The book is a blast, and you should buy it. Bunch of different ways, including (hopefully carried by) your local bookstore. If you’re interested in a mailed signed copy, hit the Strand link here, as they’ll have those available for a limited time. And if you want to place a bulk order with a discount, just hit me up on socials or via email. I also have several exciting events coming up around the book:

BUY THE BOOK!

Saturday, April 11th, 5-8:30pm ET, not even a week from now!
Talk & signing at Sotheby’s NYC, 945 Madison Avenue (talk from 6-6:30pm)

This will be part of Sotheby’s first ‘Sotheby’s Lates’ in their new space at the Breuer, and I’m stoked to be a part of it. Details here, but in short, going to be there throughout the time hanging & signing books, and then will be part of their programming, with my specific section being a chat with the legendary hoops photographer Nat Butler & Sotheby’s VP, Sports Strategy & Development, Modern Collectibles, Brendan Hawkes.

This link will get you in the door for free (just an RSVP to help track numbers), with a second option to purchase my book. Also consider buying Nat’s book ‘Courtside: 40 Years of NBA Photography’ here. For folks who buy Nat’s book, DM me a photo of your receipt + any personal image you want turned into art on any of my social channels, and I’ll make you your own pairing!

Subscribe now

Tuesday, May 5th
Panel at the Project Play Summit, Boston

I’ll have the great honor of being on a panel at the Project Play Summit in Boston, talking about the importance of art + sports for kids. One of the great joys I get in running this is having teachers & educators reach out letting let me know that they used my account to introduce art history to their students. If you fall into that category and haven’t hit me up, do it! Would love to hear about the account making it into the classroom.

The Summit is sold out, but you can join the waitlist here.

Friday, May 8th
A soon to be announced ArtButMakeItSports themed night with a minor league baseball team

This one is going to be a blast - should have more details to share in the coming days!

Friday, May 15th, 2-3:30pm CT
Gallery Talk at the Art Institute of Chicago

If you live in/are going to be in Chicago, save the date. I’ll be joined by my friend & Executive Director of Interpretation Emily Fry for a Gallery Talk focused on tying the Museum’s collection to sports, with a special focus on their newest acquisition, Norman Rockwell’s 1948 painting The Dugout.

Detailed information can be found here.

Sunday, May 17th, 2-3:00pm CT
Gallery Tour, Talk at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Works from the MIA have been heavily featured over the account’s tenure, and I’m pumped to explore past posts and talk about the connection between art & sports, as well as my love for the Twin Cities. More details can be found here. Stay tuned for a ticket link, but save the date!

Monday-Wednesday, May 18th- 20th
Gondola Sports Summit, Denver

Still working out the details, but I’ll likely be moderating and/or speaking on a panel as part of this incredible conference. If you’re a sports media professional/creative, Gondola is must attend. More details about the conference can be found here, and I’ll share more about my specific involvement shortly.

Mid-July: Dallas, Saturday, July 25th: Philadelphia

More to come on these, but if you’re in these cities, get ready!

Art/Sports I’m Into

March Madness feels apt for The Raphael show ‘Sublime Poetry’ currently up at the Met, as it’s equal parts spectacular & chaotic. The museum has sourced over 200 works from around the world by the artist and crammed them into some fairly tight quarters, leading to a beautiful show with a caveat that you should only attempt to go during off-hours. Also, pro tip, do not bring your 15-month-old via stroller.

Artist of the Week

Alma Thomas

Hoping you all already know Alma Thomas and her work, but if not, let me be the first to introduce you to your new favorite artist.

Bright, inviting colors, and tiles/scales tend to be her signature, and anytime her work comes up I feel a warmth in my core. A life-long educator, she only became a full-time artist at the age of 68, after retiring. She was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney, doing so in her 80s, and is now recognized amongst the greats for her contributions.

Her catalog is worth falling into a wormhole for, and I encourage you to check out more of her work!

Sports Photographer you need to follow

Jared C. Tilton

I’m very behind (as is par for the course with this Substack), but on Friday I’m going to publish an interview with Jared C. Tilton, the photographer behind these two epic/viral shots from the Olympics.

Jared has a really unique perspective, and I can’t wait to share the breakdown with everyone. In the meantime, go follow him on Instagram!

-LJ

Subscribe now

The former has been a joy of a lifetime, as my little man is closing in on 12 months, with each day more exciting than the next.

On the company side, FanFlare Sports is now live & available to download in the app store. It’s an app dedicated to Women’s College Volleyball, focusing on live data, scores, schedules, and alerts. It fills a massive void, and we’re pumped how much progress we’ve made + have planned in the hopper. If you’re a fan, check it out!

And finally, a book! It’s been a different kind of adventure, navigating rights/licensing, writer’s block, and imposter syndrome. But, it’s finished, and now available for pre-order!

I’d be super appreciative if you buy a copy or two, but understandable if you want to hold the whole Substack delinquency against me. I will be posting here more now, though, as I’m starting to have some more time free up. I’ll also be cooking up ideas on special bonuses for subscribers who buy a copy, and there are already signed copies available for pre-order at the link above as well.

Art/Sports I’m Into

Is it a cop out to say everything? You could make a strong argument that November has and will be the best sports month, with Game 7 of the World Series rolling into the heart of football season, plus volleyball, NBA, and NHL in full-swing, with ongoing soccer.

