell decided to use his enormous platform on social media to speak out about an incident with historic racist undertone he experienced on live television. While he received lots of support, Pearce was also met with extreme backlash — including racist slurs and even death threats. That situation led to a collaboration between Pearce and the largest Black journalism organization, National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), to hold a virtual seminar on racial microaggressions. The incident also led several media outlets to contact Pearce to speak about his experience with other professional athletes and scholars — talking about importance of using their platforms to fight racial injustice, but were constantly met with opposition and inability to be more than an athlete. As a result, Pearce decided to use his passion for art as another outlet for his activism and educate his fans, viewers, and followers on the importance of respecting the human underneath the jersey. Thus, bringing forth this collection.
“I See Me”
This is a dual-perspective piece highlighting the athletic similarities and generational activism between tennis legends Serena Williams and Althea Gibson. Gibson was the first Black woman to break the color barrier in tennis and win Wimbledon. Williams has often referred to her as one of her inspirations for invoking change for Black women in not only tennis, but all sports.
$10,000 (SOLD)
“Wilma”
This 48” x 60” portrait was handcrafted entirely out of track shoelaces and staples — adding the glimmer of hope U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee Wilma Rudolph brought to track and field.
After suffering from polio and several bouts of Scarlet Fever at a young age, doctors told Rudolph she would never walk again. Eventually, Rudolph would be known as “the fastest woman in the world” — becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals in a track and field at the same Olympic Games. This happened after breaking three world records at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome, Italy.
When she came back to the U.S., she demanded her homecoming parade and banquet in Clarksville, Tenn. be the first integrated municipal city event.
The items hanging from the bottom of “Wilma” are symbols of her story and impact as an athlete.
$12,000 (SOLD)
“Sports and Politics Don’t Mix”
This copper wire sculpture examines the generational activism and impactful similarities between “the greatest” boxer of the 20th centruy Muhammad Ali and blackballed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Ali pushed boundaries in the 1960s by embracing Black pride and becoming an extremely vocal civil rights advocate. Decades later, Kaepernick would win the 2017 Muhammad Ali Legacy Award after kneeling during the U.S. National Anthem in protest of how America treats the Black community.
Both have served as an inspiration for other black athletes to challenge the establishment.
$10,000 (SOLD)
“Won’t Stick to Sports”
This handcrafted microphone modeled after the Neumann U47 highlights sportscasters Jemele Hill and Cari Champion.
Hill, an Emmy-Award winning sports journalist, had long been talking about the stories of the Black community — from discrimination to triumph. In 2017, she faced backlash for calling the president a white supremacist in several tweets. Then, ESPN suspended the 11-year veteran after voicing her opinion on coaches benching players who knelt during the National Anthem. She left the network in 2018 to better express her opinions as well as continue her sports reporting career.
Champion, a co-worker of Hill’s at ESPN, left the network in 2020 after saying in an interview she was “betraying” herself by staying because she “couldn’t speak truth to power.”
The two outspoken women joined forces in August 2020 for an aptly titled show called, Cari and Jemele Won’t Stick to Sports. Deriving the title from the constant phrase athletes and sports journalists hear when they use their platform to speak out on injustice.
$7,500
“The Legacy of Juke Joint”
Ernie Barnes’s famed “Sugar Shack” painting is the inspiration for Pearce’s piece titled “The Legacy of Juke Joint.” Pearce believes Barnes is the living embodiment of how multi-faceted athletes truly are. From a young age, Barnes created art but essentially took a detour when high school football took up most of his time. Barnes graduated with 26 full athletic scholarships to pick from. He went to North Carolina Central University, majoring in art. Barnes was drafted to the NFL in 1959 and after a six-year stint with four teams, Barnes football career ended after sustaining an injury as a player in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Just a year later in 1966, his first solo exhibition paved the way for an illustrious career as an artist. His pieces had a purpose, usually weaving in subtle social commentary and focusing on social justice.
Pearce looks up to Barnes as he defied the stigmas of one-dimensional athletes with no cares or skills outside of their respective sport. This piece, heavily inspired by “Sugar Shack” comes to life with shoelaces and sneaker fragments. Pearce’s primary medium of shoelaces are representative of the secure footing required to publicly address social issues at the expense of sometimes an athlete’s entire career.
