Artadia, a nonprofit grantmaking organization and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons, is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2022 Atlanta Artadia Awards:
The 2022 Atlanta Artadia Awards application was open to visual artists working in any visual media, at any stage in their career, who have been living and working within Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton counties for a minimum of two years.
The decision was reached after an extensive two-tiered jurying process culminating in virtual studio visits with jurors Veronica Kessenich, Executive Director, Atlanta Contemporary and Rehema C. Barber, Chief Curator, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
Juror Veronica Kessenich reflected on the awards process: “Having the opportunity to be a juror for the 2022 Atlanta Artadia Awards uniquely champions what I know to be true: Atlanta forges exceptional talent.” On the effect of the award, she stated, “It is our collective hope that this award comes at a pivotal moment and affords the opportunity to champion ancestors, give voice to communities, and advance artistic craftsmanship.”
On the Awardees, Kessenich remarked “Kelly Taylor Mitchell, Ato Ribeiro, and Jose Ibarra Rizo’s works were so deeply personal yet crafted in such a manner that we can all identify and see our own humanity represented within their works.”
In addition to Mitchell, Ribeiro and Rizo, this year’s finalists for the Award included Jessica Caldas, María Korol, and Hasani Sahlehe selected by Rosario Güiraldes, Associate Curator, The Drawing Center; Sarah Kennel, Aaron Siskind Curator of Photography and Director of the Raysor Center, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; and Veronica Kessenich, Executive Director, Atlanta Contemporary.
Since its founding in 1999, Artadia has awarded over $6 million in unrestricted funds to over 360 artists nationally. Celebrating visual artists and their foundational role in shaping society, the Artadia Award benefits three artists annually in seven major US cities with high concentrations of creative workers—Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco Bay Area. Beyond the grant, the Award includes lifelong access to a community of fellow artists and patrons. The Artadia Award is designed to provide essential funding and recognition to artists at pivotal points in their careers, strengthen their communities, and spur new levels of career achievement.
The 2022 Atlanta Artadia Awards were supported by the Tim and Lauren Schrager Family Foundation, the Artadia Board of Directors, Artadia Council Members, and individual donors across the country.
Left to right: Kelly Taylor Mitchell (photo credit: Nydia Blas), Ato Ribeiro (photo credit: Gioncarlo Valentine), José Ibarra Rizo (photo credit: courtesy of the artist).