The Jacksonville Jaguars and Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville have teamed up to commission one-of-a-kind painted and autographed footballs celebrating the NFL Draft with proceeds benefitting the artists and Cultural Council.
Twenty official NFL footballs were uniquely painted by Northeast Florida artists and autographed by a Jaguars player, including kicker Josh Lambo, wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., punter Logan Cooke, offensive guard Andrew Norwell and wide reciever Collin Johnson. They are now being auctioned off by the Jaguar Foundation until noon on May 7.
“Ranging from abstract to realism, each work specifically or figuratively represents our Jaguars team and our City,” said Diana Donovan, executive director of the Cultural Council, in an email sent to WJCT News. “The ARTS + Sports collaborative partnership showcases Jacksonville's creative economy, igniting a merger of artists and athletes, to bring a fresh perspective to a quality of life we all share, as well as a commitment to serving our city together as a team of equity driven placemakers.”
Profiles of the artists are available on the Cultural Council’s website and a slideshow of the footballs is at Jaguars.com.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.