$12,000 (SOLD)
“Seize the Moment”
This piece is a pyramid of seven rewired golden tennis racquets rewired to showcase the impactful work of Naomi Osaka during the 2020 US Open. At the height of the pandemic and racial reckoning, Osaka wore a face mask displaying the names of police violence victims. She garnered support and vitriol with critics telling her to stick to sports. Osaka pushed through the backlash to win her second US Open and becoming the 20th woman to win at least three majors during the Open Era.
The podium is meant to correlate Osaka’s social justice work to the consequences of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ actions in the 1968 Olympics. The two used that prolific moment to make a call to action and bring awareness to crucial issues afflicting the Black community. The two raised a fist with a black glove as the American Anthem played.
There is an amazing intersection of these two stories. These were arguably the most important victories for these three athletes and instead of focusing on self, they decided to shine a light on civil rights and social justice issues.
$12,000
“More Than an Athlete”
NBA Champion, All-Star, and Olympic USA Dream Team player LeBron James has become more than just a kid from Akron. The star NBA player has solidified himself as a leading voice against racial injustice and police brutality.
Pearce derived the title from James’ brand “More than an Athlete.” Pearce engraved a backboard by hand with important moments of activism within James’ career: Having important conversations that impact athletes and African-Americans on his hit TV show “The Shop,” donning an “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt during the NBA bubble to call attention to police violence and the death of George Floyd, and encouraging voter registration and participation so Black Americans can have a say in their government.
$15,000 (SOLD)
“Still Standing”
Pearce is a huge advocate for the WNBA and created this piece to call attention to the integral and literally show-stopping work they do when it comes to social justice.
“Still Standing,” utilizes a mannequin dressed in the iconic orange WNBA hoodie with a golden cape — highlighting the strength and leadership of the WNBA. Pearce also has pierced the mannequin with arrows and attached a chain to it — showing the hardships and disadvantages they historically deal with.
The players of the WNBA have solidified the trend of always being on the right side of history. And they lead the pack of all athletes and leagues around the world in the fight for social justice.
$7,500
“42”
Jackie Robinson paved the way for Black baseball players to join the big leagues instead of being relegated to barnstorming. But even before he took hold of a bat, Robinson was causing “good trouble” — getting arrested for refusing to sit in the back of the bus. But being on the diamond didn’t get him much better treatment.
Robinson endured some of the most vile attacks — physically and mentally. Yet, he persisted. Breaking records along the way and eventually breaking the MLB color barrier on April 15, 1947.
Pearce’s sculpture of Jackie Robinson was created out of baseball bats, mitts, and baseballs. The stance and facial expression represent the way Robinson approached civil rights issues and integrating the sport — head on and poised for victory.
$15,000 (SOLD)
“6”
11-time NBA champion Bill Russell had an illustrious career in the NBA. He put it all on the line to support the fight for civil rights in the 1960s. Russell marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and even boycotted playing in a game after staff refused his teammates service at a Kentucky coffee shop.
Even after he retired , Russell supported athlete activists. He shared his pride in NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem to protest social injustice. And applauded the Milwaukee Bucks after the team decided not to play a scheduled game after city police shot Jacob Blake — even likening his 1961 walkout to theirs.
Pearce takes an amalgamation of basketball nets to shape the likeness of Russell with a hufe smile plastered on his face. In the face of adversity on and off the court Russell took it all in stride, knowing he was making it a little easier on the next generation — athlete or not.
Russell stands as the NBA players with the most championship rings, but maybe more importantly, Pres. Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his outstanding work as a civil rights activist.
$8,500 (SOLD)
“Sitting Out to Stand Up”
Pearce created this mixed media piece to applaud the social justice work by WNBA players. The league as a whole has by far done the most work to call attention to an array of issues.
Pearce models part of a basketball court with the jerseys of WNBA players Natasha Cloud (pictured), Tiffany Hayes, Renee Montgomery, and Maya Moore. Their jerseys and a deflated ball are bunched together with sets of golden footprints walking off the court.
These women forfeited their 2020 WNBA seasons to focus on their advocacy of social justice.
Moore never returned, deciding to blaze a path in criminal reform.
Montgomery also retired, becoming vice president and co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. That is significant because the former owner, fmr. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, took steps to erase the team’s support for the Black Lives Matter Movement. Dream players along with other WNBA players calls for Loeffler to be removed from ownership resulted in the former Senator selling her ownership stake. Many believe the rallying call also caused her to lose her re-election campaign for Senate.
Cloud and Harris continue to use their platforms for good — speaking out on social justice, genocide, voting rights, and more.
$7,500 (SOLD)