Basketball and art connect at “The Art of the Game”

On Oct. 18, Oklahoma Contemporary and the Jayden Oliver Foundation will host The Art of the Game, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament that brings together sports, art and community. The event runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Campbell Art Park. 

Teams from middle schools, high schools and adult leagues will compete on “Neufs for Oklahoma Autumn,” a basketball court installation by artist Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation). The courts, open through April 2026, were commissioned as part of Oklahoma Contemporary’s current retrospective exhibition HONOR SONG. 

The event will feature games, contests, food and music, transforming the courts into what organizers describe as a “living canvas of play.” 

The Jayden Oliver Foundation uses basketball to provide youth with educational tools, career guidance and wellness resources. The partnership with Oklahoma Contemporary aims to show how basketball can serve as both sport and cultural expression. 

By hosting The Art of the Game on a public art installation, organizers highlight how OKC continues to merge creativity and community engagement in ways that extend beyond traditional spaces. 

To learn more about the event, please visit oklahomacontemporary.org.