DAPHNE, Ala.—The 2011 American Sports Art Museum and Archives Sports Artist of the Year for painting, Rick Rush of Tuscaloosa, will unveil his painting of 2010 Heisman Trophy Winner and Auburn Quarterback Cameron Newton beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Academy.

The painting of the Academy’s 2010 Alabama Male Athlete of the Year will highlight Rush’s art show at the museum, which is open and free to the public.

In 2009, Rush won a significant court battle against golf professional Tiger Woods when Woods sued Rush for royalties on a painting Rush made of the golfer when he won the 1997 Master’s golf tournament, the Academy stated.

“It was a significant victory for all sports artists,” the academy’s communications coordinator Leigha Bolton said.

Rush will be honored along with the academy’s two other Sport Artists of the Year—Fairhope resident John Rezner, ceramics and Harry Weber, sculptor—at the annual art show honoring the award-winning artists.

Rezner, known for jugs shaped to match an individual’s facial features, will display ceramic depictions of baseball legends at the show. Rezner was commissioned to make face jugs of 10 famous baseball players for the academy’s “Mr. Baseball” campaign, a worldwide online vote to name a new baseball statue after the greatest player of all time that is to be erected in front of the academy next year.