Culture Type | The Month in Black Art: Here’s What Happened in May 2025
International curator Koyo Kouoh died, longstanding Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden fired, artist and curator Evangeline J. Montgomery died, David C. Driskell Prize went to artist Alison Saar Artist and Curator Evangeline J. Montgomery (1930-2025). | Courtesy the artist, Photo by Erwin Thamm LIVES | May 1: Artist, curator, and arts administrator Evangeline...
Los Angeles Artist Alison Saar is 2025 Recipient of David C. Driskell Prize, For 20 Years Award Has Recognized ‘Field-Defining’ Contributions to African American Art
Alison Saar at Arion Press, San Francisco, Calif., 2024. | Courtesy of L.A. Louver, Venice, Calif., Photograph by Nicholas Lea Bruno TWENTY YEARS AGO, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Ga., established a groundbreaking prize named for David C. Driskell (1931-2020), a pivotal figure in American art and leading authority on African American...
Election 2024: Museums Serving as Voting Sites Are Also Presenting Exhibitions of Elizabeth Catlett, Tyler Mitchell, and Other African American Artists
THE 2024 CAMPAIGN FOR THE PRESIDENCY is historic in many respects. Democracy and freedom are on the ballot and the United States may elect its first female president. The attention of the world is on Tuesday’s election. Museums are engaged in the election, too. Election Day (Nov. 5) is upon us with schools, libraries, community...
Bergan Burnett is New Chief Financial Officer at High Museum of Art in Atlanta
THE NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (CFO) at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Ga., is Bergan Burnett. A longstanding Atlanta resident and member of the museum, Burnett has a record of leading financial and accounting operations at nonprofits. In the role of CFO of the High Museum, she is responsible for financial operations, planning,...
Latest News in Black Art: New Director for Georgetown University Art Galleries, ‘Giants’ Exhibition Traveling to High Museum, Kenturah Davis Lands Baltimore Museum of Art Residency & More
Latest News in Black Art features updates and developments in the world of art and related culture Jaynelle Hazard. | Courtesy Georgetown Galleries APPOINTMENTS Georgetown University Art Galleries Welcome New Director In Washington, D.C., Georgetown University’s College of Art & Sciences recruited Jaynelle Hazard (above) to helm its art galleries. Hazard was appointed...
Opening Soon: ‘Patterns in Abstraction: Black Quilts from the High’s Collection’ at High Museum of Art in Atlanta
LUCY T. PETTWAY, (American, 1921–2004), “Birds in the Air,” 1981 (cotton and cotton-polyester blend). | High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Museum purchase and gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2017.70. © Estate of Lucy T. Pettway Opening Soon previews works from noteworthy, forthcoming exhibitions DRAWN FROM...
Atlanta: 2024 Driskell Prize Winner Naomi Beckwith Celebrated at High Museum of Art Gala and Afterparty
2024 Driskell Prize Recipient Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, N.Y. | Photo by Rafterman, Courtesy The High Museum of Art Gala guests included High Museum of Art Director Randall Suffolk, curator Valerie Cassel Oliver, photographer Tyler Mitchell, designer Sergio Hudson, artist Ebony G....
Naomi Beckwith Reflects on the Role of a Curator, Influencing Art History, and Receiving 2024 David C. Driskell Prize
2024 David C. Driskell Prize Recipient Naomi Beckwith reflects on the meaning of the honor and the legendary contributions of its namesake. | Video by High Museum of Art. A CURATOR AND ART HISTORIAN, Naomi Beckwith has made remarkable strides in the museum world. After formative roles at the Studio Museum in Harlem and...
Adrienne L. Childs Will Receive 2022 David C. Driskell Prize, Curator Calls Award ‘Unexpected and Extraordinary Honor’
FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, the David C. Driskell Prize has recognized acclaimed artists and scholars for their contributions to the field of African American art. Recipients have included Kellie Jones, Franklin Sirmans, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Rashid Johnson, Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Lyle Ashton Harris, Mark Bradford, Naima J. Keith, Amy Sherald, and Huey Copeland. Now...
