DAPHNE, Ala.— United States Sports Academy president Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich has donated $25,000 to the American Sport Art Museum and Archives, a division of the academy, as preparations are being made for back-to-back art shows in January.

ASAMA is a non-profit entity that purportedly displays the world’s largest collection of sport art within the halls of the academy’s Daphne location. It is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free and donations are accepted. To donate to the academy or ASAMA, log onto http://forms.ussa.edu/donate.

Two artists who have been awarded Sport Artist of the Year honors by ASAMA will have separate art shows Jan. 8–9.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, Sport Artist of the Year, painter, Kadir Nelson, will display his work in an art show that features work from his authorial debut, “WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball,” a New York Times best-selling tribute to the African-American baseball leagues prior to the integration of Major League Baseball, which Nelson crafted over a period of almost eight years.

At 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, Sport Artist of the Year, sculptor Bruce Larsen will unveil his latest work of “Found Object” art when he unveils a 12-foot statue of a gymnast he was commissioned to create in honor of 2008 United States Sports Academy Female Athlete of the Year Nastia Liukin.

Liukin, who won five medals including the all-around gold in women’s gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

For more information, call 251-626-3303 or visit the Web site, http://www.ussa.edu.