James Milton, Quiet Morning, 1976 (Hammonds House Museum collection)
PRESS
Hammonds House Museum, one of the earliest free-standing museums dedicated solely to the art of African American and African-diasporic artists in the South, has unveiled its first permanent installation. The museum now hosts a captivating collection of 10 works in its brand-new John Rhoden Sculpture Garden. The collection arrived at Hammonds House by way of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, which donated the works in honor of Rhoden’s deep connections to education and Atlanta’s art scene.
— Hammonds House museum artistic chair halima taha talks with lois reitzes about the new John Rhoden Sculpture gardden on “city lights” on November 14, 2024 (WABE-FM NPR)
Things To Do In November includes the John Rhoden Sculpture Garden at Hammonds House Museum.
— article by mary welch for the Atlanta convention & visitor’s bureau website on november 4, 2024 (Discover Atlanta)
Video celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs includes interviews with Shirley Franklin, Michael Lomax, Camille Russell Love, and Donna Watts-Nunn.
— video by troy danekes commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Mayor’s office of cultural Affairs - October 2, 2024 (OCA youtube channel)
Video of the unveiling of the new John Rhoden Sculpture Garden at Hammonds House Museum. Attending and participating in the event were: Donna Watts-Nunn/Managing Director of Hammonds House Museum, Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall, Halima Taha/Hammonds House Museum Artistic Chair, and Dr. Joycelyn Fowler/Fulton County Arts & Culture Deputy Director. ***The John Rhoden Sculpture Garden is a permanent feature on the Hammonds House Museum campus.
— Fulton county Arts & culture video of unveiling on september 19, 2024 (FGTV youtube channel)
Museum Unveils First-Ever John Rhoden Sculpture Garden, Celebrating African and Caribbean Art Traditions. This will be the first garden of its kind focused exclusively on Rhoden’s sculptures, providing visitors with a dynamic, open-air environment to engage with his artistry.
Located at the Hammonds House Museum, the sculpture garden features ten of Rhoden’s striking pieces, making it a permanent and defining attraction for the institution.
— article by elaine gonzalez on september 17, 2024 (sugarcane magazine)
Converging Realities is a captivating exhibition from the Hammonds House Museum permanent collection. It takes visitors on a remarkable journey through the dynamic interplay of artistic expressions spanning the 19th century to the present day. This diverse collection, curated by the Artistic Chair Halima Taha, Gallery Associate Lydia Kimbrough, and Hammonds House Museum Collection Scholar Kevin Sipp, presents a tapestry of aesthetic movements that have shaped the artistic landscape, including Romanticism, Impressionism, Modernism, and contemporary art from Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. The exhibition runs from September 20 through December 15, 2024.
—Press release about opening of converging realities exhibit - september 13, 2024 (atlanta patch)
In October Hammonds House Museum presented an exciting weekend of jazz with internationally acclaimed musicians trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and pianist Eric Scott Reed. They performed in concert at First Congregational Church on October 5 and the duo presented at workshop on October 6 at Hammonds House Museum.
— calendar listing on september 9 for gordon and reed events (atlanta patch)
Sam Middleton came of age as a painter in New York at a time when his studio was visited by Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and the other comparably great jazz musicians of the 1950s, while his close friends were the abstract painters of the New York School.
The result in the works displayed at Hammonds House is the ultimate family-friendly exhibition — art that presents sophisticated composition while incorporating images that provide both enjoyment and education at the very first moment of viewing. As curator and Artistic Chair Halima Taha’s wall text notes, art historian Julie McGee has adroitly demonstrated the complexity of Middleton’s aesthetic evolution.
— review of the rhythm of resilience exhibition by jerry cullum on August 12, 2024 (artsATL)
Check out fresh Black culture programming this summer at seven Atlanta museums, including Hammonds House Museum.
— article by ernie suggs on August 8, 2024 (atlanta journal-constitution)
Hammonds House Museum receives $100k Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts to help support their exhibitions and programming from the summer of 2024 through the summer of 2026.
“Hammonds House Museum is an important resource and cultural center for Atlanta and the greater South,”says Rachel Bers, Program Director, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.“We are proud to support the community engagement and critical awareness it brings to powerful, resonant work by Black artists in the region and beyond.”
—Press release about Hammonds HOuse Museum’s $100k grant from the andy warhol foundation for the visual arts on June 28, 2024 (Hatchett pr)
Interview with Halima Taha about Rhythm of Resilience: The Artistry of Sam Middleton exhibition.
— Hammonds House museum artistic chair halima taha speaks with lois reitzes on “city lights” on June 27, 2024 (WABE-FM NPR)
Art Historian Dr. Julie McGee hosts Gallery Talk & Multimedia Experience for Sam Middleton exhibition on June 15, 2024.
— calendar listing for Dr. Julie McGee event at hammonds house museum (atlanta patch)
Hammonds House Museum is pleased to announce that it has been chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects Award of $25,000. This grant will support their exhibition, Rhythm of Resilience: The Artistry of Sam Middleton, which opened on May 17 and will be on view through August 18, 2024.
— press release about Hammonds House Museum receiving NEA grants for arts projects award (atlanta Daily World)
Embark on a mesmerizing journey through the life and works of Sam Middleton, a pioneering mixed-media artist whose vibrant creations echoed the rhythms of Harlem jazz and the landscapes of Europe’s Low Countries. Born in New York in 1927, Middleton’s artistic odyssey transcended borders and he left an indelible mark on both sides of the Atlantic. Rhythm of Resilience: The Artistry of Sam Middleton opens at Hammonds House Museum on May 17 and runs through August 18, 2024.
— press release on May 7, 2024 about the Rhythm of Resilience exhibit (black art in america)
Condace Pressley interviews Halima Taha about her new role as Artistic Director at Hammonds House Museum.
— Interview with Halima Taha by Condace Pressley for “People 2 People” program on March 17, 2024 (wsb-tv abc)
Precious Lovell’s The Ties That Bind and Ex-Domestication at Hammonds House Museum are two distinct exhibitions, but they share the artist’s central themes: textiles and history. They also share an overarching connective title: The Fabric of Our Lives.
Lovell’s love for cloth and fabrics began when she was a child, inspired by the women in her life who sewed, stitched and embroidered — whether it was her mother who made clothes for her or her great-grandmother who made crazy quilts.
— Interview with Precious Lovell by lydia X. McCoy on March 13, 2024 (ArtsATL)
Precious Lovell and Jonathan Michael Square to Discuss Textile Design, Fashion and Social Change. Renowned textile artist Precious Lovell and esteemed scholar Jonathan Michael Square, PhD, are set to engage in a compelling conversation at a panel discussion hosted by Hammonds House Artistic Chair, Halima Taha. This event will delve into Lovell’s groundbreaking exhibitions, “The Ties that Bind” and “Ex Domestication,” exploring the intricate relationship between textile design, fashion, and their potential as mediums for driving social change.
— press release about precious lovell and jonathan michael square event on March 10, 2024 (atlanta Daily world)
A ‘fresh spring start’ for Atlanta’s Hammonds House Museum. Nestled on a quiet street just off I-20 west of downtown in a stately Victorian home is the Hammonds House Museum, a repository of more than 450 pieces of Black art from the past three centuries. Its front yard is bordered by a brick and wrought iron fence, and large trees line the corner lot that houses the 4,000-square foot home. But the calm setting belies the turmoil the museum in Atlanta’s historic West End faced a few years ago, from which its leaders say the institution has now emerged.
— Article about Hammonds House Museum and interview with Hammonds House managing director, Donna Watts-Nunn by journalist Mirtha Donastorg on February 24, 2024 (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Halima Taha talks with Keisha Lancelin about her new position as Artistic Chair at Hammonds House Museum.
