Celebrated artist and Atlanta native Emma Amos died last week from complications of Alzheimers. Precocious and ambitious as a child, Amos studied drawing at Morris Brown College at age eleven, and her parents regularly entertained leading Black intellectuals of the day such as W.E.B. Dubois and Zora Neale Hurston.
After relocating to New York in 1960, Amos’s career spanned six decades, with her prints and paintings infusing figuration with the influences of abstract expressionism. In a press release, Ryan Lee, which represents the late artist, also stated that Amos was a member of Guerrilla Girls, the radical group that protested sexism in the art industry.
In 2021, the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens will mount a retrospective of her work.
Community Foundation awards $580,00 in grant funding to arts organizations
ATLANTA—Through its Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta awarded over half a million dollars to eleven arts organizations across the city impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, including Burnaway, MINT, and Atlanta Celebrates Photography, among others.
“With these grants we’re investing in leadership from both organization staff and their boards of directors, recognizing that strong vision, leadership and innovation are essential to keeping our arts sector exhibiting and performing in new ways through this crisis,” said Virginia Hepner, former president and chief executive officer of the Woodruff Arts Center and member of the Arts Fund advisory committee.
Future grants will be awarded every two weeks as response to the COVID-19 crisis continues. Arts organizations are encouraged to apply for funding on the Community Foundation’s website. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis.
one of the eight works acquired by PAMM.
Pérez Art Museum Miami acquires eight works from Miami galleries
MIAMI—In a press release this week, PAMM announced the acquisition of eight new works for the museum’s permanent collection. The new works were purchased with $145,000 provided by PAMM’s Collectors Council, which specifically dedicated this round of funding to bolstering Miami’s arts ecosystem, taking into account the vital importance of supporting local artists and galleries while acknowledging the significant financial toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon Miami’s arts community.
The new acquisitions include works by artists represented by Central Fine Gallery, Emerson-Dorsch Gallery, Nina Johnson Gallery, PRIMARY, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Mindy Solomon Gallery, and Spinello Projects.
“As Miami’s flagship arts institution, PAMM must do what we can to shine a light on the city’s vibrant, multi-cultural community of artists and galleries who have been hit hard by the current crisis,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans.
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans announces limited re-opening in June
NEW ORLEANS—The Contemporary Arts Center has announced the limited re-opening of its galleries, beginning June 1 through 14, 2020. In adherence to the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans’ safety guidelines, the CAC will operate at 25% capacity and implement proactive health and safety measures including online-only timed-ticketed admissions, enhanced sanitization, and proper social distancing measures in the CAC’s expansive galleries. The limited re-opening provides an opportunity for locals to enjoy the final two weeks of the CAC’s exhibitions currently on-view: critically-acclaimed Mickalene Thomas: Femmes Noires and Meg Turner: Here and Now, both of which were originally scheduled to close on June 14, 2020.
The CAC’s revised hours of operation are Sunday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm, June 1 through June 14, 2020. Gallery tickets are available by day and timeslot, and must be purchased in advance online at cacno.org. Tickets for Sunday, June 7 and Sunday, June 14 are complimentary for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All program, but online registration is still required at cacno.org
The CAC’s galleries will temporarily close once again on June 15 for the installation of its 2020 Open Call Exhibition, Make America What America Must Become, which will debut at the CAC on September 18, 2020 and remain on view through January 24, 2021.
High Museum of Art announces reopening in July
ATLANTA—The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has announced that it will reopen to members and frontline workers with valid ID, free of charge, from Tuesday, July 7, through Friday July 17. The museum will reopen to the general public on Saturday, July 18. The High will reopen with revised hours to accommodate necessary sanitation protocols, operating from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday though Saturday and from 12 noon to 5 pm on Sunday.
For continued updates on the High’s reopening procedures and online ticketing, visit
https://high.org/tickets/.
City of Miami Beach creates Emergency Art Fund
MIAMI—In an effort to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Miami Beach arts community, which has reported a more than $7 million loss in revenue during the first two months of quarantine, the City Commission and the Cultural Arts Council have launched the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund. Eligible organizations are required to demonstrate need, provide proof of a one-to-one match for the requested amount of funds, and operate and maintain a primary physical address within the City of Miami Beach.
