Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty, and CULTURED Arts Editor-at-Large Sophia Cohen hosted an evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to honor artist LaToya Ruby Frazier. The event celebrated the debut of Frazier's first outdoor public art commission, "The Liberty Portraits: A Monument to the 2024 Champions," which reimagines the plaza as a tribute to the women's basketball team. Attendees included WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison, Brooklyn Nets CEO Sam Zussman, artists Sarah Sze, Joan Jonas, Shaun Leonardo, and Dustin Yellin, gallerist Gavin Brown, public art advocate Susan Freedman, and curators Eric Shiner, Tina Kukielski, Drew Sawyer, and Jennifer Blessing. Wu Tsai also announced upcoming public art commissions from Sarah Sze and Rashid Johnson for Barclays Center.
The event matters because it highlights a growing intersection between professional sports and the visual art world, using public art to celebrate athletic achievement and community. Frazier's monumental portraits of the Liberty champions mark a significant expansion of public art programming at a major sports venue, while the cross-industry gathering underscores how sports franchises are increasingly embracing art as a platform for cultural dialogue and social engagement. The announcement of future commissions signals a sustained commitment to this fusion of sports and art.