Artists are also Athletes

An odd thing happens to some boys in art class around fourth grade. They start thinking it is not cool to like being creative. As if somehow loving to color and paint is not what they want to be known for loving. Often these boys (and sometime girls) are really getting into sports. So to show them they can be both athletic and artistic I tell them about some artists I know. I tell them about Chris Cooley, tight end for the Washington Redskins football team, he is a ceramics artist and has his own studio. I tell them about the ex-Knick Patrick Ewing who loved painting so much he wrote a book about it. I don't think anyone laughed at Patrick when they discovered how much he loved art. There is Vernon Wells' dad who was also as athletic as his new York Yankee son until an injury ended his sports career. He is now a full time artist with clients like CC Sabathia who owns two of Wells' paintings.
But let us not forget the grandfather of the athletic arts movement Mr. Rosey Grier. He was the only known textile artist in the fearsome foursome. Perhaps he taught his buddy Deacon Jones how to embroider?  Don't know who Rosey Grier is? Better go ask your mom, dad or grandparents.