On the Art front, the MoMA has a beautiful Ruth Asawa exhibition that I was lucky enough to see last week, and the Guggenheim just opened this which I’m looking forward to exploring.

Holiday Commissions

Each year I do pay-what-you-think-is-fair personal commissions for the holidays - I’ll open those up shortly, and will likely tie them to purchases of the book. More to come there.

Alright, easing my way back into this, so for now we’ll leave it here. Thank you again for still being here/sticking with me, and I look to making it worth it for the rest of 2025 and beyond!

-LJ

For a reminder, here’s how 2024 wrapped:

While this year promises to be more of the same content-wise as 2024 (definitely not in any other way but we’ll talk about that another time), I am going to focus on doing some additional things that are hopefully exciting for folks:

More Collabs with Artists

I love art, I love sports, and I especially love artists who love sports. I’m excited to kick off the new year with two collaborations:

The Currency Project

My friends at the Currency Project are geniuses, whose basis for exploring the relationship between currency and art centers around painting on traditional sports cards, essentially building layers of value on top and letting the viewer decide worth (each card starts at $1 on Ebay).

I spent a chunk of time brainstorming with them on what a card co-designed by me might look like, and landed on this LeBron homage to Kobe with a call back to John Singleton Copley’s Ascension at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The dunk is religious, and LeBron’s body position mirrors Jesus in a way that can’t be ignored. TCP did a beautiful job executing the vision and now it’s up to you, the viewer, to decide what it’s worth!

Billy Kheel

Take two on this one, as we tried a few months ago to auction off this piece but ran into some technical difficulties. Billy is an incredible artist and it was so much fun to collab with him on this take on Giordano’s Fall of the Rebel Angels // Josh Allen Leaping

The piece is comprised of layers of felt, expertly stitched together to create an artwork that is 4D and feels like it’s in active motion.

Bid on it - adding a Kheel to my collection was one of my most exciting moments, as his piece of Larry Johnson’s 4-point play hangs proudly in my apartment and is always a centerpiece of conversation.

Live Content Creation

National Championship Game

Going to try this for the first time with Monday’s National Championship game, but I’ll be firing up a chat for paid subscribers to include images they want done in real-time, while the game is happening, and I’ll go through a try to match as many as possible into art.

Subscribe now

No promises on how successful it will be, but seems like a fun opportunity for me to show I’m not AI while also giving paid subscribers a true benefit for their patronage. So, subscribe now to be a part! (I think I’ll either be able to start a subscriber specific chat on Substack or will send a link via email on Monday night to just subscribers - we’re learning on the fly!)

Additional Commissions

Sent out a bat signal during the holidays for personal commissions and ended up doing over 250 - had a blast, and it was great to engage with the community. I’m going to post reminders, but I’m open to doing commissions year round now. So, hit me up - it’s pay whatever you think is fair after seeing what I send back, as I want to make it accessible to everyone. That being said, if it starts to become overwhelming, I may just limit it to paid subscribers, so I recommend signing up proactively .

More

What else do you want to see from me? My inbox is always open, lj@artbutmakeitsports.com. Looking forward to experiencing everything 2025 has to offer with you all onboard!

Art/Sports I’m Into

NY4LA

My friend Marcello at the NYC gallery my.pet.ram is part of a group organizing a fundraiser for the LA fires, featuring pieces from 60 artists, all under $1k. Info above, and I’ll share more on socials when details drop, but seems like a fun event for a great cause.

Artist of the Week

Raymond Jonson

This beautiful portal from the The University of New Mexico Art Museum does Raymond Jonson far more justice than anything I could write up, so do yourself a favor and hit the link.

I first came upon his work at the Blanton Museum in Texas (where the piece above is from), and I’ve been a major fan of his ever since. Find a relaxing night, maybe indulge in your drug of choice, and then dive into Jonson’s catalog - you won’t regret it.

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Kevin Sabitus

There isn’t a photographer out there putting out bangers on a more consistent basis than Kevin Sabitus. I don’t believe there’s a sports photography Hall of Fame, but when they make one, Kevin is first-ballot, unanimous. He recently took gold in the American Football category for the third year in a row at the World Sports Photography Awards with this amazing shot:

So honored to win gold in the American Football category at the @worldsportsphotographyawards for the third year in a row—this is crazy

Huge thank you to all my best pals at @nflfocus and my friends/family/mentors for always supporting me. It’s really cool to be recognized for my work.

On to 2025 🤘🏼 Go Irish ☘️

At some point I’ll do an ArtButMakeItKevinSabitus, but for now, enjoy this shot of his from earlier this season:

Creatives Job Board

New section: I want to highlight folks I know in the Creatives space who are currently open to opportunities. Asher Greene just finished up his internship with the New York Giants and crushed it, while Matt Fedder spent the past few years with UNC and is looking to do some freelance work while he plots his next move.

I’ll blow out this section in coming newsletters (give feedback on what you want to see here), but for now if you know of opportunities, hit up Asher & Matt!

