For a host city, the Super Bowl is much more than this.

Like many of its predecessors, Indianapolis has transformed in preparation for its countless visitors. From new hotels, to temporary businesses, street improvements and hours upon hours of logistical planning, the Super Bowl Committee has worked hard to prepare our city for its big day. But when those temporary businesses close and the zip line is taken down, what will our city be left with? Lots.

2,012 Trees Program
According to the Alliance for Community Trees, More Trees = Less Crime. In an effort to maximize the community impact (not to mention environmental impact) of additional trees, the Super Bowl Host Committee aimed to plant 2,012 trees by 2012. Not only did the Committee succeed in generating early excitement for the Super Bowl, but they surpassed their goal, planting 2,876.

Indy Super Cure
Did you know that 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer? Did you also know that Indianapolis is home of the world’s only known tissue bank that collects healthy breast tissue for cancer research?  Extending a nod to the city’s leadership in health and life sciences, the Super Bowl committee has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank to develop Indy Super Cure. The goal of Super Cure is to raise awareness and increase donations to the tissue bank, while also raising money. Super Cure has surpassed their million-dollar fund raising goal but is working to collect 700 tissue donations in the weekend leading up to the Super Bowl XLVI. You can learn how to donate here.

Super Baskets of Hope
Super Bowl hosts cities have a long history of service projects, but Super Baskets of Hope will be the first to extend its reach nationwide. Beginning on January 30, gift-filled baskets will be put together for 7,000 hospitalized children in each of America’s 32 NFL cities. The Riley Children’s Foundation, the Basket of Hope program, and Tony Dungy have partnered on this effort, recruiting NFL players, coaches, and volunteers to then hand deliver the baskets.

46 for XLVI
Spear headed by the Arts Council of Indianapolis, 46 for XLVI ‘sought to elevate the arts and culture of our city.’ Supported by partnering institutions (including the City of Indianapolis) and a team of talented muralists, the project resulted in 46 new public murals throughout the city’s neighborhoods (you can search the murals map here). So next time you’re walking on Mass Ave. and Kurt Vonnegut greets you with a smile, you’ll hopefully smile back in reflection of this city, its partnerships and the lasting impact of one football game.

Be proud Indianapolis.

My Affair with Kurt Vonnegut by muralist Pamela Bliss.

These are just a couple of the service projects connected to the Super Bowl. Additional efforts include (but are definitely not limited to): the Legacy Project, Super Scarves, Student Ambassadors, and Super Learning in a Super State. 

The Pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

38 Years of Super Bowl Commercials

Blog: 38 Years of Super Bowl Commercials

Let’s face it- the day after the Super Bowl is usually spent talking about the commercials. Whether you loved or hated what you saw last night, here’s your chance to relive 38 years’ worth of ads. Not a blog, per-say, but enjoy none the less.

ArtBabble Video: Mildred Howard: Abode- Sanctuary for the Familia(r)

For this video the San Jose Museum of Art sat down with artist Mildred Howard to talk to her about her 1994 artwork Abode: Sanctuary for the Familia(r). The work recently changed from promised gift to gift and is now officially part of the SJMA permanent collection.

IMA Work of Art:

Alchemilla vase by Alessandro Mendini (Designer)

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MaxAnderson_USA: Congratulations, Saints–great game. PS–Did you want that picture via FedEx or UPS?

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I also owe a lot to football and it’s something I’m always willing to discuss, play or watch. It’s even more appropriate to discuss today and even into the summer. In a matter of hours, over in Moscow, the Champions League Final kicks off featuring an all-English match up of Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC (I’m rooting for Man U). In a matter of a few weeks (17 days to be exact), the European Championships begin, sadly without England, but I’ll be rooting for the Orange Crush (that would be the Dutch National Team) and glued to every game I can catch on TV.
Every two years I become transfixed with the World Cup or Euro Championships – and it is heaven. I remember beautiful goals as if they were works of art and the players that create them (Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and Zidane) like artists – but I excitedly digress and this is where I bring this post back to planet art museum. With all this football on my mind, I decided to research contemporary works of art and artists influenced by or featuring this sport.

Here’s what I found:

Local artist Artur Silva is pretty cool and not because I can have a conversation about Gordon Banks with him. Artur is Brazilian which means he has the luxury of supporting some of the best teams in the history of the game. I remember watching the 2002 World Cup game between England and Brazil in a bar as Brazilian fans samba’d around me celebrating their victory. It was painful loss for an England fan, but it really opened my eyes to the beauty of Brazilian soccer. Around the same time, I came across this piece by Artur Silva and it brought back so many memories of Pele, the game, the history. So thank you to Artur for that.

I’ve written about it before, but I don’t mind beating a dead horse. Zinedine Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is an impressive cinematic work of art that depicts the beautiful game and one of the games greatest players ever, Zizou. Directed by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, it features stunning camera work (all 17 of them), a mesmerizing soundtrack by Mogwai and clever, thoughtful editing. Do whatever you can to find this video.

Fellow blogger Phillip sent this link to me ages ago and I went nuts. German artist Susken Rosenthal creates individual portraits of specific football matches by sketching and tracking the ball movement in real time. The result is similar to that of a seismographic drawing. To someone not familiar with soccer, it may not make sense. To me it’s a work of art.

And in short -

Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco not only plays soccer but has also depicted it in some of his work. Check it out here.

Here’s an interesting piece by Brian Jungen that synthesizes Nike silver soccer balls made to resemble lava rock.

Turkish artist Omer Ali Kazma created a video installation on Turkish team, Galatasaray featuring footage from over 8 months of work. I would love to see this somehow. Can anyone help me out?

And that’s all I’ve got…for now. If you’ve made it this far and want to contribute any recommendations for contemporary artists and football, please leave me a comment.

In the meantime, enjoy this Maradona goal scored against England in the 1986 World Cup. Painful for me to watch, but quite possibly a work of art.