GAME TIME is a new sports and culture conference series, organized by Adam Abdalla, Creative Director and Curator, in collaboration with major museums and cultural institutions. Hosted at Pérez Art Museum Miami during the opening weekend of Get in the Game: Sports and Art, our first session is packed with two days of curated programming, including high-impact conversations, performances, and live events. Session 1 is scheduled to align with Miami Open, Formula 1, and the global momentum of the World Cup.
Networking
Connect with curators, journalists, and cultural innovators driving critical conversations and new perspectives in art and sports.
Curated Sessions
Engage with electrifying, live conversations, performances, and screenings led by leading voices in art, athletics, and media.
Industry Leaders
Exchange ideas, find projects, and connect with top-tier cultural and sports leaders in a one-of-a-kind museum setting.
Discover Trends
Discover how sports inspire art, influence culture, and spark new creative projects worldwide.
Interactive Sessions
Participate in interactive workshops, poetry labs, and other sessions that turn spectators into creators.
Day 1
Day 2
1-2:30PM
From the Olympics to the World Cup: Mediating Sports Journalism and the Role of the Artist on the World’s Stage
Sports media is evolving rapidly—as are the ways major sporting events shape both culture and coverage. While Miami prepares for the FIFA World Cup this summer, leading journalists, photographers, artists, and media-makers who immortalize what happens on the field will reflect on their practices, the spectacle of sports, and the power of sports storytelling today. Featuring Hank Willis Thomas (Artist, Get in the Game), Carling Jackson (Olympic Artist), Isaiah Smalls (Founder, The 44 Percent; Reporter, The Miami Herald), Jake Troyli (Artist, Get in the Game), and Franklin Sirmans (Sandra and Tony Tamer Director, PAMM).
3–4:30PM
Sports and Society: Cultural Production in Sports
As global sporting events reshape cities, institutions, and cultural production, what role can art play? This conversation explores the platforms, commissions, and institutional initiatives connecting contemporary art and athletics, offering a look at how these collaborations take shape behind the scenes. Featuring Lyndon Barrois Sr. (Artist, Get in the Game), Tabitha Soren (Artist, Get in the Game), Nora Halpern (Executive Director, Cultural Olympiad, LA28), and Summer Wheat (Commissioned Artist, Kansas City Chiefs).
5–6:30PM
Playing Field to Museum Gallery
As athletes shape culture on and off the field, how does their identity and influence extend into creative spaces? This conversation explores the evolving relationship between sports and contemporary art, considering how cultural leadership, patronage, and creative inspiration take hold across arenas and institutions. Featuring Franklin Sirmans (Sandra and Tony Tamer Director, PAMM), Desmond Howard (Sportscaster; Former NFL Player; Super Bowl XXXI MVP; 1991 Heisman Trophy winner), and Dr. Damion L. Thomas (Supervisory Museum Curator of Professional Sports, Amateur Sports, and Leisure Activities, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History).
6–6:30PM
Reading
Presented in partnership with the O, Miami Poetry Festival, GAME TIME presents readings by nationally renowned poet, essayist, and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Hanif Abdurraqib, reciting from his book There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. On March 10, O, Miami and the Miami VIS for Poetics of the Play Call will present a poetry workshop followed by access to see the Miami Heat play the Washington Wizards. This project celebrates the linguistic skill, wit and performance of broadcasters and sports analysts. Each ticket includes access to a courtside poetry workshop at the Kaseya Center and a ticket to see the Miami Heat play the Washington Wizards. Poems developed during this workshop will be handed over to the Heat broadcast team who will be challenged with integrating these community compositions into live broadcast during the month of April. More information and tickets can be found here. The project is presented by Najja Moon and Jaki Goldner.
7–9PM
Film Screening: US Premiere of On the Line
Shot over the course of ten years, On the Line follows the careers of three professional fighters—Will “Power” Rosinsky, Danny “The Miracle Man” Jacobs, and Patrick “All” Day—as they strive to become world champions in one of the most unforgiving of all sports. Set against the gritty backdrop of New York City, with its fabled boxing history and culture, the film follows the trio from their early days as standouts on the amateur scene through the unrelenting climb up the professional ranks.
9–11PM
GAME TIME Reception
In celebration of GAME TIME, join PAMM for drinks and music on the museum’s waterfront terrace. More information to come.
Sponsors
GAME TIME: Session 1 is supported by Knight Foundation, LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Cultural Counsel, and Commissioner.