Paid Subscribers

I have a bunch of drafts this week (10!) that didn’t quite make the cut, but are definitely worth subscribing for and seeing…

Read more

Post-election I’ve seen my Twitter following drop (assuming 99% of that is from people deleting their accounts) significantly, and it seems the daily active usage among real humans has plummeted. It’s depressing, as I’ve always believed the inmates run the Twitter asylum, regardless of the warden, and it seems like many people are just choosing to unlock their cell doors and walk out. There isn’t much else out there, unfortunately. Bluesky promises to be a near duplicate in terms of UI/UX, but I’ve found it is still in the primitive stages with its algorithm. Sports and news hasn’t found its way to Threads, and Instagram remains much more of a museum than a town square. Substack provides a great alternative for quality journalism, but it’s a labor-intensive process to consume.

Subscribe now

All this to say, both the platforms and the content itself are fragmented, without unified solutions, which scares me just as much as the political age & climate we exist in. Without truth in information, we’re left to self-destruct, which is why it’s especially important now to put forth the additional effort to find trusted sources and support their endeavors, even if it’s inconvenient. On that uplifting note…

Art/Sports I’m Into

Laura Edelman’s Newsletter

My friend Laura is an art advisor who recently decided to start a Substack. She sends out a curated newsletter of art pieces under $10k, an especially great resource for those looking to start building collections, and I imagine her publication will feature that + additional valuable content.

Eaa 10k And Under

3.32MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

As evidenced by my above rant, I love consuming information, and Laura contributes a keen eye and perspective. Highly recommend subscribing, and also reaching out to her if you want to shoot the shit about all things art.

Artist of the Week

Michael Gac Levin

Speaking of more affordable art…stumbled upon the work of Michael Gac Levin because a friend, My.Pet.Ram, is putting on his show Object Relations, opening tonight (6-9pm at 48 Hester Street, for those in NYC). If you were planning on couch rotting tonight, head over instead!

His work is calming, and feels unquestionably ‘NY,’ interlaced with the influences of folks like Hockney & Hopper. Something about his paintings make me feel joy and hope, which given the current state of things, seems important. Also, my friends at The Art Kollective are featuring the piece below, Autumn Sorcery, 9x12, at a very accessible price point.

Hit up their DMs if you’re interested; I’d be thrilled if someone who reads this ends up snagging because it’s a personal favorite.

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Elsa Garrison

Any time a big New York Sports moment happens, it seems Elsa is inevitably there to capture it.

The first woman staff photographer at Getty, she’s shot all the biggest events, and has a tremendous amount of versatility across various sports, with a knack for extracting out the perfect story.

A Hall-of-Fame resume and always a treat to feature, make sure to give her a follow.

Paid Subscribers

I have a bunch of drafts this week that didn’t quite make the cut, but are definitely worth subscribing and seeing…

Read more

Subscribe now

At this point, if you consider yourself a Basketball fan - if Ball is indeed Life - and you don’t watch the W, it’s because you hate women. There can be no other explanation, as play quality is at an all-time high, the league (including the Finals) is full of stars with interesting backstories and personalities, and games are broadcast at a level that brings the same, if not more, energy and tension as any finals game in any sport.

I’ll be headed to Game 2 Sunday. If you can’t make it in-person, I highly encourage you to tune in. Sure, Caitlin Clark is fun, but so are Courtney Williams, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, etc etc. Just watch, you won’t be disappointed (except in the refs, they are truly terrible).

On the College Football front, my Vanderbilt Commodores beat No. 1 Alabama for what is (and what should stand as) the biggest upset of the season, buying me at least another 15 years of my fandom even if we don’t win another game. Anchor Down. Plus, my other team, Army, has a line of sight into crashing the CFB Playoffs. Also great on the Baseball side as my Yankees and the Mets are locked in the Championship Series in their respective leagues. Hope everyone has a chance to enjoy things before god knows what happens less than a month from now on election day!

Also, let me know if there’s something you want to see me write about in the future.

Art/Sports I’m Into

The Other Art Fair

Held in several cities globally, the Fall NYC edition of the Other Art Fair is set to run next Thursday - Sunday in Brooklyn. TOAF is easily accessible, held in a fun spot, and always lands as a personal favorite. It’s a great opportunity to discover new Art and Artists - hit me up if you’re planning on going!

Artist of the Week

Gabriela Kramer

Gabriela exhibited at both the SPRING/BREAK Art Show and the Affordable Art Fair - it was the first time her work landed on my radar, and it was a standout at both shows.

Her paintings are whimsical, juicy, and layer an undecided-but-structured approach with an inviting color palette, and are a lot of fun on the larger scale. I’m excited to see her work pop up again in the future, especially as she’s now established on the east coast.

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Nat Butler

Less about following Nat (which you should still do), and more want to highlight the fact that he just came out with a book featuring 40 years of NBA photography, which you should absolutely buy. As we’ve established, two of the three prerequisites for being a basketball fan are watching the NBA and the W. The third is owning this book haha. Nat is truly one of the nicest people in the world and on the Mount Rushmore of hoops photographers, and his catalog is such a fun deep dive into the history of the game. Here’s him chatting a bit more about the book:

Share

FOUR BONUS MEMES (INCLUDING TWO MOO DENG ONES) FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS

Read more

Don’t let any of this fool you: it is an illusion. Which is fair, as it’s a necessary one - fine art as a tangible item does not provide what we think of as utility in the way, say, a car, or groceries do. Thus, it requires an economy with a foundation driven by disposable income, which can only come from…people that have disposable income. But as soon as you look past the wealth that the industry is built on, you’ll discover a world that is far more accessible with an entrance that requires only an open mind, not an open wallet.