— Halima Taha interview with Keisha lancelin on february 11, 2024 (CBS Atlanta 69 "Focus Atlanta")
Hammonds House Museum, a leading institution dedicated to African diaspora and African American art, proudly announces the appointment of Halima Taha as Artistic Chair for the next three seasons. Taha, an esteemed arts professional, curator, and author of the groundbreaking book Collecting African American Art; Works on Paper and Canvas, brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning, curation, artist and gallery management to her new role at the museum.
— PRESS RELEASE about Halima Taha’s new position as artistic chair at hammonds house museum, posted on JanuarY 26, 2024 (91.9 WCLK)
Halima Taha speaks with Gillian Anne Renault about her new role as Artistic Chair of Hammonds House Museum and her plans to build on Dr. Hammonds’ collection of African American, Caribbean and African art by including exhibits of diasporic art from South and Central America, Asia and Europe. Taha plans to bring work to the museum that reflects the intellectual diversity of visual artists, engaging new audiences including students, art professionals, collectors and scholars.
Support and presenting Atlanta-based artists will continue, but “the big shift is the opportunity to bring national and international artists to the museum. Having that range is important. We’re looking for artists of diasporic descent worldwide.”
- HALIMA TAHA INTERVIEW WITH GILLIAN ANNE RENAULT ON JANUARY 19, 2024 (ARTSATL)
Tracy Murrell Q&A with Shelly Danzy about her discovery of her Haitian heritage and her expression of Haitian love through her artwork. “This exhibition is my love story to Haiti”. She speaks of her artistic journey of displaying this exhibition and how she came to the decision to talk about Haiti.
- TRACY MURReLL Q&A WITH SHELLY DANZY AT THE HAMMONDS HOUSE ON NOVEMBER 23, 2022 (ARTSATL)
Tracy Murrell talks about her long anticipated solo show Dans l’espoir d’un Avenir Meilleur (In Hope for a Better Future) … Exploring Haitian Transmigration in Sketchbook by Rough Draft, a weekly arts newsletter. “It is important to me that Hammonds House patrons and visitors come away with a fuller view of Haiti as a nation of people rich in culture, pride, and vibrancy,” said Murrell.
- TRACY MURRELL INTERVIEWS WITH ISADORA PENNINGTON AT THE HAMMONDS HOUSE ON NOVEMBER 2, 2022 (SKETCHBOOK)
Soloist Tony Hightower talks about his musical influences and upcoming Jazz in the Garden performance at the Hammonds House Museum. Hightower is the son of the late jazz icon Theresa Hightower.
— Tony Hightower Interviews with Mike Shaw About Performing at Hammonds House Museum on September 15, 2022 (ArtsATL)
“Jazz in the Garden featuring Tony Hightower at The Hammonds House. This special concert with vocalist Tony Hightower is being presented in conjunction with Joe Barry Carroll’s “My View From Seven Feet” exhibition. For details and to purchase tickets click HERE.”
—CALENDAR LISTING FOR THE city of atlanta elevate Public art program on september 12, 2022 (city of atlanta mayor’s office of cultural affairs)
“Hammonds House Museum continues Joe Barry Carroll’s “My View From Seven Feet” exhibition with jazz vocalist and songwriter, Tony Hightower, Sunday, September 18, 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., at the museum’s outdoor garden. With years of experience as a musical performer, Hightower, an Atlanta native, takes up the mantle to be a bridge that ushers R&B audiences into jazz.”
— Press Release About Jazz in the Garden at Hammonds House Museum on September 12, 2022 (Atlanta Tribune)
“We should be careful in all of our providing for others that we do not fail to get something for ourselves. Each of us needs some thing or some place that we retreat to for personal nurturing and sustenance. We owe it to ourselves to carve out that special place just for ourselves. This special place may be different things for different people, but everyone needs it – something as simple as powering off the phone, sitting in quiet, taking a long walk, dancing when no one is watching, singing along with a favorite song, or experiencing any of your favorite things in solitude,” says Joe Barry Carroll, Garden (A Special Place) excerpt from the My View From Seven Feet book.”
— Press Release About Jazz in the Garden at Hammonds House Museum on September 10, 2022 (Atlanta Daily World)
WCLK highlights Hammonds House Museum’s Jazz in the Garden featuring Atlanta-based vocalist, Tony Hightower, on Sunday, September 18 from 3:30-5:30pm. The event is in conjunction with Joe Barry Carroll's "My View From Seven Feet" exhibition.
— Press Release About Jazz in the Garden at Hammonds House Museum on August 28, 2022 (WCLK)
Self-taught artist, Joe Barry Carroll, speaks with WABE’s “City Lights” about his artwork in “My View From Seven Feet” which exhibits at Hammonds House Museum through September 18. His visual recollections and narratives of his early years growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas illustrate a pursuit of living according to one’s own agency, unencumbered by external interruptions.
— INTERVIEW WITH LOIS REITZES ON “CITY LIGHTS” ON JULY 19, 2022 (WABE-FM npr)
“A natural-born observer, thinker and dreamer, (Joe Barry) Carroll was introduced to the art of storytelling by his father, Frederick Douglass Williams, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The pair spent countless hours in front of an old open-faced gas heater in the winter, or on the front porch during the summer months, where Carroll sat enthralled by his daddy’s words. Now he’s continuing the tradition by picking up a paintbrush and telling stories in honey-hued abstract and figurative paintings that invite the viewer to see the world from his point of view.” “My View From Seven Feet” is on view at Hammonds House Museum until September 18, 2022.
— INTERVIEW BY GAIL O’NEILL WITH HAMMONDS HOUSe museum CURATOR, Leatrice ellzy wright and artist, joe barry carroll ON july 15, 2022 (ARTSATL)
Photographer Jim Alexander talks about his artwork being featured in No Justice, No Peace: Protest Photography from 1967 – 2022 and producer Adam Davis-McGee discusses his virtual reality film series In Protest: Grassroots Stories from the Front Lines. Both are on view at Hammonds House Museum until June 26, 2022.
— Interview with Lois Reitzes on “city Lights” on June 1, 2022 (WABE-FM)
Hammonds House Museum’s Managing Director, Donna Watts-Nunn, talks about the 2022 Season and highlights of two current exhibitions No Justice, No Peace: Protest Photography from 1967 – 2022 and the virtual reality series In Protest: Grassroots Stories from the Front Lines.
— Interview with Keisha lancelin on “FOcus Atlanta” on May 15, 2022 (CW AtlantA)
“Hammonds House Museum will reopen on Friday, April 29, 2022… No Justice, No Peace: Protest Photography from 1967 – 2022 opens this year’s season and will be on view in the museum’s downstairs galleries from April 29-June 26, illustrating Black America’s ongoing pursuit of justice, freedom, and equality. In Protest: Grassroots Stories from the Front Lines is a virtual reality film series that will be presented in the upstairs gallery in partnership with GRX Immersive, with support from Oculus.”
— Press Release About Hammonds House Museum’s 2022 season on April 29, 2022 (Atlanta Tribune)
Hammonds House Museum Board Chair, Imara Canady, spoke with Kiplyn Primus at WCLK about recent news coverage that focused on one component of a larger restructuring effort to ensure the sustainability of the museum this year and beyond.
The pandemic has forced many nonprofit cultural organizations around the country, to reconsider and reconstruct how they continue to serve their communities and honor the history of these precious cultural commodities. The Hammonds House Museum is no exception. This interview adds context to the national story of how arts institutions are navigating this unprecedented time to not just survive but thrive.
— CLICK HERE TO LISTEN — Radio interview with kiplyn primus on February 5, 2022 (91.9 WCLK)
Hammonds House Museum has announced the beginning of a multi-year reorganization plan which includes a new leadership structure and a more mission-focused business model.
