The City League & PATTERN laces up with Indy Arts Community for Art on Sneaker Competition

Tournament showcases local artists creating one-of-one sneaker designs.

(Ind. – July 7, 2022) – The City League is partnering with PATTERN to create opportunities for Central Indiana artists to compete for cash prizes and exposure in an Art on Sneaker Tournament. The design tournament is slated to take place in Indianapolis the first weekend in August during the city’s premier adult basketball tournament.

“It’s easy to assume that sports and art & design have little in common, but there are hundreds of instances where they intersect and amplify one another; from athletes' personal style, to sneaker culture and NFTs, to artistic representations of world-famous athletes,” said Polina Osherov, executive director, PATTERN. “There's no question that artists and athletes belong in the same spaces, and PATTERN is thrilled to facilitate community connections at the intersection of our creative industries.”

Last March, during the 2021 NCAA Men’s Final Four, Brooklyn art platform MARTK’D teamed up with PATTERN to host the inaugural Art on Sneakers tournament (link to recap video). The event returns with a similar format this year. The Sneaker Art Tournament will consist of two separate competitions – one for professional artists and the other for high school age creatives. (2021 Tournament Images)

The sixteen best artists in each of these categories will be selected through a competitive application. The competition will take place on Saturday, August 6th during The City League Men’s Tournament at the Boner Fitness and Learning Center. Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges to move on to a Championship Round to compete for cash prizes ($1000 for adult category and $500 for student category) and the opportunity for their shoes to be toured around Indianapolis.

The competition is supported by the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Hang Time and The BSMNT.

Registration will close at 5pm on Monday, July 18th.