The Finalists will receive studio visits with second-round jurors, who will ultimately select two artists as Awardees to receive $10,000 in unrestricted funds. The Finalists were selected by jurors Carla Acevedo Yates, Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Jared Steffensen, Curator of Exhibitions, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art; and Lauren Tate Baeza, Fred and Rita Richman curator of African art, High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Of the process, both Lauren and Jared mentioned the vibrancy of the Atlanta arts community, and the urgency to support them, especially now. Lauren stated, “This year’s finalists are an exciting group of artists working on projects that inspire a strong desire to see their well grounded concepts built upon and further developed. It is important that the work is not only compelling, but that it possesses the capacity for ongoing exploration.” Echoing her sentiment, Jared noted, “I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the jurying process for the 2020 Artadia Atlanta Awards. In a time when things feel disconnected and uneasy, I appreciated the thoughtful and insightful conversations I was able to have with the fellow jurors about the work of the talented artists who applied for the award. The Atlanta area clearly has a strong and vibrant art community. I look forward to seeing more from the five finalists and the many talented artists I was introduced to through the process.” 

Of the Atlanta submissions, Carla particularly noted, “During these difficult times, it is all the more important to support artists through unrestricted awards that further their artistic practice as well as their livelihoods. In reviewing applications, I was particularly impressed with the diversity of media as well as the social acuteness that artists in Atlanta are currently engaging with. The five artists selected for studio visits with second round jurors have a rigorous artistic practice anchored in a deep understanding of their chosen medium and materials.” 

This is Artadia’s eighth Award cycle in Atlanta, the application was open to all visual artists living and working within 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 any visual arts media, and at any stage of their career. Finalists and Artadia Award recipients are selected through Artadia’s two-tier jury review process. In the first round of review, jurors evaluated all submissions and collaboratively determined the five Finalists. 

Read full press release here