Most art is free to see

Many museums don’t charge an entrance fee (and offer discounts/free tickets if you just ask), and I’ve never seen a gallery that requires anything other than you showing up (plus openings sometimes feature free drinks). No one is going to question what you wear - I rock athletic clothes and my artbutmakeitsports hat to pretty much every art event I attend, even if others are dressed up, and I’ve never once been looked at differently. And if you take the time to open up, you’ll connect with interesting people that truly care about art.

Art can be affordable!

I’ve only recently started dipping my toes into collecting art. One thing I found that helped me was, around 5 years ago, I took mental inventory of up-and-coming artists that, if I had a little extra money, I would have invested in. Several of them have since hit it big, which gave me an extra layer of confidence in beginning my own collection.

None of us are going to be buying van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, etc etc. And 99% of the people reading this aren’t actively building collections with artists that have work come up at major auction. But there are avenues for us common folk! Last week the SPRING/BREAK show showcased art at a palatable price point, and the Affordable Art Fair in NYC is coming up in two weeks. Social media, for all it’s pitfalls, is a great place to discover new artists. Follow galleries that feature up-and-comers, and spend time researching student shows & exhibitions. Each year Christie’s auctions art from staff/vendors that is on par with what you might find in a gallery, but at a much lower starting point. I fell in love with this piece - which ultimately went for higher than my budget, but I connected with the artist, Bobby Haag, and ended up getting an incredible painting that he had sitting in storage at a price that worked for me.

Bobby is the perfect example that quality art can be found anywhere, you just need to spend time digging beneath the surface and find artists doing work that hasn’t quite hit the mainstream. I thought it’d be valuable to showcase his backstory a bit more in-depth, as he’s the perfect testament against the illusion that the art world is inaccessible.

Subscribe now

(LJ) Where do you work and what do you do there?

(Bobby Haag) I have a job in NYC as Janitorial Maintenance for a company that handles artwork. I clean an entire warehouse on my own and organize it when approved. I make sure the well-being of everybody inside is kept everyday, and I try to make everything easy, fun, and safe. While I'm helping give anyone a hand whenever needed, I also get to experience (with my own eyes) the professional art industry.  This is fascinating and is amazing to me because the "art world" is very strange.

What’s your background with art – how did you get into it, are you professionally trained, etc?

My story is a magical astonishing never ending real life fairy tale.  Ever since I was born I’ve used my imagination to play. This turned into me making artwork as an adult. I never went to art school, and was introduced to oil painting at age 20...then, I taught myself how to paint. I still have my first debut oil painting. Spending ten years alone in Michigan, I developed my relationship with my own artwork, and at the same time was giving everyone around me my paintings out of love. There are hundreds of Bobby Haag paintings all around the world.

Once I turned 30, I was physically picked up and dropped off in NYC, knowing nobody and not sure what to do. There I invented "Bobby Haag Painting" - it was the beginning show of my newly made, more mature artwork (exclusively oil paintings). Now, I put on all my own art shows by myself, as it gives me the opportunity to create new paintings and meet a lot of amazing people. My painting is holy, as if it originates as an artwork made out of itself. It is how I met you, and got this interview, too - this is my debut interview!

What are your ambitions with art – where do you want to take things?

I am doing my best to push art forward for everyone to experience, right in front of their eyes, by being myself in my painting - there is nothing to hide in my work. I passionately study my own original color theory, which I am convinced is an exciting new form of useful information, but I also understand there is much more to discover. The more I paint, the more colors I get to look at, and in the end there is a painting to give. It is a gift. I would not call myself a painter. Painting is the work I must put into the artwork in order to make art. So in that case, I see myself as an artist.

How would you describe your style? Are there artists you pull inspiration from?

I learned how color works from nature, learned what oil paint looks like from Vincent van Gogh, learned 'en plein air' painting from Claude Monet. I am also learning as much art history as I can from going to the Met Museum. As I talk with artists I meet, we support, influence, and inspire each other. Magically, within, are unheard tales that speak themself through original personality as a significant representation in my work. And at the end of the day, I like to make art that is surprising and fun, just like sports are.

On that note, what’s your connection to sports?

I used to play soccer growing up. Defense! My dad and I watched basketball games as a family too. I loved skateboarding all day long, all day strong, for many, many years. I can kickflip and everything.

Do you have any upcoming shows I can promote?

On December 8th, 2024, I’ll have my fourth "Bobby Haag Art Show" behind the Met Museum by the bridge, weather permitting! Also follow my instagram, @bobbyhaagpainting - I post all my art shows and information there. I try to make up new art shows every month of the year, creating work for myself and keeping myself busy. Anyway, thanks for the interview! I love what you do, and am happy you listened to me telling some of my story.

Art/Sports I’m Into

This Josh Allen Piece

More details in the Ebay listing, but one of my favorite artists, Billy Kheel, made this piece based on one of my posts combining a Josh Allen leap with Giordano’s Fall of the Rebel Angels.

