Why We Play: Sport, Art, and Youth Identity
Fri, Nov 6, 2026
6:30–7:30 pm
Mixtape Vol. 4 at Free Friday Night, March 13, 2026. Photograph by Filip Wolak
Tickets
Registration is required for Why We Play: Sport, Art, and Youth Identity. Tickets are free and Museum admission is included. Capacity is limited; visitors are encouraged to register in advance.
The DJ set, artmaking activity, and dance class are open to all. Book a Free Friday Nights ticket.
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The Susan and John Hess Family Theater is equipped with an induction loop and infrared assistive listening system. Accessible seating is available.
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Throughout the Whitney
Join us at the Whitney for an evening celebrating the intersection of sport, art, and self-expression in partnership with the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Why We Play: Sport, Art, and Youth Identity brings together artists, athletes, and cultural leaders to explore how sports and creativity shape our identities—and why young people shouldn’t have to choose between the two.
Throughout the evening, enjoy a live DJ set by Ty-Michelle in the Lobby, drop into the ArtSpace for an artmaking activity inspired by Roy Lichtenstein’s bold visual language, and end the evening with a free hip-hop dance class led by Ailey Extension.
Why We Play: Sport, Art, and Youth Identity panel discussion
Floor 3, Theater
6:30—7:30pm
Who says you have to choose between being an athlete and an artist? Join us for a lively Why We Play conversation featuring Michael Bennett, Super Bowl champion, former NFL player, and founder of creative studio Studio Kër, and Ashley Teamer, a contemporary artist and former athlete whose work explores basketball and women’s sports.
Together, they’ll explore how sport and creativity shape who we are, and what becomes possible when young people are encouraged to embrace both. Sport and art are both powerful ways we express ourselves, connect with others, and discover who we are. So why are young people so often encouraged to choose one over the other?
Presented in partnership with the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), with support from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.
Featured Speakers
Michael Bennett, Multidisciplinary designer, artist, author, activist, and former NFL defensive end
Ashley Teamer, Multimedia artist and DJ
Tom Farrey, Founder & Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program
Britt Salvesen, Curator and Head of the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department and Prints and Drawings Department at LACMA
Additional speakers to be announced.