THE WORLD CUP OF DRAWING A SOCCER BALL CHAMPIONSHIP BY FOUNDATION FOR NEW AMERICAN ART

 How a children's arts education nonprofit, the Foundation for New American Art, is bringing the world a little closer together by combining two international languages Soccer & Art into one fun and intriguing art drawing lesson for kids!

Phoebe Legere's Foundation for New American Art has created a compelling and fun way to teach children how to draw...

The Arts Education Nonprofit 501c3 is bringing the world a little closer together using the two most international languages: 

Soccer & Art.

The Foundation for New American Art (FNAA) is hosting an event on

June 28th inviting children to draw/design their dream soccer ball!

The World Cup Of Drawing A Soccer Ball

FNAA launches a citywide arts initiative celebrating the geometry, beauty, and global spirit of soccer through drawing and painting.

The Event Is:

—FREE

—OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

—EDUCATIONAL

—CITYWIDE

—ALL AGES WELCOME

Four events will be held through New York City to select Regional Winners. The World Cup Of Drawing A Soccer Ball Championship Finals will be held on June 28 at the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn at 11 AM.

Prizes are awarded at all stages of the competition: Grand Prize winner

Takes Home Honors & An Official FIFA Soccer Ball.

 

A link to the complete press release can be found on the website:

https://foundationfornewamericanart.org/press-release-world-cup-drawing.html 

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FOUNDATION FOR NEW AMERICAN ART

55 Bethune Street, Westbeth Art Center, New York, NY

www.foundationfornewamericanart.org

FOR IMMEDiATE RELEASE: 

MEDIA CONTACT

Phoebe Legere

212 777 7052

phoebe@foundationfornewamericanart.org

World Cup of Drawing a Soccer Ball

The Foundation for New American Art Launches a Citywide Arts Initiative Celebrating the Geometry, Beauty, and Global Spirit of Soccer

New York, NY — The Foundation for New American Art is proud to present The World Cup of Drawing a Soccer Ball — a free, citywide arts initiative celebrating the geometry, beauty, movement, and global spirit of soccer through drawing and painting.

As FIFA brings the excitement of world soccer to New York, young artists across the city are invited to participate in public art events exploring the essential symbol of the game: the soccer ball itself.

What does soccer have to do with art? Everything.

“To draw a soccer ball accurately, students must understand the geometry of a sphere, perspective, highlights, shadow, curvature, motion, and spatial relationships. Through art, children discover the principles behind aerodynamics, physics, engineering, and the extraordinary mechanics of the human body in motion,” says Foundation for New American Art Founder & Executive Director, Multidisciplinary Artist Phoebe Legere.

At Foundation for New American Art workshops, children learn “rocket science the fun way” — through observation, creativity, and the joy of painting. The program is free and open to all, with a particular commitment to youth from immigrant communities and neighborhoods with limited access to arts education.

Participants compete in regional events held across Manhattan, Queens, Poughkeepsie, and Brooklyn — see sidebar left for dates and times of regional competitions — culminating in a championship final at the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn, June 28, where finalists will compete for the title of World Cup of Drawing a Soccer Ball Champion.

GRAND PRIZE

• Official FIFA Soccer Ball
• Championship Trophy
• Champions Exhibition at the New American Art Gallery
  
  
  

EVENT SCHEDULE

May 30  Queens Regional

The T Building, Jamaica, Queens  ·  1:00 PM

June 3  Manhattan Regional

Foundation for New American Art Gallery  ·  55 Bethune Street, Westbeth Art Center  ·  3:30 PM

Mid-Hudson Regional

Winner already selected  ·  Poughkeepsie

June 28  Championship Finals

Waterfront Museum  ·  Red Hook, Brooklyn  ·  11:00 AM

ABOUT FOUNDATION FOR NEW AMERICAN ART

The Foundation for New American Art is a nonprofit organization providing free arts and music education to children with limited access to the arts, while supporting New York City artists through exhibitions, performances, and public cultural programming.

Painters, animators, architects, athletes — all begin the same way: learning to read the field, see the opening, and move.

www.foundationfornewamericanart.org

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The artists of tomorrow begin here.

New American Art Gallery Opening April 1 & Celebration of Bloomberg Connects Art App

 Hello, Friends!

On April 1, the New American Art Foundation marks a significant moment with two major public initiatives that expand access to contemporary art in New York:

—The launch of our presence on Bloomberg Connects, the global digital platform created by Bloomberg Philanthropies to make arts and culture accessible to audiences worldwide.

—The opening of Crisis of the Image, a new exhibition at our gallery space, 55 Bethune Street. NewYork, NY 10014.