It’s a whole bunch of pieces of felt layered and sewn together to create dynamism and texture, and is stunning irl. Feel free to hit me up if you want more info. Also, random, but shoutout the weather. Absolutely killing it this time of year - 10/10

FOUR BONUS MEMES FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS (I DO THIS ALL FOR FREE, SO THIS IS ONE WAY YOU CAN DIRECTLY HELP SUPPORT THE ACCOUNT FINANCIALLY)

Read more

Share ArtButMakeItSports

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s 400m hurdles gold medal run was so flawless that it yielded absolutely nothing out-of-the-ordinary to turn into art. I did get lucky in the post-race, however, as Hannah Peters (who was clutch all Olympics) came through with several shots of the crowned Queen, including this look from behind. There’s a compositional practice in Art called ‘Rückenfigur', which translates directly to back-figure. The most recognizable piece in the genre is probably Caspar David Friedrich's Wander Above the Sea of Fog, which could have worked here, but I did want to get something that incorporated a woman & potentially a crown. Side note, the Met is having an exhibition on Friedrich starting next February that I am counting down the days to. If you subscribe as a founding member below, I will go with you to the exhibition.

Subscribe now

Back to the description…Friedrich has several rückenfigur works, and I remembered that Woman before the Rising Sun has a hairstyle that resembles a crown.

I wish the background colors and body shape matched a bit better, and that I had a higher resolution shot of the artwork (which I’m hoping to get at the Met exhibition), but I was happy with how this one turned out.

Next up, this viral video of Simone Biles. Throughout the Olympics, I tried to weave in artwork from French artists & institutions, and as soon as this clip dropped, I knew the Mona Lisa from the Louvre would be perfect.

There are two ‘layers’ here - 1. these are two of the most recognizable women in their respective disciplines. The GOATs, if you will, although I would not recommend waiting to see the Mona Lisa in person. And 2. if you watch the video, the essence of what it captures is Simone’s ability to somehow be looking in multiple directions at once. It’s what the Mona Lisa is arguably most famous for. It’s a bit lost with just a screengrab vs. a video (I tried making one and it didn’t come out great), but figured there were enough components to make the image worth posting.

Finally, my favorite. I had this one queued up in the chamber as soon as Noah Lyles called out LeBron and the NBA players. Joe Pinchin (more on him below) had a few angles of LeBron’s chalk toss from one of the pool play games, and I knew it’d be perfect to pair with The Sacrifice of Noah if Lyles lost - there’s the visual composition (the chalk, hand placement, and the beard), but also the deeper play on the beef between Lyles & LeBron. While the former won the 100m, he dropped the 200m and I fired this off as soon as he did. LeBron then held up his end of the bargain by leading the USA Men to gold.

I was a bit disappointed that this one didn’t get as much love as I thought it deserved, but I take solace in the fact that I was able to put out a ton of other quality posts from the Games. Which transitions nicely into…

Art/Sports I’m Into

The Paralympics

Several of you have asked if I’ll be making content for the Paralympics. As is the case with all sports; if there’s compelling imagery and I have the bandwidth, I’ll be there to post about it. Gold Zone has made it stupid simple to isolate out the best of the best, and from what I’ve read, NBC will have it in place for the Paralympics, so stay tuned in a week and a half when they fire up!

Artist of the Week

Abdul “Abe” Mazid

Shared this post the other day of MJ at the Barcelona Olympics (shot by the incomparable Nat Butler), and was excited because I think it’s the first time in 2,000+ posts that I was able to use an art piece from someone I’m friends with.

Abdul's pieces look nice online, but truly shine in person, as his thick application of paint and deliberate but improvised brush strokes (it makes sense when you see it) create texture and movement, turning into a form of accessible modern Dynamism.

He also has an expansive repertoire, working across a number of mediums, including my favorite, a collaboration between him and Julian Lombardi called The Currency Project, where they explore the intersection between art and sports cards, examining what value means and what can be created be implementing layers on top of existing canvases. Give them a follow!

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Joe Pinchin

Joe works on content for the Chicago Bulls during the regular season, but lucky for us spent the offseason covering Team USA at Paris 2024. His shots are gold medal worthy, and his understanding that ball is life gets woven into the fabric of every photo that he takes.

He’s also gracious with his time, going out of his way to make sure the perfect shot comes together even if it means taking extra effort out of his day.

Make sure to check out his full catalog of work, even if you’re not a Bulls fan.

BONUS BREAKDOWNS FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS (I DO THIS ALL FOR FREE, SO THIS IS ONE WAY YOU CAN DIRECTLY HELP SUPPORT THE ACCOUNT FINANCIALLY)

Read more

Between Google’s busted AI Overviews and the endless amount of deepfakes & seven-fingered hands that litter social media, we are unwillingly forced to acknowledge that AI is no longer a mercurial point guard, but instead the foundation in which Big Tech assumes we - society - want to build our reality on. And the biggest issue? It’s attempting to do all the things no one wants from it.

The following tweet by Joanna Maciejewska went viral because it perfectly captures the way so many of us feel about the rollout of AI, and the bleak future that it proposes if deployed incorrectly. It’s something I’m confronted with on the daily, as the account gets flooded with comments suggesting the only way I could be doing this is through AI. And it’s frustrating, on a number of levels.

