The “Big Curator” retires from legendary day job
After 19 seasons, six teams, four NBA titles, three Finals MVP awards, and one regular season MVP award, Shaquille O’Neal retired from the NBA on Wednesday afternoon.
For many fans and observers of basketball, it was an announcement that should have been made years prior. Nonetheless the influence of Shaq, the seven-footer with as many nicknames as missed free throws, transcended basketball, even touching the world of contemporary art.
Last spring, Shaq curated Size Does Matter at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York City. Included in the exhibition were three former Artpace residents – Maurizio Cattelan, Paul Pfeiffer, and Kehinde Wiley (work pictured above).
It will be interesting to see how Shaq spends his time in retirement. Seeing that Shaq attended Cole High School in San Antonio, winning High School Player of the Year, maybe he’ll make a stop in the Alamo City to survey the arts and further experience works of Artpace residents.
Credit: Photo by Taji Ameen of Viceland Today
Ryan Sachetta
Ryan Sachetta is Artpace's Grant Writer. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009 with a degree in Journalism. Ryan enjoys YouTubing videos of a more svelte Shawn Kemp, eating Honeycrisp apples, and puns.