Atlanta-based artists often have struggled to break through to the larger, national art world. But as of late, Atlanta's artists - and particularly the city's black artists - are on a serious roll. Creating some of the most challenging and attention-grabbing contemporary art in the city, a growing number of emerging and established artists are capturing national awards from organizations such as the Joan Mitchell Foundation and Artadia, and attracting the attention of galleries and curators outside Atlanta.
Arnika Dawkins, owner of an Atlanta gallery specializing in photography by African-Americans, believes that the greater prominence of black artists in both Atlanta and nationally may be part of a larger reckoning with the unequal opportunities given to certain groups in American society.
"The timing of the Black Lives Matter movement and the #MeToo movement have placed issues that black people face into a broader light," says Dawkins. "It is more in the consciousness of society."