Doing comparisons live for investigative journalist Pablo Torre

1. I have been posting comparisons well before AI was even a public thing. The account has been around since 2019.

2. I post multiple times a day, usually close to real-time, often using artwork that I've personally photographed at museums. My comparisons are detailed, nuanced, and sometimes reference small fractions of an overall painting. People will write in saying, ‘I asked ChatGPT to do a comparison and it came up with something similar,’ or ‘I used Google Arts & Culture to match a face, etc.’ Please take one second to look at what AI churns out vs. what I’m creating. THERE IS NO TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN COME CLOSE TO DOING THIS!

3. And so then, the suggestion is that me, a regular person, has somehow come up with a home-baked solution that’s miles better than anything massive tech companies have rolled out, and I’ve decided to strictly use it for matching images of Sports to Art. I don’t think people understand how ridiculous this is.

4. And finally, and this harkens back to Joanna’s tweet - whenever someone accuses me of using AI, what they’re actually saying is that for the last five years I’ve just been posting AI outputs, for almost no money, pretending that it was human-created, for shits and giggles. Do you know how lame someone would have to be to do that, even if there was the technology in place? It’s insulting, and my biggest frustration - AI should be a tool to help replace the mundane, and allow us to devote brainpower and resources to things that require the touch and beauty of the human mind. It’s why I love Google Lens - it gives me information about the artwork, without having to take a photo of the nameplate at the museum. It saves me phone space, time, and energy, but has no impact on the artistic nature of what I’m doing. It’s the laundry and dishes, leaving me free to create the art and writing.

The scariest part is that one day, AI might become good enough to do what I do. And it’s terrifying not because it means that I’d be replaced, but because of what it means for society. The line between truth and tech erased, and the essence of what it means to be human, to create, to think, will evaporate. There will no longer be a need for practice, because there will be no more games left to play. And on that cheerful note…

Art/Sports I’m Into

Thirsty Gallerina

I’m late to the party, as this account has been around since 2018, but glad that it finally found it’s way into my timeline (see: good uses of AI). The concept of Thirsty Gallerina is simple: detail out the NYC galleries that have openings on a given night, as well is if there’s free booze, food, music, and/or most crucial, a bathroom. Sold.

Artist of the Week

Nicholas Borelli

The art world & fairs/shows can sometimes be stuffy, pretentious, and uninviting. Part of what I think resonates with people about my account is that it’s an alternate avenue into experiencing art that allows you to bypass some of the baggage oftentimes associated with the traditional practice. And if you like the account (which, why else would you be reading this), there’s a good chance you’d see the SPRING/BREAK Art Show as a welcomed breathe-of-fresh-air. The show’s website does a great job of breaking down the premise; for me, the show boils down to two things: funky & cozy.

I first came across Nicholas Borelli’s work at the 2022 NYC edition of the show, and this piece stopped me in my tracks.

Funky, oddly cozy; the embodiment of what the show stands for and why I love art, but also unique in structure and message. Nicholas Borelli’s work builds that by playing off nostalgia and childhood whimsy, and specifically ‘Le Blob’ - as I christened it - stuck with me for the next two years. About a month ago, I tracked it down, and managed to buy it (shoutout Brent Beamon at Flowers Gallery for his help), not as an investment, or a statement, but because I wanted a constant reminder of that original feeling. There’s a Le Blob out there for you too, and the SPRING/BREAK Art Show is a great and affordable place to start looking - it’ll be sometime this fall in NYC.

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Steph Chambers

Steph Chambers is so good that words aren’t needed. Just go to her profile, immediately follow, and fall down a wormhole. I’ve used her work numerous times, and I’m always so excited when one of her gems hits my timeline, seemingly on a weekly basis.

This one wasn’t posted because the pairing didn’t quite do the shot justice, but in the section below I’ll briefly break down how/why I came up with the comparison:

BONUS DESCRIPTION FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS

Read more

I’ll preface this all by saying a painting of this magnitude is getting pocketed for when just the right sports moment comes up, so the newsletter won’t feature any athletic comparisons, but I did want to spend some time breaking down the work. By this point, there have been numerous think pieces written, focusing on the ‘symbolism’ and ‘history’ - my ability to critically analyze anything regarding the British monarchy goes about as deep as their gene pool, but I have seen a lot of fine art, so I wanted to talk more about the past pieces & styling it evokes vs. the ‘meaning’ of the work.

Right off the bat we see some parallels to the painting of Vigo the Carpathian, from Ghostbusters II - military uniform, focused attention on the face, and a blurry, smoky background positioning the figure in what feels like battle.

I saw numerous tweets bringing up the work, and for good reason - they have similar vibes. Next up we’ve got Winold Reiss, a white, German-born artist who “challenged the convention of racial stereotyping by portraying African American, Native American, and Asian American subjects as dignified individuals.” - Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

One of the ways Reiss pulled off this off was by focusing attention on the face, arms, hands, etc of his subject vs. clothes or surroundings. The figure is subsequently brought to the foreground, allowing the spectator to hone in on the human details, and rendering the rest of the work extraneous. We see a lot of this in Yeo’s portrait, where your attention is immediately drawn to the King’s face and hands because that’s what’s been fleshed out.

