NFL players tackle painting for Fine Arts Show

As New York gets ready for the Super Bowl, the Harlem Fine Arts Show is preparing to celebrate NFL players -- with an emphasis on their art.

Based at Harlem's historic Riverside Church complex, the Harlem Fine Arts Show opens on January 30 and will feature contemporary paintings, sculpture, and photography reflecting the African diaspora.

The show has teamed up with the NFL Players Association to showcase art produced by players. In addition, January 31 will feature a pair of events that include direct player participation. "Youth Empowerment Day," from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m,, will feature several hundred students from schools across the New York metropolitan area creating football- and Super Bowl-themed works and interacting with select NFL players. From 6 to 10 p.m., "NFL Night" will feature participating players discussing the value of art in their lives, displaying examples of their work, and auctioning items for charity.

The Harlem Fine Arts Show will be open to all, with a $20 entry fee on most days. The exception will be opening night, January 30, when the still-to-be-determined admission fee will benefit the Harlem School of the Arts. Throughout the show, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in meet-and-greets with individual artists.