Announcing ADAMA’S New Exhibit: We Need Love & Open Call for Artists

Attention art lovers and enthusiasts in the city of Atlanta across the Diaspora!! We are thrilled to announce the opening of a new art exhibit that celebrates the beauty and complexity of black love,  "A Black Love Exhibit: We Need Love. " We are excited to collaborate with Pittsburgh Yards as our venue partner to host the exhibit!

ABOUT OUR VENUE PARTNER

The Pittsburgh Yards project is a multi-use development that aims to revitalize the Pittsburgh community by creating a space for local businesses, job training programs, community events, and green space. The project is being led by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is a philanthropic organization that aims to improve the lives of children and families in underserved communities.

 The development includes a 200,000 square foot warehouse that was  transformed into a mixed-use space with offices, retail stores, and community spaces. In addition, the project includes a large outdoor space with a public plaza, community garden, and walking trails.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

The "We Need Love" exhibit curated by Professor and photographer Nydia Blas, is a tribute to the unique and diverse ways in which black love is expressed and experienced. The exhibit will feature mixed media pieces from artists across the diaspora whose work reflect the layers of Black love.  The works are an expression of  the artists’ own perspective and style, showcasing a wide range of mediums including paintings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media.

What is love?

 Is it a feeling, is it a practice, is it unconditional, is it a way of life?

 Black love is a freeing force that is powerful, it is revolutionary, it is healing, it is unapologetic, it is proud, and it is unifying. Black love is unwavering and fearless: it stands in the face of opposition and proclaims admiration,  joy, commitment, and an honoring of our ancestors.  

What does it mean to love in a world that tells you that you are unlovable? A world that has specifically created and perpetuated trauma and thus a need for profound healing.What does it mean to love in a world that attempts to make us not love ourselves and each other? If we can look to love in opposition to fear, if we can give each other things that have been taken away, if we can be soft where we have been made hard, and if we can hold where we have been torn apart: Black Love will heal.

We Need Love features artists from across the diaspora whose work reflects the layers of love: as celebration, as complicated, and as beautiful. Working within the mediums of photography, painting, sculpture, video, textiles, and mixed media, these artists peel apart the layers of self-love, romantic love, love for our countries, and love of our people. Black love is woven through time and space, across waters and land.

The pieces on display in this exhibit explore the many facets of black love, from romantic love to familial love, from self-love to community love, and everything in between. The artists have used their creative expression to capture the essence of these relationships, highlighting the joy, beauty, pain, and struggles that come with them.

This exhibit is an opportunity to not only appreciate the artwork but to also engage in meaningful conversations about the representation of black love in art and society. Furthermore, it will explore what does it mean to love in a world that tells you are unlovable. In a world that has specifically created and perpetuated trauma and resulted in a need for profound healing. 

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST CALL

We are excited to open this opportunity to our community with a call for artists. If you're an artist or know one with work that may be a good looking for an opportunity to showcase your work and connect with other creatives, submit your entries for our upcoming art exhibit!

Here are the requirements: 

• Submit (3) pieces for review following themes listed below by April 2nd, 2023 at 11:59 PM

• Finished and ready to hang works only

• International entries accepted (if accepted we will provide an additional details)

Themes to explore:

• Self Love

• Romantic love

• Love for your land/country

• Love of your peoples

Your work can also speak to how BLACK LOVE is:

• Freeing Force

• Revolutionary

• Healing

• Unapologetic

• Proud

• Unifying

This will be the first ADAMA hosted exhibit, so we are excited to share this with not only the diaspora in the city of Atlanta but through the power of the internet the world! 

We hope that this exhibit will inspire visitors to reflect on their own experiences and relationships, as well as to appreciate and celebrate the diversity of black love.

 The, “We Need Love," exhibit will be open to the public from May 4th to June 30th at the Pittsburgh Yards, located 352 University Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310. Admission is free for all visitors, and is open from Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm.

We encourage everyone to come and experience this inspiring exhibit and join us in celebrating the beauty of black love. Spread the word and bring your friends and family along for a memorable art experience. We look forward to seeing you there!