Latest News in Black Art: New Weeksville CEO, Cranbrook Academy Investing $30 Million Gift in Student Diversity, Major Acquisitions at PAFA, Morgan Library, and High Museum
The following is a snapshot of the latest news in Black art: Raymond Codrington. | Courtesy Weeksville Heritage Center Appointments Brooklyn’s Weeksville Heritage Center Names New CEO Raymond Codrington is joining Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn as CEO. The news was announced April 6. A cultural anthropologist, Codrington has served as...
Coming Soon: ‘Icons of Nature and History,’ a Major Survey of David Driskell Opens at High Museum in Atlanta in February 2021
A MAJOR TRAVELING SURVEY of David Driskell (1931-2020) opens at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in February 2021. “David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History” will present an overview of Driskell’s illustrious career and celebrate highlights of his oeuvre, across painting, printmaking and collage. About 60 paintings and works on paper will...
Lauren Tate Baeza Appointed Curator of African Art at High Museum of Art in Atlanta
Curator Lauren Tate Baeza THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART in Atlanta appointed Lauren Tate Baeza as its Fred and Rita Richman curator of African art. She will oversee the Atlanta museum’s African art department. A curator and Africanist with experience working with museums and international aid organizations, Baeza has been serving as the director...
American and European Museums Plan 48-Hour Stream of Arthur Jafa’s Moving Video Installation ‘Love is the Message’
Still from Arthur Jafa’s “Love is the Message, The Message is Death” (2016) A MEDLEY OF HISTORIC and contemporary footage, Arthur Jafa‘s “Love is the Message, The Message is Death” (2016) is an ode to the Black experience. The video installation is a rapid-pace montage of poignant images, both celebratory and heart-wrenching. Kanye West’s...
Houston-Based Artist Jamal D. Cyrus on Receiving 2020 David C. Driskell Prize: ‘The Symbolism is Extremely Important to Me’
THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART in Atlanta named artist Jamal D. Cyrus recipient of the 2020 David C. Driskell Prize. Cyrus lives and works in Houston where his conceptual and research-driven practice mines American history with a focus on better understanding cultural and national heritage in the context of black political movements, social justice issues,...
High Museum of Art Awards 2019 David C. Driskell Prize to Scholar Huey Copeland
THE LATEST RECIPIENT of the David C. Driskell Prize is scholar Huey Copeland. The High Museum of Art in Atlanta announced today the Northwestern University art historian is the winner of the 2019 prize, which includes a $25,000 cash award. Copeland will be honored on April 26 at a celebratory dinner at the museum. Copeland’s...
Amid Rising Calls for Social Justice in America, the Clenched Fist is Appearing in Artwork and Museums
From left, “Bridge” by Glenn Kaino; Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos at the 1968 Summer Olympics. THE CLENCHED FIST, a symbol of Black Power and strength in the face of adversity, is showing up in museums. The historic gesture reflects the current moment in which many groups, frustrated with the political climate and...
2018 David C. Driskell Prize is Going to Artist Amy Sherald
THIS MORNING, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta announced Amy Sherald is the recipient of the 2018 David C. Driskell Prize. Sherald is celebrated for her imaginative portraits of real people and in the past few years has received wide-spread recognition for her distinct work. Recently, she was commissioned to paint First Lady Michelle...
Curator Naima Keith Named 2017 Recipient of David C. Driskell Prize
Embed from Getty Images INNOVATIVE AND RELEVANT PROGRAMMING has become a signature of the California African American Museum (CAAM) over the past year. Recent presentations have included “Hank Willis Thomas: Black Righteous Space”; “Genevieve Gaignard: Smell the Roses,” the first museum exhibition of the emerging artist; and a group exhibition featuring four contemporary African...
