In painting Where Hearts Reside for The Chase Center Center Art Collection, for the new home of the Golden State Warriors, I thought a lot about what it means to be an athlete and what it means to be a fan. The interconnectedness between the two is a force that brings thousands of people together to cheer, scream and be part of energy bigger than their own. The magic in this collective spirit wouldn’t be possible without the fans. In this view of a San Francisco neighborhood, the steep hillside turned into an arena in my mind, and the colorful homes became fans in the stands.
Where Hearts Reside by Brooke Harker 56″x 56″ ink, oil & acrylic on canvas
Every house in this painting, similar to people, exhibits distinctive features and contains a world unknown to the casual eye. Whether we know or understand the contents of another’s house, the sight of thousands of colorful houses standing together makes an iconic statement. To me they say, “Hey, whatever the color of your house, you belong here.” This spirit of inclusion is part of being a fan. Whether in the stands, or in our lives, true fans accept us as we are, believe in our unknown potential and show up for us whether we win or lose. They are the ones who rally to their feet when life knocks us down and remind us to get up again.
Two of the loudest basketball fans I’ve ever known also happen to be my lifetime fans and personal inspiration for this painting, my Grandma Betty and my Aunt Vicki. In my childhood, they gave me house painting brushes and buckets of water to paint the sidewalk. They attended every school play, never missed a birthday, saved every postcard from my international travels and hung my artworks throughout their homes. They loved me through my awkward years, which included a brief determination to play basketball in fifth grade, even though I wore a back brace for severe scoliosis and wasn’t the best player. They held a space for me to be me even though they weren’t artsy themselves. I watched them do the same for everyone else in my family. Their squeals of joy and gasps over the thought of my work being considered by the Golden State Warriors, filtered into the process of creating this painting. With bright eyes, they told me it didn’t matter if I got selected. They were so proud I made it far enough to even be considered. Their joy ignited a sense of purpose in me that stayed with me through the thousands of steps I took to and from the easel to make this painting. I wanted to honor how fans influence who anyone becomes. They give us roots in the world and inspiration to soar.
A week before the Golden State Warriors made their official announcement of the selected artists for the Chase Center to the public, Grandma Betty passed away at age 95. Although she never got to see this painting, I know that wherever she is, she is cheering.
True hearts reside in the spaces where people cheer for others.
Brooke Harker
