Mayor Mamdani and Whitney Museum Launch World Cup Poster Project
Those who complete a poster art activity from artist Rich Tu will get free admission to the NYC institution.
Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo. Contemporary Art?
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is bringing soccer fever to the Whitney Museum of American Art. While nations duke it out for a World Cup title on soccer fields across Mexico and the United States, New Yorkers who participate in an art project announced by the Mayor’s Office today will receive free admission to the Whitney.
From July 11 through the end of the month, anyone who presents a completed World Cup-inspired art poster will get into the museum for free. (Visitors under the age of 25 already get free admission.)
Rich Tu, the artist who designed FIFA's official poster for the New York and New Jersey portion of the global soccer event, created the poster activity, which is available for download in English and Spanish for anyone to complete.
In a digital leaflet, Tu, who lives in New York City, asks participants to "design a poster that conveys a powerful message“ that responds to the prompt "where the world comes to play." The artist provides a few guidelines, including adding a headline, tagline, and a central visual.
The initiative, co-organized by Mamdani, the New York-New Jersey Host Committee, and the Whitney, comes amidst a wave of New York City sports pride from the Knicks' NBA championship win earlier this month. It also follows the Mamdani administration's introduction of a free Metropolitan Museum of Art membership for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants earlier this month.
"This partnership with the Whitney helps ensure that the excitement of the World Cup belongs to all of us, putting art and access at the heart of this historic summer," Mamdani told Hyperallergic in a statement.
Tu will also headline a special event at the museum on July 12, when admission is free for all as part of West Side Fest.
“The World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring New Yorkers together,” Mamdani said in his statement. "We want every New Yorker to be part of this moment — not just in the stadium, but in their neighborhoods, their schools, and the public spaces that make New York the greatest city on earth."