Curated by founder and executive director Phoebe Legere, the exhibition features works by Peter Beard, Alice Neel, Larry Rivers, Anthony Haden-Guest, Rick Prol, Nina Sobell and others, examining the shifting meaning of images in an era defined by digital saturation.

Legere reflects on the moment:

“Before the digital age, the salons where patrons, aesthetes, and artists gathered to shape modern art were closed worlds. Bloomberg Philanthropies has created a visionary model of cultural access for anyone with a mobile phone—honoring the democratic ideals at the heart of our mission. We are proud to join this global community of institutions.”

A full press release follows below my signature. 

Thank you for your consideration, and we would be delighted to welcome you on April 1.

Warm regards,

Charles Richard

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 19, 2026

New American Art Gallery Celebrates Art Opening Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image and Debuts on Bloomberg Connects 

Exhibition Opening Reception: Tuesday, April 1, 6–8 PM · Exhibition on View April 1–May 20, 2026

NEW YORK, NY — The New American Art Gallery, the public face of the New American Art Foundation and a vital steward of living American culture, announces two landmark events unfolding simultaneously on April 1, 2026: the opening reception of its new exhibition, Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image, and the official launch of the Foundation's digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the prestigious free arts and culture application created by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

New American Art Gallery, situated at 55 Bethune Street — in the legendary Westbeth Art Center complex in the heart of Manhattan's Chelsea Art District, steps from the Whitney Museum of American Art — is the headquarters of the New American Art Foundation (formerly the Foundation for New American Art). The Foundation's permanent collection constitutes an irreplaceable archive of the East Village High Renaissance (1980 – 1990): paintings, sculptures, video works, and audio recordings that document one of the most combustible and consequential moments in the history of American art. Alongside this historic patrimony, the Gallery continuously presents and champions the most frontier-edge visionary artists working today.

The Foundation is directed by Phoebe Legere, whose curatorial vision has shaped the institution from its inception. As host and head writer of Roulette TV, the celebrated television program that spotlighted the most barrier-breaking and pioneering artists and musicians of the contemporary moment, Legere honed a commitment to artistic courage and formal risk that she now carries forward as Executive Director. 

The New American Art Foundation is dedicated to nourishing and amplifying the visionary artists who constitute the lifeblood of contemporary American culture — with particular attention to voices from underrepresented communities. In addition to its exhibition program, the Foundation offers free public panels, festivals, and performances, as well as free after-school, Saturday, and summer programs for low-income creative youth, educating the visionary artists of tomorrow while celebrating those of today.

Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image

On view April 1, 2026 through May 20, 2026, with an opening reception on Tuesday, April 1, from 6 to 8 PM, Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image confronts a cultural moment defined by collapse and saturation: a contracting art market, political disorientation, and images emptied of meaning by data, theory, and the relentless churn of trend. The exhibition calls for work that breaks decisively from the spectacles of contemporaneity and reclaims art as a site of intuition, risk, and inner necessity. The exhibition includes works by Alice Neel, Larry Rivers, Peter Beard, Anthony Haden-Guest, Rick Prol, Nina Sobell, Barnaby Ruhe, Darrell Thorne, Joan Belmar, and Ethan Shoshan. 

Drawing together diverse media and interdisciplinary approaches, Noise and Flesh invites work that resists reduction and affirms the spiritual, embodied, and eternal dimensions of human experience. This exhibition seeks a way forward through noise, toward flesh, soul, and the miracle of being human. The admission is free and open to the public.

New American Art Foundation Joins Bloomberg Connects

Concurrent with the opening of Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image, the New American Art Foundation officially launches its digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural application created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Foundation joins more than 1,400 of the world's most distinguished cultural institutions — botanical gardens, historic houses, outdoor sculpture parks, and world-class museums — on a platform that makes art accessible from any mobile device, in any location, in over 40 languages. The Foundation's guide offers photo, audio, and video content illuminating its permanent collection, current exhibitions, public events, and educational outreach programs.

Bloomberg Connects is an expression of Bloomberg Philanthropies' longstanding commitment to digital innovation in the arts, reflecting founder Michael R. Bloomberg's conviction that cultural access is a public good. The platform features expert commentary, engaging audio content, accessibility features, interactive maps, and is available through Google Translate in more than 40 languages — ensuring that the collection and programs of the New American Art Gallery are available to any person, anywhere in the world, at any hour.