"We have been re-evaluating the museum's current infrastructure and we are implementing changes," states Imara Canady, Board President of Hammonds House Museum. "Factors that influenced our decision include the ongoing effects of the global pandemic, the current economic environment, and the challenges being experienced by arts and cultural organizations – especially African American institutions. We can't continue to operate with a traditional business model because we are not a traditional business. To be relevant and move forward, we must embrace new ideas and innovation.”
— Press Release about Hammonds House Museum’s Reorganization on January 20, 2022 (atlanta Patch)
“The Black experience comes into focus in one man’s art collection. Over his collecting lifetime, Atlanta physician Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds amassed hundreds of artworks from the mid-19th century to contemporary pieces that now live in the 450-works strong Hammonds House Museum collection. Exhibiting Culture features an array of national and international talent including some notable Atlanta artists.”
— review of exhibiting culture by felicia feaster on January 4, 2022 (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
“Rare art now on display at Atlanta’s Hammonds House Museum.”
— Interview with karen Comer Lowe, Executive Director and chief curator at Hammonds House Museum by Condace pressley on December 19, 2021 (WSB-TV ABC “People 2 People”)
Wine & Words with Michelle Gipson Welcomes Anita Kopacz on Dec 16. They'll discuss Ms. Kopacz's novel, SHALLOW WATERS, which Harper's Bazaar calls ‘spellbinding…a captivating debut.’ *This is a virtual event. For more information visit hammondshouse.org.”
—press release for Wine & words ran on december 6, 2021 (atlanta patch)
“Conversations About Jazz Features Vocalist, Actress & Educator Ranee Lee on December 9. This virtual event via Zoom is free for Hammonds House Museum members and $5 for non-members. Register today at hammondshouse.org.”
—Calendar listing for the December conversations about Jazz on November 27, 2021 (Atlanta journal-constitution)
“HHM Digital invites you to join in a live streaming session of Conversations about Jazz & Other Distractions hosted by former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl Anthony. On Thursday, November 11 at 7:30 pm (EST), Carl's special guest will be jazz vocalist, guitarist, composer, and legendary entertainer Allan Harris.”
— press release for conversations about jazz ran on november 5, 2021 (Broadwayworld.com)
“Along with the fine art museums at Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College, Hammonds House Museum is part of a West End triangle of Black institutions that showcase Black art from the 1800s to the present.”
— interview with hammonds house executive director and chief curator, Karen Comer lowe, by rosalind bentley on october 21, 2021 (Atlanta journal-constitution)
“Exhibiting Culture: Highlights from the Hammonds House Museum Collection (through January 30) features crown jewels culled from the permanent collection of more than 450 works dating from the mid-19th century, including works by Elizabeth Catlett, Hale Woodruff and the oldest known painting by landscape artist Robert S. Duncanson. The showcase is an important milestone for the West End landmark that was established “to preserve, exhibit, interpret and increase public awareness about the contributions that visual artists of African descent have made to world culture.”
— Interview by Gail O’neill with Hammonds House Executive director and Chief curator, Karen Comer Lowe on September 30, 2021 (ArtsATL)
“Visitors to Atlanta have an opportunity to view artwork that is rarely on display in Exhibiting Culture: Highlights of the Hammonds House Museum Permanent Collection. The musuem is the residendence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and passionate arts patron. Located in a beautiful Victorian home in West End Atlanta, Hammonds House Museum is a cultural treasure and a unique boasting more than 450 world class works of art.”
— TV feature about hammonds house museum on september 26, 2021 (the atlanta channel)
As the delta Covid-19 variant surges, most venues have imposed vaccination and testing mandates for audience members. Arts presenters and patrons are wary, but still hopeful for the fall season ahead.
Karen Comer Lowe, new executive director and chief curator at Hammonds House Museum, expects a busy season of fundraising. The 1857 Victorian home in West End hosts exhibitions of visual artists of the African diaspora and educational programs but was closed from March 2020 to this summer. In June the museum finally invited the public back in, Comer Lowe looked ahead from an upstairs office as music spun by DJ Malik Stone reverberated from downstairs.
— Story about venues reopening and fall programming includes Hammonds House Museum by Howard Pousner on September 1, 2021 (Atlanta Magazine)
8 Black Art Advisors Transforming the Art Market from the Inside. As Black artists gain greater recognition, their successes underline how underrepresented Black Americans are in almost all other sectors of the art world. A lack of Black individuals in leadership and ownership roles perpetuates the problem. From galleries and art fairs to residency programs, private museums, and media outlets, so few are owned or operated by members of Black and African diasporic communities. As the market and collectors’ tastes continue to diversify, who will provide opportunities to preserve Black art in the hands of Black collectors who seek to build a legacy of excellence through culture? Black art advisors are poised to play a singular role in this process.
—article by Folasade Ologundudu about black art advisors includes hammonds House Museum’s executive director and chief curator, karen comer lowe, on august 6, 2021 (artsy)
Guests to Hammonds House Museum will have an opportunity to view artwork that has rarely been on display when the museum presents Exhibiting Culture: Highlights from the Hammonds House Museum Collection. The exhibition is curated by Hammonds House Museum’s Executive Director and Chief Curator Karen Comer Lowe, and will be on view from August 6, 2021, through January 30, 2022.
Boasting more than 450 world-class works of art, the Hammonds House Museum permanent art collection dates from the mid-19th century by artists from America, Africa, and the Caribbean. At the center of the collection are 250 works collected by the former owner of Hammonds House, Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, including work by master artist Romare Bearden and the oldest known painting by acclaimed landscape artist Robert S. Duncanson. Featured in the Exhibiting Culture show will be works by Romare Bearden, Benny Andrews, Elizabeth Catlett, Sam Gilliam, Richard Hunt, Hale Woodruff, Jacob Lawrence, and many more. Come explore incredible artwork by some of the world’s premiere African American artists, listen to engaging artist interviews on rotation in the museum, and enjoy a stroll through the new Artist Garden. To plan your visit, go to: hammondshouse.org.
— Press release for Exhibiting Culture on august 4, 2021 (atlanta Daily world)
A chat with Atlanta artist Charly Palmer. This week, we’ll talk with the artist who created one of 2020′s most memorable works of art. As the nation reeled from video of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests, Time magazine ran a searing cover image capturing the moment. A painting of a young black girl in silhouette led the double issue, titled “America Must Change.” Atlanta artist Charly Palmer was commissioned by Time’s artistic director to render an image that would capture the seminal episode in the nation’s history. See that painting and more of Palmer’s work in a retrospective titled “Departure” at the newly reopened Hammonds House Museum.
— Interview with charly palmer by rosalind bentley on July 15, 2021 (AccessAtlanta)
The first in-person show at this definitive West End institution after more than a year of COVID-19, “Departure by Charly Palmer” is also the artist’s first solo exhibition at Hammonds House Museum. Injustice, spirituality and hope coexist in the artist’s 30-year visual art career.
— Review of Departure at Hammonds House Museum by Felicia Feaster, July 9, 2021 (atlanta journal-Constitution)
“Charly Palmer’s 30-year retrospective includes his iconic Time magazine cover. One year ago, on July 6, 2020, as the nation reeled from video of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests that roiled cities around the world, Time magazine ran a searing cover image capturing the moment…
Now, “In Her Eyes” is on view as part of “Departure,” a 30-year retrospective currently on view at Hammonds House Museum. The show runs through Aug. 1. The 40 images in the show span the start of his Atlanta career, when he created one of the official posters for the 1996 Olympics, to the present moment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Palmer tells the tale of each era’s ups and downs through the myriad experiences of being Black in America.”
