Jan. 29, 2024 - A creation by Maxwell Pearce is now on permanent display at the Westchester County Center’s Westchester Sports Hall of Fame in White Plains, NY. The piece, recently purchased by Backyard Sports, was unveiled on Monday, Jan. 29.
Pearce is a professional athlete, entrepreneur and mixed-media artist who grew up in Tuckahoe. During his off-seasons from the Harlem Globetrotters, with whom he’s played since 2018, Pearce creates historical and contemporary mixed-media sculptures. He often reflects his commitment to weaving together the worlds of activism and sports in his hometown by increasing local youths’ early exposure to basketball as a career, which strengthens and diversifies the pipeline of players.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “Helping young people is not only a compassionate and ethical endeavor, but it’s also a strategic investment in building stronger, healthier communities for the future. Kids in Tuckahoe benefit greatly from Max Pearce and his work with them. We are pleased to have a piece of his artwork on display at the County Center as a source of inspiration for Westchester’s youngsters.”
Westchester County Parks Commissioner Kathleen O’Connor said: “While the context and outcomes may differ, Max Peace proves that the underlying principles of skill development, dedication, and self-expression create a bridge between the worlds of sports and artistry.”
With strong ties to basketball outside of the Globetrotters, Pearce was a semifinalist in the 2018 ESPN College Slam Dunk Championship. While attending Purchase College, he became the first Division III basketball player to be fully featured in two video games (NBA 2k and NBA Live). In 2020, he was an Honorable Mention nominee for the ESPYS Awards’ “Can’t Stop Watching Moment of the Year.”
Pearce also links the socially relevant aspects of his work into his civic engagement efforts, most recently by serving as the PR liaison for local voter registration groups that target Westchester County teenagers. Pearce has created site-specific and other commissioned works for the Reebok Human Rights Awards (2021), a FootLocker site-specific work for CultureCon NYC (2022), and the New Orleans BUKU Art and Music Festival (2022).
The Westchester Sports Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation.