Bronx Exhibit Turns Sneakers Into Artwork

The "Bronx Soles" exhibit at the BronxArtSpace gallery features sneakers that have been painted on, transformed into scultures, and photographs of New York feet.

Linda Cunningham is the curator of the exhibit. She said the art has a very broad appeal.

"We have people walking in just to look at this, just to figure out what this is," she said, "Then, these artists are incredibly capable, so it stands up very well."

Cunningham added that the sneaker has cultural significance in the Bronx's hip-hop history. Sean Paul Gallegos deconstructs sneakers and turns them into sculptures. He started this type of art 15 years ago when a friend brought him a bunch of old tennis shoes and told him to make something out of it.

"It's really grown to be the focus sale point of my work."

Gallegos uses his art as a way to critique what we worship in our society.

Photographer Osjua Newton contributed prints from his "Foot Traffic" series for the exhibit.

"My series is about focusing on the gestures and positions of people's feet and shoes in public spaces."

The third artist, Andre Treiner, paints portraits on sneakers. The exhibit runs until March 23 at the Bronx Art Space gallery in Mott Haven.