Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights

A raised fist, a dissected monument, and women protesting discrimination, Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights explores the shared values between artists and athletes in the advancement of social justice-related issues. With its newest exhibition, now on view through February 18, 2024, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (MSU Broad Art Museum) presents this timely dialogue while also asserting the role of the campus environment as a critical context for these discussions.

Throughout history artists have looked to athletes and other public figures as sources of inspiration, encoding moments of social change in the works of art they create. This exhibition brings together a group of contemporary artists who investigate the intersection of sports and the advancement of civil rights in the United States. From their own personal love of athletics and relationship to sports, to the material and visual culture of athletics, and key moments in this subject’s history, the artists employ a wide range of strategies to share their perspectives.

“This exhibition is inspired by the cultural force artists and athletes exert in shaping better and more equitable societies, specifically with an eye towards the advancement of social justice-related issues,” explains Steven L. Bridges, curator of the exhibition and Interim Director of the MSU Broad Art Museum. “As we continue to navigate difficult conversations around civil rights in this country, this exhibition offers a unique opportunity to learn from the past while imagining ever-brighter futures.”

The show is also a Spartan story. Athletics at Michigan State University has been celebrated over the years for its progressive stance when it comes to racial and social integration, and gender equality. However, these battles were often hard won, and the work continues today. In observance of the recent 50-year anniversary of the passing of Title IX legislation in this country (1972), and the approaching 60-year anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is an important moment to highlight the many victories in this struggle for civil rights, specifically through the unique relationship between the arts and sports, while also learning from the past and the ongoing struggle for social justice.

In addition to work by Esmaa Mohamoud, Hank Willis Thomas, Wendy White, Glenn Kaino, Tyrrell Winston, and other notable artists, personal sports stories from current MSU student athletes are also on display in the exhibition space, and visitors are invited to join the conversation, contributing their own stories to a collaborative pennant wall display.

Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights (on view August 19, 2023–February 18, 2024) is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University and curated by Steven L. Bridges, Senior Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, and Thaís Wenstrom, Curatorial Research and Administrative Assistant. Major funding for this exhibition is provided by the Alan and Rebecca Ross Endowed Exhibitions Fund, the MSU Federal Credit Union, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Endowed Exhibitions Fund, with additional support from Professor Charles Gliozzo.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (MSU Broad Art Museum) connects people with art through experiences that inspire curiosity and inquiry. Presenting exhibitions and programs that engage diverse communities around issues of local relevance and global significance, the MSU Broad Art Museum advances the university values of quality, inclusion, and connectivity. Opened on November 10, 2012, the museum was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid and named in honor of Eli and Edythe Broad, longtime supporters of the university who provided the lead gift for its creation.