— Article about Charly palmer by rosalind bentley, july 6, 2021 (atlanta journal-constitution)
“A retrospective of works by American artist Charly Palmer comes to the Hammonds House Museum this summer. A fine artist, muralist, and illustrator of children’s books, Palmer’s paintings and mixed media works explore themes of African-American identity. The new exhibition, Departure, will show works never before seen by the public, as well as new pieces created expressly for this event. Charly Palmer joined City Lights host Lois Reitzes to talk about Departure and the multiple meanings of the word, and the history of Black America and African origins told through his art.”
— Interview with Charly palmer on city lights with Lois reitzes, june 29, 2021 (wabe-fm)
“Atlanta native and national arts veteran Karen Comer Lowe has been named executive director and chief curator of Hammonds House Museum, one of a handful of Atlanta institutions dedicated to Black art.
Comer Lowe, who was most recently manager and chief curator of the Chastain Arts Center begins her new position at the West End museum this month. She succeeds Leatrice Ellzy Wright, who left Hammonds House at the end of May for a programming director position at the Apollo Theater in New York.”
—Karen Comer Lowe Named Executive Director and chief curator of hammonds house museum, june 11, 2021 (AJC)
Atlanta: Bold and Beautiful: From hip-hop to fine art, street art to high fashion! Explore Atlanta culture in a new interactive online project by Google Arts & Culture, in collaboration with 30 local organizations including Hammonds House Musuem at g.co/exploreatlanta.
“We are excited to be a partner in the Google Arts & Culture Atlanta Project,” states Donna Watts-Nunn, Director of Operations at Hammonds House Museum. “This is an amazing opportunity to show the world the wealth of cultural, historical, culinary and arts offerings available in Atlanta. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Hammonds House Museum – in person and online – and sharing the cultural diversity and important legacy of artists of African descent.”
— Announcement of Google Arts & Culture Atlanta Project on June 8, 2021 (Hatchett PR)
“As an avid art lover and collector, I am always searching for new exhibits, artists, and artwork to discover and share. This summer, art and culture collide in a newly opened exhibition at Hammonds House Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, which is a must-see.
Departure by Charly Palmer is a retrospective of 30 years of art infused with experience, an Identity Crisis, Divided States, Eminent Domain, Introversion, and a deepening appreciation for Black beauty. The exhibition is available through August 1, 2021, with a virtual show experience until May 15. Hammonds House Museum is an ideal backdrop for Palmer’s work with its commitment to exhibiting provocative and transformative works by artists from the African Diaspora, providing them with the creative space to show art that reflects the world as they see it.”
— Departure by charly palmer debuts at Hammonds House Museum - story by Michel perry, may 13, 2021 (aspire magazine)
“Departure, a virtual exhibition by Atlanta-based artist Charly Palmer, continues through August 1 at Hammonds House Museum. Departure, Palmer says, is a retrospective of 30 years of art infused with experience, an identity crisis, divided states, eminent domain, introversion and a deepening appreciation for Black beauty. Some of the work has never been seen before, some was created for this show. The exhibition’s opening-night activities are on view through May 15. Details about the rest of the run are forthcoming.”
— Calendar listing for Departure by charly palmer, may 6, 2021 (artsATL)
“HHM Digital invites you to join us for a live streaming session of Conversations about Jazz & Other Distractions hosted by former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl Anthony. On Thursday, May 13 at 7:30 pm (EST), Carl’s special guests will be musicians and artists Carmen Lundy, Alyn Shipton and Al Johnson. They will discuss The Art Of Jazz and how artists and musicians see, hear and experience the magic and music we call jazz.”
— Press release: conversations about jazz examines the art of jazz, may 5, 2021 (atlanta Daily world)
“Hammonds House Museum is excited to present Departure by Charly Palmer from April 30 through August 1, 2021. This solo exhibition features Palmer’s work from the last 30 years, including pieces that have never been seen by the public, as well as new artwork created for this show.”
— Calendar listing for Departure by Charly Palmer, April30 - August 1, 2021 (Atlanta Convention & visitors Bureau website)
“Departure by Charly Palmer Opens Virtually at Hammonds House on April 30. The solo exhibit features work from the last 30 years. The virtual opening includes and artist talk, video and music!”
— Press release for Departure exhibition opening, april 24, 2021 (atlanta patch)
“Wine & Words host Michelle Gipson brings together colleagues and fans to honor the legacy and pay tribute to New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey on Tuesday, April 20 at 7 PM (EST). The date coincides with the publication of Dickey’s last novel, The Son of Mr. Suleman. Among the special guests joining Gipson will be Travis Hunter, Victoria Christopher Murray, and Yvette Hayward.
— press release for Wine & Words tribute to eric jerome dickey, april 15, 2021(atlanta daily world)
“Executive Director Leatrice Ellzy Wright is leaving Atlanta’s Hammonds House Museum in late May to become Programming director at the Apollo Theater in New York City. The Hammonds House board announced her exit in a statement today.
Hammonds House, in Atlanta’s historic West End, celebrates and share the cultural diversity and legacy of artists of African descent. The nonprofit opened in 1988 and is named for the late Otis Thrash Hammonds, a physician and arts patron who once lived there. The museum’s permanent collection comprises more than 450 works, including art by such heavy-hitters as Amalia Amaki, Benny Andrews, Radcliffe Bailey, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Kojo Griffin, Jacob Lawrence and Hale Woodruff.”
—Leatrice ellzy wright leaving hammonds house in may to join new york’s apollo, april 14, 2021 (ArtsATL)
“Years ago, when Leatrice Ellzy Wright was a new graduate of Tennessee State University, she attended the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta. It was 10 magical days of concerts, plays and exhibits by Black artists from around the world. Afterward she was convinced she’d seen her future. Fast forward two decades, after working at Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Woodruff Arts Center, Wright’s declaration came true. The National Black Arts Festival hired her to run programming. She left after 10 years in 2012 to do consulting and other projects. But three years ago, Wright took on the daunting task of helping to revive a mainstay Atlanta Black arts institution, one that opened the same year as the festival: Hammonds House Museum. She became only the third executive director in the organization’s three-decade history…”
— Leatrice Ellzy Wright leaving Hammonds House Museum for Apollo, april 14, 2021 (AJC)
“Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, James Brown and Aretha Franklin are just a few of the famous performers who have been associated with the Apollo Theater. Now, Hammonds House Executive Director Leatrice Ellzy Wright will be Senior Director of Programming for the Apollo. She joined City Lights host Lois Reitzes to talk about the historic organization and her plans for its future.”
— Lois reitzes interviews Leatrice Ellzy Wright about leaving Hammonds House museum to work at the apollo theater in new york on “city lights,” april 12, 2021(WABE-FM)
April 8 — Jaspects Reunion: The digital streaming series Conversations About Jazz & Other Distractions — hosted by Carl Anthony and sponsored by HHM Digital — returns with a new episode reuniting the celebrated, Atlanta-based jazz/hip-hop/soul group Jaspects. True music heads know the band — featuring members Henry C. Conerway III (drums), Terrence Brown (keys), Jaye Price (alto saxophone), Dwayne R. Dugger Jr. (tenor saxophone), Jimmy King (trumpet and flugelhorn), and Jon-Christopher Sowells (bass) — and its ultra-dope collaborations with artists like PJ Morton, Chantae Cann, Janelle Monáe and more.
— event listing for conversations about jazz featuring jaspects, april 7, 2021 (Slo*Mo Atlanta)
“HHM Digital invites you to join us for the return of live streaming sessions of Conversations about Jazz & Other Distractions hosted by former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl Anthony. On Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 pm (EST), Carl's special guests will be original members of Jaspects, the innovative band famous for blending hip-hop and jazz and creatively ‘redefining all aspects of jazz.’”
