Former NFL Star Exhibits Paintings

The Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, between West 58th and 60th Street, Manhattan, until October 29 is the scene of an inspiring art exhibit, "Liberating Humanity From Within", by former NFLstar turned artist Ernie Barnes. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the National Football League as a tribute to Barnes' art and inspiration.

"It's not every day we find a former football player, an NFLstar, no less, who not only paints pictures, but renders them with great power and originality," William A. Fagaly said. Discovered by New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin, who later became his sponsor, Barnes honed his skills of displaying both the internal and external struggles of the human body through personal experimentation, which he emphasizes in his current collection, portraying moments of transcendence in everyday life.

Barnes was named "America's Best Painter of Sports" in 2004 by the American Sport Art Museum and Archives. Kanye West and Jaime Fox are among the collectors of his art. The exhibition is also a tribute to Barnes; Regis Philbin and West have served on the Honorary Tribute Committee.

Exhibition hours at the Time Warner Center are 10 a.m. through 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, call 212-823-6300.

Two pieces in the collection of paintings titled "Liberating Humanity From Within" by former NFLstar Ernie Barnes, on view at the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, until October 29.