This Artist Spent Super Bowl Halftime Painting Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid
Between the low score, poor ratings and lackluster halftime show, Super Bowl LIII was just plain bad. Unless you're a New England Patriots fan, which, if so: Ew.
The real excitement around last night's (February 3) game instead took place off the field, where boycotts fueled the ongoing conversation around Colin Kaepernick and the NFL's relationship with racial justice and Black communities. New Orleans artist Brandan "Bmike" Odums, much of whose hometown avoided the game, brought that excitement into his studio and developed a mural that depicts Kaepernick and Eric Reid in protest.
Painting live today , in solidarity with my brothers @kaepernick7 and @e_reid35 . Tune in or stop by @studiobenola . Live stream will begin on https://t.co/CKviGktK4W during the half time show . https://t.co/nmtOi3U6Ff
— BMIKE (@2cent_bmike) February 3, 2019
My Brother @2cent_bmike continues to resist and share his talents with the world! ✊? Make sure to watch tonight! https://t.co/4kuZ51tbC3
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) February 3, 2019
"I wanted to get off the sidelines and use my art to actively stand with Kap and Eric at a time when everyone was focused on football," Bmike tells Colorlines. "Art has power to erase the lines we draw in the sand, and hopefully this moment was an opportunity to show how we stand for those who stand for us."
See the painting sessions in full:
Bmike's mural isn't the only one featuring Kaepernick to earn attention during Super Bowl LIII. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that local artist Fabian Williams raised thousands of dollars in one day via GoFundMe to replace a mural of Kaepernick and Muhammad Ali, which was torn down before the city hosted the game, with eight more around the city. Williams' GoFundMe surpassed its goal of $10,000 as of press time today (February 4).