To pull in a more contemporary piece/style, my mind went to Lucio Fontana, initially for the strong use of red, but also because it just seems like the kind of painting you want to dig some claws in and tear to shreds.

And now we arrive at the coup de grâce - Chaim Soutine’s Le Petit Patissier. Do I even need to talk this one out? It matches on pretty much every level, and makes you wonder if Yeo used it as inspiration/the foundation.

Art/Sports I’m Into

Women’s College World Series

If you’ve never indulged, do yourself a favor and fire up the Women's College World Series. The regional rounds are in progress, and games are electric; fast-paced, incredible crowds, and a setup that encourages highlight-worthy plays. Kim Doss does a great job breaking down the matchups here. Read up and enjoy!

Artist of the Week

Jonas Wood

You’ve probably stumbled upon a Jonas Wood piece in the past - if you haven’t, do yourself a favor and go down a wormhole.

His work beautifully blends art & sports with soothing colors, fun representations of athletes, and a refined yet youthful approach to composition.

I’ve got his work “Green Room Study” on-deck for the inevitable Celtics Finals run.

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Brian Babineau

Speaking of that inevitable Celtics run, their team photographer, Brian Babineau, is an absolute gem.

Brian’s framing and storytelling is always excellent, and has risen to new heights during the Playoffs. Follow his work, even if you’re a bitter Knicks fan like me.

BONUS MEME FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS

Read more

As promised, I’m teeing up some artist deep dives over the next few weeks (hit me up in the DMs if there’s a particular artist you’d like me to examine), and some fun collaborations are on deck.

Subscribe now

Also: I’m excited to announce that starting next week, I’ll be providing a weekly, Monday post that contains all the memes that were shared on social media that week, allowing you to see my content w/o having to sink to the depths of hell by being on Twitter and/or Instagram. It’s easy to sign up. Just go to your account settings and flip the Weekly Recap button to opt in. If you don’t, you’ll still keep getting all the standard posts.

Art/Sports I’m Into

OOTP (Out of the Park Baseball)

This is not a paid advertisement, but rather a personal box of mine to check to tell anyone and everyone how good Out of the Park Baseball is. I’ve been playing since I was around 13 (over 20 years now), and release day is always the highlight of my Spring. Granted, it’s extremely niche, but if you’re a baseball fan (nerd) who wants to experience running an organization as a GM, simulating what Babe Ruth’s career would be like if he played in 2024, or anything in between, it’s the game for you. Again, niche, but well worth checking out. If you buy it and enjoy it and would never have heard about it w/o me, hit me up. I’m proud to have introduced a number of diehards over the years and would be excited to add you to the roster.

The Sunday Long Read

Friend of the program and journalism Mount Rushmore member Don Van Natta Jr. launched a newsletter bringing together the best long form in sports each week. He also just announced he’s writing what will surely become the definitive book on Jerry Jones, which I’ll link off to when it becomes available.

Artist of the Week

Elijah Pierce

I was lucky enough to get a guided tour of last weekend’s Outsider Art Fair from of , and was introduced to the work of Elijah Pierce. A barber originally from Mississippi (then to Ohio), his wood carvings that he primarily made for his wives over the years eventually gained mainstream recognition when he was in his late 70’s.

His work is now featured in the collections of some of the top institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I’m definitely going to feature some of his pieces in memes going forward.

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Kyle Rivas

I had a chance to speak with Kyle a few days after the Super Bowl, an interview which I’ll run at some point in the late summer when we’re counting down the days until season start. For now, though, if you’re itching for football, Kyle’s instagram is an absolute must.

The thing that stands out the most about Kyle’s work is his ability to draw out the emotion from each moment - whether on or off the field - and tie it back to the prevailing storylines. His Mahomes post-Super Bowl LVIII win capture is a perfect example.

It’s a moment many would experience as excitement and celebration, but for Mahomes, it’s relief and exhalation; the culmination of his toughest season to date, where he still managed to pull off a Super Bowl victory despite a receiver corps of misfit characters. The Chiefs aren’t going anywhere, which means we’re set up for plenty more Kyle Rivas hits, and we should all be grateful for it.

Share

Luckily, a bunch of folks stepped in to help me source the photographer - Kathryn Riley, who I interviewed here about her shot at the Bills snow game.

I was then able to quickly put up an image comparing Jason sans shirt to The Feast of Bacchus, matching on a rotund figure drinking amongst revelers, and then all hell broke loose. The post picked up a ton of traction, and reached what I’m told is the current apex of pop culture, the New Heights podcast:

I think the first few seconds are laggy so stick with it

If you open the full episode, it’s around the 1:02:30 mark. As my co-worker spelled out for me: “Getting the Swiftie following is definitely the biggest honor one can receive.” So no matter your feelings on Taylor & the Kelce brothers, just know that it’s helping me create content, and that should be all that matters.

Subscribe now

Art/Sports I’m Into

Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper)

With some lite stalking you’ll uncover that Todd and I are co-workers in the real world, but take a quick look at his account @CrumpledJumper on Twitter and I bet you’d agree that the cronyism at play is justified.

