Atlanta’s Black arts legacy celebrated in ‘Black Zeitgeist’ exhibition

Untitled c by Wadsworth Jarrell Collection of Black Art in America Photo courtesy of Hammonds House When visitors walk into Black Zeitgeist Atlanta the Visual Arts and the National Black Arts Festival opening July at Hammonds House Museum they ll encounter a dynamic cross-section of work by artists who helped define Atlanta s Black cultural renaissance of the s and s Co-curated by artist and art historian Dr Amalia Amaki and Anne Collins Smith curator of collections at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art the exhibition draws from the permanent collections of Hammonds House Museum and the National Black Arts Festival NBAF Together the works trace how NBAF nurtured generations of artists institutions and audiences while showcasing how the festival continues to shape Atlanta s creative identity Founded in NBAF fleetly became a national platform for Black visual artists commissioning new works staging major exhibitions and expanding general access to African Diaspora art Multiple of the artists featured in Black Zeitgeist including Faith Ringgold Charles White and Lynn Marshall Linnemeier were championed by the festival s early programs and collector networks Amaki and Smith approach the exhibition as both curators and cultural historians positioning it as a tribute to the artist-scholars institutions and civic forces that helped define Atlanta s creative legacy and set a national standard Among those honored Atlanta-based writer critic educator and arts advocate Dr Richard A Long Scholar Connector Catalyst Known widely as one of the world s foremost Chaucer scholars Long s intellectual curiosity extended far beyond medieval literature Over five decades he became one of the majority respected voices in African American cultural studies Long arrived in Atlanta in the early s first joining Atlanta University now Clark Atlanta University where he founded the Center for African and African American Studies Later he became the Atticus Haygood Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Emory University There he directed more than dissertations and taught courses that blended literature visual art music and philosophy His home near the West End doubled as both salon and syllabus hosting figures such as Maya Angelou and Romare Bearden while introducing students to his personal art collection Wynton s Tune by Faith Ringgold Courtesy of the National Black Arts Festival Collection Photo courtesy of Hammond House Several Atlanta collectors developed an interest in Romare Bearden s work after encountering him at Dr Long s home stated Black Zeitgeist co-curator Dr Amalia Amaki That kind of access changed careers Outside his immediate circle Long played a pivotal role in shaping Atlanta s broader cultural infrastructure As a founding board member of the National Black Arts Festival his vision and advocacy helped position the festival as a national model for celebrating Black artistic excellence across various disciplines including visual art For Halima Taha artistic chair at Hammonds House Museum Long s essays and lectures helped reinforce her belief in the power of abstraction Dr Long s intellectual rigor and his celebration of Black creativity gave my own curatorial mission greater depth and purpose reported Taha He validated the idea that abstract art by African American artists could and should be understood as a powerful cultural report much like jazz music Read more Georgia Council for the Arts announces more than million in grants takeaways from Naomi Beckwith s David C Driskell Prize conversation A Curated Continuum Long s influence alongside that of educator Jenelsie Walden Holloway poet and activist Alice Lovelace and pioneering collector Paul R Jones serves as part of the broader story of the work on view Each figure shaped the intellectual activist and institutional foundations of Atlanta s Black arts ecosystem in the late th century The throughline between Long s work and this exhibition is clear revealed Taha Black Zeitgeist draws on the institutional legacies he helped build including the National Black Arts Festival and the Center for African and African American Studies at Atlanta University Still the exhibition s emphasis remains firmly on the artists Visitors will find work by Wadsworth Jarrell a co-founder of AfriCOBRA known for bright political imagery They ll also encounter Kojo Griffin whose paintings blend pop-cultural motifs and historical commentary Rounded out by pieces from Samella Lewis Charles White Lynn Marshall Linnemeier and others Black Zeitgeist invites visitors to engage with the art and stories of these creators The exhibition centers on their creative achievements innovations and the strategies they shaped Atlanta s visual arts scene during this pivotal era mentioned Taha If You Go Black Zeitgeist Atlanta the Visual Arts and the National Black Arts Festival Hammonds House Museum Peeples Street SW Atlanta July December Opening Reception Friday July p m The post Atlanta s Black arts legacy celebrated in Black Zeitgeist exhibition appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta