While the Bears are not a part of the NFL's international series this season, the club is back in London to first, activate a fine art exhibition and merchandise collaboration, and later, for a week-long pub takeover culminating in a watch party for the Bears-Saints game Oct. 19. For more information on the full schedule of activations, visit ChicagoBears.com/International.

Crossovers between sport, lifestyle and art cultures have become increasingly popular across all professional leagues and countries.

But the specific intersection of the NFL and international fine art is an untapped space. That is, until this weekend in London, when the Bears, UK artist Christian Jeffery and OOF Gallery launch their collaboration which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Super Bowl XX champions.

Through a special exhibition at OOF Gallery — a cutting-edge art space located inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium dedicated to English football and its culture — as well as a one-of-one art piece hand-created by Jeffery — a resident artist at OOF — the Bears are continuing to cement themselves in the UK lifestyle space following their game in London last season.

"We are incredibly excited to launch this groundbreaking collaboration with OOF Gallery and Christian Jeffery — a special 'first' for our club," Bears vice president of fan development and brand marketing Sarah Smith said. "On the heels of last year's London game where we worked to integrate our brand into the London and United Kingdom communities, the opportunity to explore the international fine arts space felt like a perfect continuation. We cannot wait to see how fans embrace this one-of-a-kind celebration of our beloved '85 Bears this weekend."

The free exhibit will be open to the public Friday, Oct. 10, Saturday, Oct. 11, and Sunday, Oct. 12 with former Bears defensive end Israel Idonije making a special appearance throughout the weekend. Attendees will have the chance to purchase the limited-edition t-shirts which feature Jeffery's bespoke design — rooted in an orange-tinted chrysanthemum, the city of Chicago's official flower, and woven into the iconic Bears colors and logo.

The intersection of English football shirts and contemporary fine art is where Jeffery feels most at home. A former Adidas senior designer, Jeffery's work focuses in on the history of sport, club politics, fandom and clothing heritage, allowing him to hand paint iconic jerseys filled with detail, passion, culture and unique aesthetics.

Having previously collaborated with legendary Premier League teams such as Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal, the opportunity to be the first in his profession to work with the NFL felt surreal. He remembers years ago receiving an Instagram message from the NFL that expressed the league's interest in his work, and slowly, a partnership was formed.

"It's been on my mind to potentially branch out because it's just something that I felt was authentic to me," Jeffery said. "I'm interested in other sports and now being part of the OOF Gallery, which is a part of Tottenham Stadium, which is shared with the NFL, there's these connection points. When the Bears joined, it was like, 'wow, this is a bit of a dream.' We're all really, really excited."

While growing up in the United Kingdom, Jeffery knew the creative space was for him, in part due to his lack of interest in subjects like math or finance. He loved drawing and painting, specifically sports logos. While he doesn't consider himself a knowledgeable American football fan, he was always intrigued by the NFL, having played Madden with his brother as kids and been fascinated by the team logos.

As Jeffery began working with the Bears on the exhibit and designs, he dove into the charter franchise's history, specifically that of the 1985 Bears — the Super Bowl XX-winning team that captured the hearts of not only Chicago, but the world.

"I love learning about these stories and talking to people and understanding little bits of the Bears history," Jeffery said. "Most of it comes back to how things look, like, 'why is 'GSH' on the sleeve? Why is this logo different from this year and why did those stripes change? Why was the collar like this or in that specific game?'

"It's this whole new world and that's what I find really, really interesting. It's about a path of learning. I have an affinity with the certain logos, which I find exciting to use, and so I knew of the Bears logo. I knew, obviously, of the NFL logo. So to play with them and to even just to talk to people from those institutions is flattering and really, really exciting for me."

Each time Jeffery walked into the studio during this project, he and his coworkers would exchange new findings about the '85 Bears. They watched the Super Bowl Shuffle, read books chronicling the season and drowned in various shades of navy and orange.

Learning alongside a group of creatives just as passionate about the exhibit as him was one of Jeffery's favorite parts of the project. It also gave him a unique perspective on the '85 Bears that those who were already familiar with the team wouldn't possess.

"I think there's an advantage in naivety in that sense, too," Jeffery said. "And I think that was clear. I didn't walk into the first meeting with the Bears pretending to know much, because it would have been embarrassing. I think there's a curiosity of that world, where you're just asking questions the whole time, and there can be an advantage in that naivety if you're open to learn."

One of the main attractions at OOF Gallery this weekend will be Jeffery's handcrafted, painted jersey art piece which highlights iconic 1985 Bears defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry.

"A big part of the show was learning about this larger-than-life character of William Perry and his role in the Bears," Jeffery said. "The piece I'm creating celebrates that too. There's a great mix of nostalgia from that season, in general, of the Bears, but also specifically highlighting around him has been a learning for me. And it's good to find a new hero, isn't it?

"I don't think they make many William Perrys anymore, do they?"

Along with seeing the final products put together this weekend, Jeffery is most excited to finally meet employees from both the Bears and NFL that have been working with him from across the pond. He's eager to express his utmost appreciation for trusting him and providing him creative freedom.

While this type of collaboration serves as a first for both the NFL and the Bears, Jeffery hopes it can serve as a blueprint for future projects and partnerships within the fine art space. He cannot wait to see how the activation brings people from all walks of life and interests together.

"When you put sports inside an art gallery, it can bring people in who maybe would otherwise be a bit intimidated, or they're not really that bothered about art," Jeffery said, "where if I said, 'oh, do you want to go to an art gallery?' They'd say, 'not really.' But if it's about the NFL, the Chicago Bears, they may say, 'okay, maybe I'll go and have a look.'

"It's a crazy thing in general to have an art gallery attached to this giant stadium. It's nuts, but it feels right and it's so interesting, because now it's been transformed into this pure NFL space. All of a sudden, you're seeing all these Bears things in the shop and everything changes. The whole energy changes and all of a sudden, it made perfect sense."