— press release for conversations about jazz featuring Jaspects, April 5, 2021 (Atlanta Patch)
“Departure by Charly Palmer is a retrospective of 30 years of art infused with experience, an identity crisis, divided states, eminent domain, introversion, and a deepening appreciation for Black beauty. He is currently exploring the multiple meanings of departure from the time of the Middle Passage, through the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, up until now.”
— List of 10 best exhibitions opening In Atlanta this spring includes departure by charly parlmer at hammonds House museum, march 29, 2021(Travelmag)
“Atlanta physician Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds was the first African American resident of this Victorian home, which he saved from deterioration when he purchased it in 1979. Hammonds was an avid patron of the arts, serving on the boards of the High Museum of Art, the Neighborhood Arts Center, and various museums. While living in this house, Hammonds amassed his own collection of more than 250 works of art, many by artists of African and Caribbean descent. Today, the Hammonds House is a museum containing over 450 works of art as well as original furnishings and decor.”
— House beautiful instagram account featured a live tour of hammonds house museum on february 25, 2021(House beautiful)
“Arts groups prepare to pivot from virtual to live events in 2021…For a glimpse of what’s coming in 2021, arts writers at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provide a round-up of upcoming shows and events big and small, live and virtual. Much of how this will play out is still uncertain, which means everything is subject to change so confirm events before you go and check websites for COVID-19 protocols. What is for sure is Atlanta’s arts community is betting on a brighter future.”
— story by Rosalind Bentley, bo Emerson, Melissa ruggieri & rodney Ho on December 21, 2020 includes Hammonds House Museum(ajc)
“Hammonds House Digital invites you to join us for Conversations about Jazz & Other Distractions hosted by former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl Anthony. Carl’s special guests will be some of the industry’s top Producers: Leatrice Ellzy Wright, Executive Director of Hammonds House Museum; Sunny Sumter, Executive Producer of the DC Jazz Festival; and Laura Greer, Senior Producer for The Apollo Theater.”
— Press release for Conversations About Jazz, December 9, 2020 (Hatchett PR)
“Join us for Felton Eaddy's last Poetry Kitchen of the year: THE LAST SUPPER! Featuring a great feast of poets including Kimberly A. Collins; Gwendolyn Faulkner-Holley; and robert earl price. Come Get Sumteat'!”
— Event listing for Poetry Kitchen, December 9, 2020 (AJC)
“Professor & author Haki Madhubuti joins Michelle Gipson for a free Wine & Words on 12/3 at 7 pm (EST) steaming live via Facebook & YouTube.”
— Press release for WINE & WORDS with Professor Haki Madhubuti, November 29, 2020 (Atlanta Patch)
“Hammonds House Digital presents Wine & Words on December 3, 2002. Professor Haki Madhubuti joins Michelle Gipson to talk about his book, Taught By Women: Poems as Resistance Language. In these new and selected poems Madhubuti, poet, publisher, editor, and activist, places us in lyrical proximity to a legacy of women whose lives he honors with warm verses and timeless reverence.”
— Event listing for Wine & WOrds featuring Professor Haki Madhubuti, November 29, 2020 (AJC)
“Pianist, Composer and Band Leader Eric Reed is the featured guest on Conversations About Jazz on November 12, 2020.”
— Press release for Nov 12 Conversations about Jazz, November 9, 2020 (hatchett PR)
“Conversations about Jazz Celebrates Jazz Singers on October 29. Join us for a free event featuring some of today's most talented jazz vocalists: Carmen Bradford, Kathleen Bertrand, & Lenora Zenzalai Helm…It will stream live on Hammonds House Museum's Facebook and YouTube.”
— press release for Oct 29 Conversations about Jazz program, October 22, 2020 (atlanta Patch)
“On October 15 at 7:30 pm (EST), Conversations about Jazz features some of today’s Young Guns. Carl’s guests will be bassist Endea Owens; and multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and engineer Morgan Guerin. This program is for the jazz novice and jazz head alike. It is free and will stream live on Hammonds House Museum’s Facebook and YouTube.”
— Press release for Oct 15 Conversations about Jazz Program, October 13, 2020 (Hatchett PR)
“Conversations about Jazz with Carl Anthony. Join every other Thursday with former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz Carl Anthony. Carl will take Hammonds House digital audiences through artist talks, workshops, listening sessions and other opportunities to engage. Virtual event, www.hammondshouse.org.
— Calendar listing for conversations about jazz, fall 2020 issue (atlanta Now, official publication of the atlanta convention & visitors bureau)
“On September 3 Conversations about Jazz delves into the subject of influential jazz composers. Carl's guests for this program will be saxophonist, composer and educator Tia Fuller; trumpeter, composer and leader of the Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra Russell Gunn; and drummer, educator and activist Jaimeo Brown. They will discuss their own music, composers that have influenced them, leadership, making albums and more. This program is for the jazz novice and jazz head alike. The event is FREE, but you must register. To register click HERE.*
— Press release for Sept 3 conversations about jazz program, August 28, 2020 (Broadway World)
“On Wednesday, July 22 at 7 pm (EST) Grace Kisa, Thabisile Griffin and Lauren Tate Baeza take center stage with an engaging conversation that explores remarkable women warriors who changed the course of history! Beyond Mythologies: Black Women Heroes of the Atlantic was created as a companion program to Hammonds House Museum’s current exhibition, Nu Africans, a collaboration by Grace Kisa and Maurice Evans which aspires to center the Black woman in her own power.”
— Press release for Beyond Mythologies: Black women heroes of the atlantic, july 20, 2020 (Atlanta Patch)
“Hammonds House Museum in Atlanta’s West End continues to offer rich content through its virtual programming. The latest addition to the museum’s arts and culture programming is “Conversations about Jazz and Other Distractions” with former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl Anthony.”
— Lois Reitzes interviews Carl Anthony & Leatrice Ellzy Wright on “city Lights,” july 15, 2020 (Wabe-Fm)
“Hammonds House Museum presents a new free virtual program: Conversations About Jazz and Other Distractions with Carl Anthony. Former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl will take Hammonds House Digital audiences on a unique journey through the music and include artist talks, workshops, listening sessions and other opportunities to engage in this music called jazz.”
— Press Release for Conversations about jazz taking place every other week - july 9-December 24, 2020 (Hatchett PR)
“The High Museum, Atlanta History Center and Hammonds House Museum are tentatively opening their doors again to the public. Each is TENTATIVELY reopening exhibitions that were early in their runs at the time stay-at-home orders were issued, or were slated to open within days of the state’s shutdown.” NOTE: Visiting Hammonds House Museum is by online registration ONLY and the situation is subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Story by Rosalind Bentley on Atlanta Museums extending exhibit dates and cautiously re-opening with CDC guidelines - July 1, 2020 (AJC)
“From the gingerbread trim on the front porch of this 1857 Victorian home to that first creak of the well-seasoned floorboards, you know this is not your typical art space when you pass the threshold of Hammonds House Museum in Atlanta’s West End. A museum founded on fascinating complexities, Hammonds House presents artwork that often deals frankly with America’s ugly past of slavery, segregation and its ongoing racism. But much of the artwork on display also celebrates black creativity, joyfulness and grit.”
— Social justice is the hallmark of artwork at Hammonds House Museum, interview with leatrice Ellzy Wright and story by Felicia Feaster, June 10, 2020 (AJC)
“Hammonds House Museum, through their new Hammonds House Digital programming, is creating and curating rich arts and cultural experiences that reach audiences beyond the walls of the museum. Their June programs explore the work of Black classical composers, showcase modern spoken word poets, provide an afternoon of family-friendly storytelling, and introduce a new interactive series about jazz.”