"It has been a pleasure to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies on the preparation of our guide. Their support for our mission and their excitement as they learned about our collection, our public service, and our educational programs encouraged us. Bloomberg Connects is an extraordinary platform — beautifully and thoughtfully constructed. Before the digital age, the salons where patrons, aesthetes, and artists gathered to forge the movements that defined modern art were sealed behind walls of privilege that almost no one could breach. Bloomberg Philanthropies has created truly visionary cultural access for anyone with a cell phone — honoring the democratic ideal at the heart of everything we do at the New American Art Foundation. We are honored to take our place alongside the prestigious cultural institutions that comprise this community. When we travel, we learn about sister institutions in other cities and countries. That is how art gets made: through cross-pollination, fertilization, and inspiration." — Phoebe Legere, Executive Director, New American Art Foundation

A selection of high-resolution images is available here: https://www.foundationfornewamericanart.org/press-images.html

About New American Art Foundation

The New American Art Foundation (formerly the Foundation for New American Art) is dedicated to presenting, preserving, and curating the work of artists from underrepresented communities who represent the lifeblood of American culture. The Foundation's permanent collection encompasses landmark works of painting, sculpture, video, and sound from the East Village High Renaissance, as well as major works by the most visionary artists of the contemporary moment. In addition to its exhibition program, the Foundation provides free public panels, festivals, and performances, and offers free after-school, Saturday, and summer programs for low-income creative youth. The New American Art Gallery is located at 55 Bethune Street, New York, NY 10014, in the Westbeth Artists Housing complex.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, visit bloomberg.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Foundation for New American Art 

Vice President, Charles Richard

212-777-7052

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Anthony Haden-Guest

PHOEBE LEGERE Celebrates Women's History Month With Four Dynamic Projects: GIRL POWER

 

Phoebe Legere Celebrates Women's Month with Art, Music, Film, and Public Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  There is no word for what Phoebe Legere is. There should be.  Painter. Rock composer. Filmmaker. Four-octave vocal powerhouse. All unleashed in one extraordinary talent. Phoebe Is celebrating Women’s History Month with four dynamic events:  GIRL POWER GIRL POWER erupts in sizzling rock guitar and multi-octave fire. Composed and performed by Legere, this fierce, cinematic anthem drops March 27, 2026 — riding the momentum of her recent Netflix song placement. Peter Beard Serengeti Gentlemen 1985 Original Print  Noise & Flesh: Crisis of the Image Noise & Flesh: Crisis of the Image confronts a cultural moment defined by collapse and saturation: a contracting art market, political disorientation, and images emptied of meaning by data, theory, and trend. Curated by Legere and presented by the Foundation for New American Art at Westbeth Art Center, the exhibition unites modern masters — Larry Rivers, Peter Beard, Alice Neel, Anthony Haden-Guest — with contemporary visionaries, seeking not escape, but illumination: a way forward through noise, toward flesh, soul, and the miracle of being human. Experience it at 55 Bethune Street, NYC, or worldwide on Bloomberg Connects beginning April 1. Gender Symphony Born from a 2023 residency at the Emily Harvey Foundation in Venice, Italy, this award-winning experimental film is a fearless collision of Hegelian philosophy, Commedia dell'Arte, feminist politics, and pure avant-garde fire. Performed on the streets of Venice in costumes crafted from canal detritus, it tears through gender roles, fluidity, and power dynamics — driven by Legere's original score spanning Brechtian cabaret, avant-electronica, dubstep, and death metal. Hand-drawn and 3D animation weave through a living, breathing symphony of fluid identity and rebellion. Winner of Best Art Film at Cannes Arts Fest, Best Story at the LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Gold Winner at the Paris Film Awards, and celebrated at festivals from Tokyo to Athens to Berlin — Gender Symphony screens March 8 at the Every Woman Biennial, Pen + Brush, 29 East 22nd Street, NYC. Public Arts Programs Legere brings music, art, and performance directly to the children and families who need it most. These free multilingual workshops serve underserved, unresourced, and underrepresented communities — offering world-class creative education with the same fearless spirit that drives all of Legere's work. Mondays & Thursdays 3:30–5:30 PM at Theater for the New City, NYC Saturdays 1–2:30 PM at T Building, Painting Studio 4, Queens This is what it looks like when an artist gives everything — to the canvas, the stage, the screen, the street, and the next generation.   EVENT SUMMARY Noise & Flesh: Crisis of the Image — Opening April 1 | Westbeth Art Center, 55 Bethune St., NYC | Also on Bloomberg Connects New American Art Wednesdays — Artist salon hosted by Phoebe Legere | Wednesdays 7–9 PM through May 20 Film Screening: Gender Symphony — March 8 | Every Woman Biennial | Pen + Brush, 29 East 22nd Street, NYC Girl Power — Single Release — March 27, 2026 Public Arts Programs — Free bilingual/trilingual classes | Theater for the New City, NYC & T Building, Queens MEDIA CONTACT Charles Richard Info@Foundationfornewamericanart.org 2127777052