2019 Atlanta Artadia Awardees Announced

The 2019 Atlanta Artadia Awardees will receive $10,000 in unrestricted funds as well as access to the ongoing benefits of the Artadia Awards program. This is Artadia's seventh year providing unrestricted Awards to artists in Atlanta. Applications for the Awards were open to any visual artist living in the Greater Atlanta area, including the counties of Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton, for over two years, working in all media, and at any stage of their career.

In the first round of evaluations, Gabriel de Guzman, Curator & Director of Exhibitions, Smackmellon, New York; Ike Onyewuenyi, Curatorial Assistant, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; and Louise Shaw, Curator, Atlanta, selected five Finalists. The Finalists included Danielle Deadwyler, Bojana Ginn, Sonya Yong James, Gerald Lovell, and Courtney McClellan. In the second round of evaluations, Gregory Harris, Associate Curator of Photography, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Ph.D, Director, Spelman College Museum of Art, joined Shaw to conduct studio visits with each of the five Finalists to determine the Awardees.

Shaw and Harris praised each artist's practice in a joint statement: "The jurying process this year was quite competitive and we have great admiration for all the finalists who collectively embody the layers and vibrancy of the community here in Atlanta. The two awardees represent distinct practices that demonstrate a commitment to both artistic excellence and rigorous thinking about the creative process. Sonya's installations emphasize the deeply contemplative potential of craft, elevating humble materials to spiritual planes. Danielle's compelling performances and videos connect personal narratives with larger issues of social justice and the lived experience of African American women."

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