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This art exhibition might be the most fun you've ever had in a museum.

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DICK'S Sporting Goods

Are athletes more like artists than we think?

Can coaches teach athletes to be critical thinkers through sport?

Dania Cabello and Yvan Iturriaga (wall installation) and Miguel “Bounce” Perez (mural) created “Nepantla.” Photo by Emily De La Torre, courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center.


These are some of the questions artist, activist, and educator Dania Cabello asks in her new “Game Recognize Game” art exhibition on display at the SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco.

Representing a deep inquiry into the power and potential of sports as a cultural platform for social change, Cabello curated the exhibition in partnership with the Oakland Castlemont football team, Soccer Without Borders, and Senda Athletics.

To create an immersive, experiential environment for intergenerational, hands-on activities within the exhibit, audience members of all ages were encouraged to play inside the gallery walls.

Exhibition title wall with Cece Carpio’s piece “Huktingan (The Royal Rumble)” in the background. Photo by Emily De La Torre, courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center.

The works from Cabello and fellow artists Arjuna Sayyed, Cece Carpio, Ed Ntiri, Yonas Tesfai, Miguel “Bounce” Perez, and Yvan Iturriaga explore the historical precedents and contemporary context for athletes like Colin Kaepernick who are leveraging sports as a platform for social change.

Interactive installations like as basketball hoops and soccer setups invite gallery visitors to discover how play can transform public spaces and break down the barriers that separate people.

From the walls of a gallery to the border wall, Cabello wants visitors to imagine play as a physical language that can create space for greater freedom.

We spoke with Cabello about why this unique exhibition matters — especially now:

What inspired this exhibition?

I’ve been working for many years at the intersection of social justice and sport. I teach physical education teachers at St. Mary’s College and do a break dance-soccer-tricks hybrid called freestyle soccer. There was this moment of practice where the theory and practice came together to create something I had never experienced before.

I wanted to create something that looks at our current political moment and how we look at oppression, especially how joy could be used as a form of resistance.

The name “Game Recognize Game” came from the idea there’s a shared value and shared way that my friends who are artists and I live and move in the world. Some are athletes and some are artists — but they’re playful in their art or playful in how they work.

We wanted the subjects to reflect us — not an “othering” that happens in art spaces. And we wanted to honor the past: athletes who have used their platform explicitly and also propose a new way to think about our physical movements and how that can be used.

Opening reception attendees at “Game Recognize Game” play against Cabello and Iturriaga’s “Nepantla” wall installation. Photo by Emily De La Torre, courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center.

Why was it important to make the installation interactive?

I built the 50-foot installation with another contributing artist because, through our own research and studying the borders between Palestine and Israel (or the U.S. and Mexico), [we learned that] children will reimagine these barriers as a place to play.

The hope is that you don’t just come and kick and play as a metaphor, but actually think about how moving our bodies in playful ways in public spaces can create change. There’s really no structure — we’re not facilitating anything — the play just comes naturally.

What has the response been so far?

The response has blown me away.

There have been two different camps: One, those who had not previously thought of sport as a space of critical reflection, [and] that it was just reproducing violent masculinity.

And two: Those who understood sport but found a new liberating element to it. From every generation — babies crawling, elderly folks — they’re moving, dancing, drawing.

Opening night was a euphoric, joyful manifestation. You can’t really tell people to move like that. It just happened. I’ve also finally been getting offers to reach larger audiences and to work with sports organizations and others on policy change.

Soccer freestylers at the “Game Recognize Game” opening reception. Photo by Martín Xavi Macías, courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center.

How can art break down barriers that sport cannot and vice versa?

Sport, in its purest form, is one of the most beautiful artistic expressions. There’s something inherently artistic about the movement of bodies. Playing and performing is extremely creative when you remove the lines and boundaries of sport.

For me, my work has been about not just highlighting that but rethinking how the artistic part can influence the instruction of sport.

Could it not just be Kaepernick using it to make a political statement, but all athletes being educated to be critical thinkers? And could coaches and athletes consider not just the act of playing, but the intention with which you’re playing, such that instruction is improved to prevent the perpetuation of gender inequality and other types of injustice?

There’s an artistic expression and performative part of play. Kaepernick inspired the narrative — and he’s an important figure — but it’s about us.

The change is going to come from us as the masses.

This story was produced as part of a campaign called "17 Days" with DICK'S Sporting Goods. These stories aim to shine a light on real occurrences of sports bringing people together.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

@davidcsmalley/TikTok

But can she start it?

David C. Smalley, a comedian and podcaster, regularly gives us some generational humor by exposing his 19-year-old daughter Talissa to relics of the past. You know, things like CDs, phonebooks, remote controllers…feeling old yet?

Recently, Smalley challenged Talissa with navigating a standard U-Haul storage truck. She had to 1) unlock the door 2) roll down a window and 3) start the engine.

For those of us who grew up before the 90s, this might sound like the easiest challenge ever. But apparently, for Gen Z, it’s like being asked to maneuver a horse and buggy.
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All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

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A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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