The Beauty of the Game 

Dante Pettis always had a passion for art. In many ways, he viewed his performance on the football field as a form of creative expression. Incredible one hand catches, precise route running, and heroic feats on the field were all forms of beauty and creativity. But Dante also knew art had the potential to serve communities in different ways; art can facilitate education, improve mental and emotional health, and expand culture. The only problem was opportunity and access. 

The We Group identified Dante’s core vision concerning art’s transformative social potential and crafted a strategy to give this perspective visibility and practical application. This process began by reaching out to voices in the inner city that seek to give opportunities to disenfranchised artist through scholarships, access to venues, and other platforms showcasing their artwork. The need to facilitate opportunities for aspiring artists became a glaring deficiency Dante and the We Group intended to solve.

What better way to give disenfranchised artists visibility and opportunity than showcasing their art at America’s largest sporting event – the Super Bowl?

Home to a long tradition of creative personalities, Los Angeles was the perfect city for such an event. The We Group organized an art venue during Super Bowl weekend not only showcasing art from the inner city, but from prominent athletes including Matisse Thybulle, Desmond Mayson, and Marquise Godwin. These athletes shared a powerful perspective: many professional athletes rely on art to deal with their own mental and emotional deficiencies, but they have yet to find a proper creative outlet to showcase their art.

This became a part of CR18’s mission. It’s time to show the world there is much more to the modern athletes than meets the eye. The spectacular athletic performances which are accustomed to witnessing also include introspective personalities that seek to give their experiences and conception of the world artistic representation. What better way to develop a better understanding of your favorite athletes than to witness and learn about their works of art, what they find meaningful, and how they make sense of the world around them?

In targeting the disenfranchised artist and the modern athlete, CR18 is living proof that art can serve as a unifying force bringing disparate voices, perspectives, and socio-economic classes together for the sake of a greater good.

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