At downtown haunt Felix last night, the art and sporting worlds came out swinging. Artist Mickalene Thomas and Art Arena guest editor Leah Faye Cooper brought the inaugural issue of Art Arena x CULTURED to life with a room full of artists, athletes, collectors, and cultural heavyweights ready to toast the women rewriting the rules of their craft.
The newly-launched collectible magazine is a meeting of minds, mediums, and muscle, spotlighting the women who have made their mark across the worlds of art and athleticism. Across its pages, artists, athletes, and cultural figures share the triumphs and personal histories behind their achievements.
As the crowd’s chatter reached its crescendo during the festivities, Thomas and Cooper gathered the attendees to reflect on the project, with the guest editor sharing thoughtful remarks that echoed the initiative’s rallying credo: “Over the past few months, Art Arena and CULTURED have collaborated on this special issue, exploring the historical, inextricable, and ever-growing relationship between art and sport,” she said. Cooper followed with a heartfelt tribute to the collaborators who entrusted the team with their stories, and reflected on the rare pleasure of bringing together subjects she cares deeply about.
As the night wore on, waiters circulated with trays of sliders and miniature grilled cheeses, a playful nod to sports-bar fare that felt right at home among the well-coiffed crowd, all sipping martinis and champagne. Guests toasted the women whose work continues to shape both art and sport, leaving with limited-edition copies of the inaugural issue—a 200-page testament to the power of putting their stories in the spotlight.
The night brought together a formidable cross-section of the art, fashion, and sporting worlds. Art Arena and CULTURED leadership Mickalene Thomas, Michi Jigarjian, Isolde Brielmaier, Leah Faye Cooper, Sarah Harrelson, and Ian Malone were joined by artists Sheree Hovsepian, Sadie Barnette, Bony Ramirez, and Adam Cohen. Fashion had its own showing, with designer Bach Mai, fashion entrepreneur Latham Thomas, stylist Kesha McLeod, model Victoria Brito, and executives Rajni Jacques and Nacole Snoep in attendance. Musician Swizz Beatz, chefs Woldy Reyes and Tara Thomas, curator Legacy Russell, and arts patron Yvonne Force Villareal rounded out the crowd.
Inside the issue, Olympic skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, photographed for the cover by Hovsepian, leads a roster of women making waves across art and sport. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon and artist Naima Green offer intimate perspectives on athletic ambition and community, while Emily Tisch Sussman, podcaster and Gotham FC owner, opens up her family’s art collection. Elsewhere, NBA champion and art collector Kevin Love offers a look inside his locker room and his collecting habits, while another feature takes stock of the women reshaping the business of men’s sports from the sidelines.
The conversation didn’t end at Felix. Art Arena x CULTURED will continue to bring the worlds of art and sport together on culturedmag.com, with fresh stories, interviews, and perspectives on the figures changing the game. Stay tuned for what’s next.
The conversation didn’t end at Félix. Art Arena x CULTURED will continue to bring the worlds of art and sport together on culturedmag.com, through fresh stories, interviews, perspectives, and live experiences spotlighting the figures shaping both worlds. The inaugural issue of Art Arena x CULTURED is available to purchase here, with more conversations and perspectives unfolding on Art Arena’s Substack.
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