Todd specializes in storytelling through Sports data, populating graphics using numbers and imagery, while always trying to let the visual convey the message. A modern artist, he also manages to find the most interesting advanced statistics and metrics to build off of.

Howard Beck called this the greatest NBA tiers graphic he’d ever seen

His work is often humorous, and every piece of his you consume leaves you entertained, educated, and craving more.

Artist of the Week

Bill Traylor

Born into slavery and spending a majority of his life as a sharecropper, Bill Traylor became widely recognized as a central figure in American folk & modern art only after his death. Starting at the age of 85, he began using primarily cardboard scraps as his canvas and produced nearly 1,500 pieces before his death.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum did an excellent job preserving the timeline of Bill Traylor’s life, and I highly recommend spending the time to read through. In addition, if Folk Art is your thing, comes highly recommended.

This Week in Outsider Art

Showcasing the world’s best self-taught, folk, and outsider art // news, exhibits, documentaries, and shop original artwork by self-taught artists from across the globe.

By Adam Oestreich

Sports Photographer You Need to Follow

Reginald Thomas II

Spurs fans are blessed; the No. 1 pick pipeline producing David Robinson-Tim Duncan-Wemby, an all-time head coach in Gregg Popovich, and five NBA titles. It’s an embarrassment of riches that now includes the ultra-talented Reginald Thomas II, whose title on paper is Team Photographer, but in practice is Artist-In-Residence.

His unique style often centers around black & white photos that function at a much richer tier than a traditional action shot. It’s an approach that highlights why basketball is beautiful, and we’re all lucky enough that we don’t need to be Spurs fans to enjoy his work.

Share ArtButMakeItSports

Up Next

I’m planning a deep dive into Clyfford Still (will probably run next Friday), and likely another photographer interview dropping at some point next week. Stay tuned. Also, two bonus Travis Kelce memes after the fold for paid subscribers!

Read more

The NFL is a monolith, and will continue to plod forward with or without the old guard of Belichick and Carroll. But, regardless of your opinions about Saban the man & coach, it’s hard not to feel sadness in his departure and extrapolate what it means for the future of College Football: We have officially entered into a new era. Players have always deserved to get paid, and it’s extremely promising and exciting to see them finally getting compensation for the value they create. But the way in which NIL has been unleashed - no real rules, limits, or playbooks - has created an entirely different sport, one that Saban was no longer interested in operating in. It mimics consumption patterns of a new generation, the constant player movement and conference realignment mirroring Tik Tok, where people doomscroll for the latest dopamine hit. There was something about watching your program recruit and develop players and chemistry from the ground up, and playing your rivals and regional counterparts - the things that made the sport great - that has all but been lost. Some of it is NIL, some NCAA incompetence, and some TV contract mayhem and greed. Maybe we’ll eventually return to that world with improved guardrails that allow everyone to get their piece of the pie, while retaining some semblance of stability in the sport, but for now, I’m pouring one out for Nick Saban, and also for myself, as this is the first time I’ve examined my fandom and realized that I, at 34 years of age, am old.

Subscribe now

Art/Sports I’m Into

This will be a weekly segment featuring something from art and/or sports that I dig

Retro Bowl College

If you work at EA Sports, FUCK YOU. An otherwise boring National Championship game would have been fully salvaged by dropping the NCAA Football 24 trailer, but the powers that be decided that Joe and Jane Public don’t deserve nice things. Luckily, I’m here to tell you there’s still a way to get your college football offseason video game fix. Retro Bowl is pocket nostalgia; a lite version of a college football video game that still has a surprising amount of depth, including ‘recruiting’ and dynamic gameplay. It’s free in the app store, and only $1 to get additional functionality - it’ll be the best money you spend all year. Plus, as a Vanderbilt (Nashville in the game) fan, it’s the closest I’ll get to sniffing success.

Shoutout Ebukam, the only bright spot on an otherwise lackluster defense

Artist of the Week

This will be a weekly segment featuring an artist who’s work I enjoy

Bisa Butler

It’s worth noting that some of the artists here will be fresh, some will be established, some will be from the 1600s, etc. Bisa Butler falls into the category of skyrocketing, which is extremely exciting given she first came across my radar a few years back when she did a show at my hometown museum, the Katonah Museum of Art.

Three Kings, by Bisa Butler, 2018, image is from a random fan at Wimbledon last year

Put simply, Butler makes magic by creating quilts that look like realistic paintings. Try to see her work in person, which shouldn’t be hard nowadays with her pieces deservedly popping up everywhere.

Bonus Shoutout

Pillow Cube

This isn’t an ad - they reached out to me and offered to send me a free pillow no strings attached, which I’ve now used for a few months and can honestly say has been life-changing, so figured it’d only be right to give a shout-out. Though I value Mike Lindell for his comedic levity - the man is a walking crackpipe and him dating Jane Krakowski is up there with Baron Davis & Laura Dern as the wildest celebrity couple of all time, My Pillow doesn’t have shit on Pillow Cube. I have no idea if they’re reasonably priced; tbh I can’t remember the last time I even bought a pillow. All I know is that I’ve been sleeping better than I ever have, and that’s probably worth a decent amount, plus they decided to send me something for free, so kudos to them.

Bonus Belichick Memes for Paid Subscribers under the fold

This moment, but in meme forms, below

Read more