Count Me In

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.”
— Retired baseball pitcher Vernon Law, baseball player

The artworks in this gallery showcase the deep desire among athletes (and artists) to participate in games that prove — to rivals and spectators, coaches and family members, and the participants themselves — that they are worthy of the task at hand. In the game, players discover that the hours spent practicing with heads bent, in a crouch, or cradling a ball, yield a grace and beauty that only surfaces when tested. And sometimes the sociopolitical context in which one performs makes it even harder. In this exhibition, the physical, mental, emotional, and political resilience required to play is made visible. When Indigenous, Black, or women athletes refuse to give up, especially when they were historically excluded, their presence in the contest changes it. They make the game wider, deeper, and more meaningful. They make a beautiful game even more beautiful.