— Press Release for Virtual June programming presented by Hammmonds House Museum, June 1, 2020 (Atlanta Patch)
“jessica Care moore’s ‘We Want Our Bodies Back’ Is Ode To Blackness And Womanhood. The closing of public spaces has not impeded the Hammonds House Museum from sharing creative content. The Hammonds House digital series is presenting an evening with Detroit poet jessica Care moore. She’ll read from her new poetry collection, We Want Our Bodies Back. The poetry addresses those who suffer constant scrutiny because of their gender and race.”
— Lois Reitzes interviews jessica Care moore on “City Lights,” May 29, 2020 (WABE-FM)
“Historically black women in the United States have been degraded based in many systems of oppression. Controlling images depict black women as angry, promiscuous, and domineering. These images have appeared for centuries and they limit the extent to which black women can exist in this country. But Nu Africans, a new body of work by Maurice Evans and Grace Kisa, spin this long-lasting narrative on its head with images of black women as creator, warrior, and queen.”
— ARTICLE BY SHantay Robinson about the virtual opening - and artwork - of the Nu africans exhibit, may 23, 2020 (black art in america)
“Bridging the gap between Africans on the continent and those in the diaspora, is the work that has brought two seasoned artists — one from the United States and the other Kenya — to collaborate. It is a collaboration that has been in the making for 10 years, finally bearing fruit with Nu Africans. Maurice Evans and Grace Kisa’s Nu Africans opened at Hammonds House on Friday, May 15.”
— Denieca Brown interview with hammonds house executive director, leatrice ellzy wright, may 22, 2020 (Rolling Out)
“Hammonds House Digital presents a virtual evening with jessica Care moore on May 29. She will read from her poetry book, We Want Our Bodies Back. FREE event.”
— Press release for jessica care moore event at hammonds house museum, may 12, 2020 (atlanta patch)
“Artists Maurice Evans and Grace Kisa curate 1st virtual exhibit, Nu Africans. Maurice Evans is a painter and photographer; Grace Kisa is a Kenyan-born sculptor and painter. The pair is collaborating on a one-of-a-kind artistic experience that explores womanhood in the Black diaspora. Nu Africans opens Friday, May 15, 2020, at the Hammonds House Museum.”
— Munson steed interview with maurice evans and grace kisa, may 13, 2020 (rolling Out)
“The title is a new name for a group of people whose ancestors come from the west coast of Africa who were brought into the Americas for slavery. Because of those circumstances, those people have had to create a new culture for themselves in trying to stay connected to a place they don’t really know about anymore. It’s forced them to create their own traditions, own ideologies, own religions, and so I decided to name that group of people the ‘Nu Africans.’”
— Lois reitzes interviews artists Grace Kisa & Maurice Evans and Hammonds House Director Leatrice Ellzy Wright, may 7, 2020 (WABE-FM)
“Hammonds House Museum presents Nu Africans virtual exhibit and opening party on May 15. Between the real and the imagined, Nu Africans articulates what is bold, black and beautiful.”
— Press release for Nu Africans Virtual Exhibit & After PartY, May 2, 2020 (Atlanta Daily World)
“Hammonds House Museum is pleased to exhibit Nu Africans, a collaborative body of work by Maurice Evans and Grace Kisa. Nu Africans addresses the notion that Africans of the diaspora, through their individual circumstances, have evolved into their own tribe of Nu Africans.”
— Press release for Nu Africans Virtual Exhibit opening by Karen Hatchett, May 1, 2020 (Hatchett PR)
“Hammonds House Museum showcases art of the diaspora in a historic Victorian home. It’s current exhibition, co-created by Kenyan artist Grace Kisa, depicts modern women as warriors and queens.”
— preview of nu africans exhibition by Cristina Hazar, march 20, 2020 (Southbound Magazine)
“Bees buzzing. Guttural hums. Rain falling in waves, and the sharp crack of thunder. The sounds of a Southern spring emanate from the first floor of the Hammonds House Museum, where Masud Olufani’s Translocation & Transfiguration is on view. The sounds are coming from two artworks in the second gallery: Inclement Weather and Hive: Elegy for the Fallen. But this simulated time travel feels fitting. Indeed, Olufani is concerned with the process of moving, changing, and transforming.”
— REVIEW of Translocation & Transfiguration by Yves Jeffcoat, march 4, 2020 (Burnaway)
“Jamaal Barber and Jasmine Williams talk with Masud Olufani and check out his exhibit, Translocation & Transfiguration, on view at Hammond’s House.”
— interview with masud olufani on february 25, 2020 (studio noize podcast)
“Masud Olufani’s Translocation & Transfiguration (at Hammonds House Museum through March 22) creates an experience in which history and trauma are intertwined with a concise aesthetic and intricate craft.”
— Review of translocation & transfiguration by floyd hall, february 10, 2020 (arts atl)
“These drawings, sculptures and mixed media tell stories of inspiration alongside inequity and injustice. The Hammonds House Museum’s newest exhibit, Translocation and Transfiguration, showcases the work of an Atlanta based artist. The exhibit explores what it means to be black in America, examining topics like objectification and multi-generational trauma.”
— chenelle terry interviews masud olufani with images from his new exhibit on “people 2 people,” february 1 & 2, 2020 (wsb-TV)
“Black History Month puts a huge spotlight on African American history and culture. 6 Atlanta institutions to explore black history : Auburn Avenue Research Library, Hammonds House Museum, Trap Music Museum, True Colors Theatre Company, Atlanta History Center, SCAD FASH Museum.”
— Story about black history month by ronda racha penrice, january 28, 2020 (AJC)
“Atlanta actor and visual artist Masud Olufani has created an exhibition at the Hammonds House Museum that talks about one of the most pernicious and painful divides in America, between the black experience and the white experience.”
— Review of translocation & Transfiguration by felicia Feaster, january 23, 2020 (AJC)
“The Local Take talks Translocation & Transfiguration with Masud Olufani at the Hammonds House.”
— Kiplyn primus interview with Masud Olufani on The Local Take, January 20,2020 (WCLK-FM)
“In his book, The Strength of Love, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, ‘We are not makers of history. We are made by history.’ Dr. King encouraged his readers not to conform to the way things were, but to rise up and change their future. Atlanta artist and actor Masud Olufani explores this theme through the African Diaspora in his new exhibit Translocation & Transfiguration.”
— lois reitzes interview with masud olufani on city lights, january 15, 2020 (Wabe-fm)
“In 2020 Hammonds House Museum is presenting exhibits and installations that examine ‘Blackness’ and how the idea of blackness manifests itself in our collective consciousness. Addressing displacement, reinvention, and transformative change, Masud Olufani’s Translocation & Transfiguration opened Friday, January 10 and will be on view through Sunday, March 22.”
— Calendar listing by Karen Hatchett for translocation & Transfiguration, January 11, 2020 (AJC)
“The new exhibition from Atlanta artist Masud Olufani is part of Hammonds House Museum‘s yearlong focus on the concept of ‘Blackness.’ The mixed-media artwork ‘looks at the objectification, marginalization and commodification of the black body, and how the sustained multigenerational trauma visited upon it necessitated a set of subversive practices and responses to ensure survival.’”
— 5 Atlanta events you won’t want to miss: January 9-14 by myrydd wells, January 9, 2020 (Atlanta magazine)
“Artists as diverse as octogenarian photographer Lucinda Bunnen and 40ish multidisciplinarian Shanequa Gay popped up in headlines about Atlanta’s Art + Design scene in 2019. LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN – perhaps the best exhibit title of the year — saluted much more than buildings, historic markers and people in West End. It was a floors-to-ceilings love letter of humanity, pride and the will to endure.”
— Art & Design Year in Review by kathy janich, december 27, 2019 (Arts atl)
“It’s your last chance to see artist Shanequa Gay’s exhibit Lit Without Sherman: A Love Letter to the West End. When Atlanta artist Shanequa Gay was presented with the opportunity to paint directly onto the walls of the Hammond House Museum for a site-specific exhibition, she knew that meant that someday her work would be covered up. The exhibit will close on Dec. 22.”
