Hammonds House Museum is partnering with the National Black Arts Festival to present Black Zeitgeist: Atlanta, the Visual Arts, and the National Black Arts Festival. The exhibition reflects a confluence of visionary leadership, artistic excellence and institutional power: the bold cultural agenda of Mayor Maynard Jackson, the strategic foresight of Fulton County Commission Chairman Michael Lomax, the founding of NBAF, the influence of the Black Arts Movement and the Atlanta University Annuals. These efforts were amplified by the support of African American owned businesses like Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the advocacy of cultural leaders such as Jenelsie Walden Holloway, Alice Lovelace and Dr. Richard A. Long and the collecting vision of pioneers like Paul R. Jones. Together, they helped shape a dynamic arts ecosystem powered by the creativity and determination of Black artists and communities.
This exhibition will be on view from July 18 through December 14, 2025. There is an opening night reception on Friday, July 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm with the first opportunity to see the artwork. To RSVP, click HERE.
Black Zeitgeist: Atlanta, the Visual Arts, and the National Black Arts Festival presents the works of Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Hale Woodruff, Norman Lewis, Louis Delsarte, Samella Lewis, Kevin Cole, Lynn Marshall Linnemeier, Faith Ringgold, Charles White, Mildred Thomas, Kojo Griffin, Wadsworth Jarrell, and many others. The exhibition demonstrates how Hammonds House Museum expands the reach of NBAF through its visual arts programming, and features pieces from both institutions’ permanent collections.
Hammonds House Museum is a 501(c)3 arts organization whose mission is to celebrate and share the cultural diversity and important legacy of artists of African descent. The former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and passionate arts patron, the museum is in a beautiful Victorian home at 503 Peeples Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30310. Hammonds House Museum’s 2025 exhibitions are supported by a series of workshops, public programs and civic engagement activities which serve as companions to the works and opportunities for the community to have a deeper experience with the art. For information about upcoming events, to join the mailing list, become a member or plan your visit, go to the website: hammondshouse.org.
Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by Fulton County Board of Commissioners through the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, National Performance Network, The Estate of Dr. Doris Derby, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, as well as donors and members.
National Black Arts Festival is a 501(c)3 arts and culture organization with a mission to expose, educate and engage audiences through the presentation and support of the art and artists of African descent. Based in Atlanta, GA, NBAF is recognized as the oldest multidisciplinary arts organization in the United States focused exclusively on the art and artists of African descent. In 2008, the United States Congress recognized NBAF for its importance to the “cultural fabric of greater Atlanta and all of America. Through its annual public programs, world-class performances, commissioned works, arts education and public programs, NBAF offers audiences experiences that are extraordinary, enriching and transformative.