GAME TIME, a cultural platform exploring the convergence of art and sports, returns to Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) as the city hosts FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches.
Building on Session 1 in March—which featured Hanif Abdurraqib, Kelefa Sanneh, Desmond Howard, Nora Halpern, Tabitha Soren, and more—Session 2 brings together a new roster of artists, athletes, journalists, and cultural leaders. The full lineup will be announced soon.
Session 2 Participants
- Tommie Smith, Activist and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Kelefa Sanneh, Staff Writer, The New Yorker
- C. Isaiah Smalls II, Sports & Culture Writer, The Miami Herald
- Patton Hindle, Director, Knight Foundation
- Franklin Sirmans, Sandra and Tony Tamer Director, Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Michael Bennett, Creative Director, Studio Kër
- Glenn Kaino, Artist
- Damion L. Thomas, Supervisory Museum Curator of Professional Sports, Amateur Sports, and Leisure Activities, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History
Panels
Basquiat and Famous Negro Athletes
11:30am–12:30pm
Jean-Michel Basquiat channeled the energy and mythology of athletes into some of the most iconic works in contemporary art, from boxers and baseball players to the physical improvisation that animated his practice. In this conversation, The New Yorker staff writer Kelefa Sanneh brings us on a journey through Franklin Sirmans’s unique curatorial relationship to sports—examining both his history exhibiting major exhibitions related to fútbol on the occasion of the World Cup in Miami—as well as the unique history of Basquiat’s work in relationship to athletes and athleticism.
Featuring Franklin Sirmans (Sandra and Tony Tamer Director, PAMM) and Kelefa Sanneh (Staff Writer, The New Yorker).
A Look Back: With Drawn Arms
12:30–1:30pm
From Tommie Smith’s raised fist in Mexico City to Jackie Robinson’s integration of Major League Baseball, athletes have long stood at the center of the struggle for equality and representation. This panel examines that legacy and its present-day resonance through the lens of With Drawn Arms—Glenn Kaino and Tommie Smith’s decade-long collaboration—bringing together artists, athletes, and cultural leaders whose work interrogates the politics of the playing field and the protest it can become.
Featuring Glenn Kaino (Artist), Tommie Smith (Olympic Gold Medalist, 1968 Mexico City; Activist), Dr. Damion L. Thomas (Supervisory Museum Curator of Professional Sports, Amateur Sports, and Leisure Activities, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture), and Patton Hindle (Director/Arts, Knight Foundation).
Studio Kër: Football and the Life Thereafter
3–4pm
As athletes shape culture on and off the field, how does their identity and influence extend into creative spaces? Former NFL defensive lineman, Super Bowl XLVIII champion, and design architect and Studio Kër founder Michael Bennett —speaks with Miami Herald reporter C. Isaiah Smalls II.
Featuring Michael Bennett (Former NFL Defensive Lineman; Super Bowl XLVIII Champion; Founder, Studio Kër), Germane Barnes (Founder and Director of Studio Barnes), and C. Isaiah Smalls II (Reporter, Miami Herald).
Beyond the Game: Building the Next Generation
4–5pm
Sports are often celebrated for producing champions, but their most lasting impact may be the leaders, educators, and communities they help create. This conversation explores how athletics serves as a pathway to opportunity, examining the role of mentorship, education, and equitable access in shaping future generations. Bringing together voices from sports, education, and community leadership, the panel considers what it takes to build a legacy that extends far beyond the scoreboard.
Featuring Alexys Feaster (Filmmaker; Founder, The Kinship Advisors; Partner, VISIBILITY Media), Ebony Morrison (American-Liberian Track & Field Athlete; 2020 and 2024 Olympian) and Marie Vickles (Senior Director of Education, PAMM).
About Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture
Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture explores the dynamic interplay between athletic performance and artistic expression. Coinciding with major international sporting events taking place in Miami—the Miami Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the FIFA World Cup, the exhibition positions Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) as a site where global audiences converge to reflect on the cultural impact of sport. In a city shaped by exchange and diversity, the exhibition underscores how games and competitions create common ground across traditions, identities, and rivalries.
Featuring more than 100 works by artists from around the world—including highlights from PAMM’s collection—Get in the Game demonstrates how sport has inspired both personal expression and shared cultural memory. Visitors encounter Ernie Barnes’s soulful depictions of neighborhood basketball games, Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno’s cinematic meditation that follows French soccer star Zinedine Zidane’s in real time over the course of a match, and Tara Mateik’s reenactment of the historic 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Artworks are presented alongside historic sports memorabilia—from 1970s Nike sneakers to original McLaren Racing steering wheels—revealing the intertwined histories of creativity, athleticism, and spectacle.
Ultimately, Get in the Game honors the resilience, energy, and imagination that define sports culture, while inviting visitors to consider how art reframes these themes across time and place. Immersive installations extend the experience beyond the visual, encouraging audiences to step into the arena.