— Story about Closing party for lit without sherman by courtney kueppers, december 18, 2019 (AJC)
“Masud Olufani, Atlanta based multi-disciplinary actor and artist, joins co-hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss his career and new exhibition at Hammonds House.”
— Carol morgan Interview with Masud olufani, december 12, 2019 (atlanta real estate forum radio)
“Lit Without Sherman celebrates the West End. For decades, photographer Sue Ross captured the vibrancy of the West End. One of her favorites photos shows then-Mayor Andrew Young and former councilman Thomas Cuffie. The photo is memorialized on the walls of the historic Hammonds House Museum as part of an interactive exhibit. Artist Shanequa Gay said she wanted to preserve the character and history of the neighborhood through the stories of the people that live there.”
— segment by reporter natasha lee, featuring interviews with sue ross & shanequa gay, december 11, 2019 (WGCL-TV cbs 46 Atlanta)
— Story online by natasha lee, december 11, 2019 (WGCL-TV CBS 46 atlanta)
Hammonds House Museum featured in Atlanta Magazine’s Best Of Atlanta 2019 Issue! “When Leatrice Ellzy Wright became executive director of the Hammonds House Museum two years ago, she was challenged with transforming the historic house into a museum for the 21st century. After a decade of working with the National Black Arts Festival, she was more than ready for the job. Under her tenure, the museum has launched Hammonds House Honors, the city’s only visual art awards for black artists…”
— Best Museum Redux: Hammonds House Museum, story by Kelundra smith, December 5, 2019 (Atlanta Magazine)
“Don’t Miss List: LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN. Shanequa Gay’s love letter to southwest Atlanta’s West End neighborhood is told through murals, video vignettes, and toile schema wallpaper.”
— TOP 5 event picks for december by Myrydd Wells, december 5, 2019 (atlanta magazine)
“As a hub for the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Atlanta carries a rich history of growth and perseverance, evidenced in its many streets and landmarks. Hammonds House Museum is one of those landmarks, tucked away in Atlanta’s historic West End community.”
— Atlanta Galleries are turning the spotlight on african american artists, November 15, 2019 (Where traveler guestbook atlanta)
“Hammonds House Museum celebrated excellence in black visual art with its recent inaugural honors. Honorees included mixed-media artist Tina M. Dunkley for lifetime achievement, Vicki and John Palmer for philanthropy and Fabian Williams for social justice. Williams was recognized for his Kaeperbowl mural campaign, which focused on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s activism, during Super Bowl Weekend in Atlanta last February.”
— Hammonds House Honors recipients announced, october 10, 2019 (Arts ATL)
“Hammonds House Museum is presenting their inaugural Hammonds House Honors, celebrating excellence in Black visual art. Tina Dunkley is the first recipient of Hammonds’ Lifetime Achievement Award.”
— City Lights Host Lois Reitzes interviews Tina Dunkley and Leatrice Ellzy Wright, september 9, 2019 (WABE-FM)
“Hammonds House Museum to honor visual artists in September. Hammonds House Museum is honoring muralist Fabian Williams, aka Occasional Superstar, for celebrating former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick during Super Bowl week in Atlanta last February. Tina M. Dunkley will receive a lifetime achievement award.”
— Preview story about Hammonds House Honors by Kathy Janich, august 26, 2019 (arts Atl)
“Local artist paints Atlanta’s historic West End in a different light. The walls inside the Hammonds House Museum have been transformed into a giant canvas…Atlanta based artist Shanequa Gay talks about her new exhibition, LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN.”
—”people 2 People” Reporter Chenelle terry talks with shanequa gay and members of the west end community featured in the new exhibit at hammonds house museum, August 17 & 18, 2019 (WsB-TV)
“Hammonds House Director Leatrice Ellzy talks about our ‘gem’ of an art museum in West End…and shares the history of the Hammonds House Museum and former owner Dr. O. T. Hammonds who possessed hundreds of artworks from the most prominent African-American artists. Thankfully with some governmental support the museum was created after his death.”
— Kiplyn primus interview with Leatrice Ellzy on the local take, August 17, 2019 (WCLK-FM)
“Today we’re talking about Hammonds House Museum…one of Atlanta’s best kept secrets. When you walk into that house, you have the sense of belonging and of history.”
— Monica Pearson interview with Hammonds House Museum executive director Leatrice ellzy wright, August 11, 2019 (KISS 104.1)
“Artist Shanequa Gay’s exhibition at Hammonds House Museum, Lit Without Sherman: A Love Letter to the West End, is a bittersweet Valentine that celebrates a vibrant slice of Atlanta rapidly changing with gentrification. Working in collaboration with Hammonds House executive director Leatrice Ellzy Wright, who wanted Gay to create a site-specific installation in the historic Victorian home’s galleries, Gay delivered an immersive, celebratory experience so loaded with emotion, your heart could burst.”
— Felicia Feaster’s review of lit without sherman, august 8, 2019 (AJC)
“The Local Take speaks with Atlanta artist Shanequa Gay about her two very different exhibitions that are going on this week. Ini She Ation at Chastain Art Center is closing on August 3. Lit without Sherman: A Love Letter to The West End opened recently at Hammonds House Museum.”
— Kiplyn Primus interview with Shanequa Gay, AUgust 1, 2019 (WCLK-FM)
“A community’s appearance can be rearranged, but its heartbeat — the character of those who live community – cannot. Artist Shanequa Gay’s murals speak to history and community in LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN: A Love Letter to the West End at Hammonds House Museum.”
— Review of LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN by shelley danzy, july 16, 2019 (Arts ATL)
“The West End is a ‘Porch Community.’ The West End MARTA station is more than just a stop for commuters. It’s a hub of sorts. Located at the bustling intersection of Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard and Lee Street. The neighborhood is filled with history and perhaps no one knows it better than Robert Thompson. He leads walking tours through the West End, a neighborhood that’s older than Atlanta itself.”
— Courtney Kueppers interviews Robert Thompson about the west end (including Hammonds House)for “City lights,” July 12, 2019 (WABE-FM)
“Atlanta artist Shanequa Gay’s Hammonds House Museum exhibition, Lit Without Sherman: A Love Letter To The West End, is a vibrant and nostalgic tribute to the historic neighborhood’s everyday people and its patron saints, from activists to playwrights. Their portraits are painted directly on the museum walls in this ephemeral body of work.”
— Lois Reitzes’ interview with Shanequa Gay on “City LIghts,” July 11, 2019 (WABE-FM)
“We’ve broadcasting live from the heart of the historic West End, Hammonds House Museum. The woman of the hour is here, Ms. Shanequa Gay, and tonight is the opening of her exhibit, LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN: A Love Letter To The West End.”
— Joy “justnjoy” tribble interview with shanequa gay, june 28, 2019 (waok-am)
“We’re broadcasting live today from Hammonds House Museum. Many people don’t know about this historic gem in Atlanta’s West End Neighborhood.”
— Joy “JustNJOy” tribble interview with Hammonds House Executive Director, Leatrice Ellzy wright, June 28, 2019 (WAOK-AM)
“A new immersive exhibition by artist Shanequa Gay celebrates Atlanta’s historic West End neighborhood. LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN: A Love Letter To The West End opens at Hammonds House Musuem.”
— Calendar Listing for LIT WITHOUT SHERMAN, June 13, 2019 (AJC)
“Atlanta is known for its diverse musical heritage, sports teams, Southern hospitality and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.. Atlanta has even grown to include cultural destinations including Hammonds House Museum, recently named the No. 4 Best Museum in Atlanta by TimeOut Atlanta.”
