Full Court Press: Celebrating the Knicks with Art

Join us at Knowhere Art Gallery for a special evening celebrating the New York Knicks' championship win through new work by Maxwell Pearce. A professional basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters and a native New Yorker, Max brings deeply personal meaning to this milestone through his art, building on the momentum of a TED Talk he delivered earlier this year.

The evening will also feature a live conversation between Max and Ralph Groce, co-owner of Knwohere Art Gallery, exploring how sport shapes life, identity, and creative purpose. Ralph, a former basketball player at Boston University during Coach Rick Pitino's tenure, brings his own perspective as an entrepreneur, author, and advocate for intentional living. His book, We Have Nothing to Lose: A Dark Optimist's Call to Action (2025), blends personal memoir with a call to action on leadership and social change, themes that echo throughout tonight's conversation.

About Maxwell Pearce

Maxwell Pearce is a New York based mixed media artist and professional athlete whose work explores identity, humanity, and the multidimensional experience of life in and beyond sports. A member of the Harlem Globetrotters, Pearce brings his perspective as both artist and athlete to works created from materials including sports equipment and shoelaces.

His work has been presented during Miami Art Week and acquired by the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and other public and private collections. Through sculpture and mixed media, Pearce draws upon history, family, culture, and lived experience to challenge how we perceive the person behind the athlete.

About Ralph Groce

Ralph H. Groce III is owner of Knwohere Art Gallery, an entrepreneur, and an author. Born in Pittsburgh, he attended Boston University, where he played basketball during Coach Rick Pitino's tenure. He later moved to New York City after completing his first graduate degree. Throughout his career, Ralph has worked across various industries and founded two of his own businesses. Last year, he published his first book, We Have Nothing to Lose: A Dark Optimist's Call to Action, which blends personal memoir with a passionate call to action on leadership, responsibility, and social change. Ralph brings a lifelong intersection of ambition, intention, and creativity to his conversation with Maxwell Pearce.

This event is free. Registration is required due to limited seating.

For any questions or additional information, please contact the gallery directly at [email protected] or 917-960-9344.