— Interview with Hammonds House Museum Executive Director, Leatrice Ellzy Wright, May 16, 2019 (Atlanta Real Estate Radio)
“Curated by Shantrelle P. Lewis, Dandy Lion: (Re) Articulating Black Masculine Identity is a photography exhibition which highlights the contemporary expressions of the Black Dandy phenomenon in popular culture.”
— Close look features Dandy Lion at Hammonds House Museum, May 11, 2019 (Burnaway)
“WSB-TV’s People 2 People stopped by Hammonds House Museum to preview the Dandy Lion Exhibit”
— Preview of Dandy Lion exhibit and interview with Leatrice Ellzy Wright, May 4 & 5, 2019 (WSB-TV)
“The essence of the city as a multicultural hotbed is on display at the best museums in Atlanta, including Hammonds House Museum. Celebrate art, culture and the very essence of Georgia’s capital at these dazzlingly entertaining institutions.”
— Top 10 Best Museums in Atlanta, April 18, 2019 (Time Out Atlanta)
When Hammonds House Museum put together the panel for “Beyond the Barbershop:Conversations about Black Masculinity,” in connection with their Dandy Lion exhibit, they called on spoken-word poet, dancer, playwright, and educator Marc Bamuthi Joseph to add his voice.
— City Lights’ host Lois Reitzes talked with marc bamuthi joseph about black masculinity, April 15, 2019 (WABE-FM)
“The old cliché tells us that “clothes make the man.” One art exhibit in Atlanta right now is focused on the ways that being a black man is being redefined, partly through the clothes they wear. It’s called “Dandy Lion: (Re) Articulating Black Masculine Identity.” The show is on view at the Hammonds House Museum in the West End through May 31.”
— ‘Dandy Lion’ Redefines Black Masculinity At Hammonds House, April 2, 2019 (WABE-fm)
“Their choice in clothing is about freedom. Imagination. It’s about blowing up the definition of what is black masculinity and repackaging it in polka dots, stripes and bold shades of pink and red and yellow. It’s about wearing opera shoes and fedoras. It’s dandyism today.”
— Exhibit shows how black men use fashion to stand out, February 18, 2019 (AJC)
“Tim Fielder is a Glyph Award-winning illustrator, concept designer, cartoonist, and animator. His career revolves around comics, graphic novels and other forms of visual literature. Fielder joins us in studio to discuss his latest exhibit, “Black Metropolis: 30 Years of Afrofuturism, Comics, Music, Animation, Decapitated Chickens, Heroes, Villains and Negroes,” which is on display until Nov. 25 at the Hammonds House Museum.” (24:14)
— Closer Look: “Black Metropolis” Exhibit of Comic Book Artist Tim Fielder’s Work, october 28, 2018 (WABE)
“As We Dream” is a small sampling of works from its permanent collection, intended to offer a glimpse into what has been accomplished over the past 30 years. The collection Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds left behind is the foundation upon which Hammonds House Museum was built.”
— NEW EXHIBIT: “As We Dream” Nods to Hammonds House Museum’s Legacy, Foundations, JULY 24, 2018 (Atlanta Tribune)
"Acclaimed Atlanta artist and Morehouse College professor Charles Huntley Nelson Jr. passed away in 2009 at the tragically early age of 38 after a battle with stomach cancer, but he nonetheless left a lasting mark on the city. A new retrospective titled Welcome to Atlanta curated by Atlanta artist Fahamu Pecou opens June 15 with a reception at Atlanta’s Hammonds House Museum."
— Artist Fahamu Pecou curates Charles H. Nelson retrospective at Hammonds House, June 15, 2018 (ARts atl)
"As she works to brings Hammonds House up to speed, Wright says she understands it will be a constantly unfolding process. “You can’t do the same thing for 30 years,” she says. “You can’t do the same thing for 10 years. You must be perpetually changing, not only the brand, but why you do it. You have to present work that makes people hungry for this culture."
— Hammonds House celebrates 30 years with new exhibitions, change and growth, March 8, 2018 (Arts ATL)
“Alfred Conteh displays three massive sculptures. As a spiritual activist, Conteh offers the idea that we are passing energy from one generation to the next. In Conduit, Conteh sculpts an electrical socket to the body of a traditional African sculptural form inside a circular shape. In doing so, he is asserting that energy transmits through the body like electrical currents. By placing the figure within a circle, he reinforces the idea that energy moves in a circular direction about the world, inside us and between us. What we give, we get back.”
— Review: with "RSVP", Atlanta's ARtists reserve a seat in the spiritual realm, July 10, 2017 (Arts ATL)
“The collage technique is at the root of the inspiration of her appliqués. Collage is an artistic medium popularized by renowned artist Romare Bearden. Once inspired by a concept, Peters begins building the vision of the appliqué by selecting commercially produced fabrics, then cuts, redesigns, and sews by machine to create new images with dimension and depth. One must look carefully to see exactly which images and colors have been repurposed to create new scenes. Illusions and surprise textures appear without warning in her appliqués.”
— Exhibit: Lessons of Joy, Unbridled Wonders of Black Happiness Throughout the Decades, june 6, 2017 (Atlanta daily world)
"The HHM board is so pleased that Leatrice has agreed to join the leadership team of HHM, and build off the legacy of this amazing institution to take it to new heights,” says HHM board chair Imara Canady. “She is a seasoned, internationally respected arts administrator and programmer, and we know that she will do great work during her tenure at HHM, and in collaboration with the board, to continue to make this institution great, and present some of the best, brightest and most innovative artists that the world has seen.”
— Hammonds House Museum marks new era with visionary leadership, May 23, 2017 (Atlanta Daily World)
"The arts, especially visual arts, are special to me because I am a visual artist and graphic designer,” Fuller explained when being inducted in Atlanta Tribune’s Hall of Fame in 2014. “I know the power of the creative process personally and universally in our daily lives as a vehicle for communication, cognitive development, education and enjoyment. My passion for art to be used to activate alternative methods for everyone, especially young people, to be inspired, knowledgeable about the talents and histories of artists of African descent, and proficient in the academic subjects that are so important in today’s achievement measurement system.”
— Myrna Fuller, Art Advocate, Retires From The Hammonds House Museum, May 11, 2017 (Atlanta daily world)
"Nine years ago, Brandi and Jermail Shelton said their “I dos” at the Hammonds House Museum. In January, they returned to the historic West End home and opened a tea room in the very spot where they were married. It’s the second retail shop and cafe for Just Add Honey Tea Co., a business that specializes in artisan teas.”
— Here’s where you can taste 39 flavors of tea, April 12, 2017 (AJC)
"Mays believes that “everybody is an artist – it just gets beaten out of us.” He also believes that “everything is art” and the subjects of his paintings are drawn from everywhere. Political themes often emerge, though Mays is quick to let those who observe his paintings come up with their own meanings. His paintings are often abstract and figurative at the same time again both confusing the viewers and drawing them in. Mays describes himself as “a global contemporary artist,” one who is intent on reclaiming his narrative. He says, “I can control my narrative because I am still alive."
— News: Ealy Mays exhibit continues through Sunday at Hammonds House, june 24, 2016 (Atlanta Intown)
Chong, who is prone to “picking things up off the street and dragging them inside,” prefers to work with organic materials in setups for photos and installations. Burlap (known as a crocus-sack in Jamaica) serves as a backdrop for many of his photomontages, and conjures the 112-pound bags of sugar that were the stock in trade of his family’s confectionery business in Kingston. Skulls, bones, rawhide, hair, horns, shells, leaves, flowers and fruit appear with frequency. He sometimes anchors larger compositions with governmental documents which he calls “markers of our presence in society [that] for better or worse… remain well after we’re gone,” as in My Jamaican Passport (1992). (His passport photo, a self-portrait, bears a striking resemblance to Bob Marley.)