ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Through Lines features the work of Dr. Arturo Lindsay and Kelly Taylor Mitchell, the 2024 African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta Flowers x Seeds honorees and recipients of the inaugural recipients of the Nellie Mae Rowe Prize.
This exhibition highlights the work of these two dynamic artists, showcasing their remarkable artistic practices while also highlighting their interconnectedness and their profound ties to a broader diaspora narrative. Both Dr. Lindsay’s and Mitchell’s artistic practice builds on the concept of family, both on a personal and universal level. They draw inspiration from African indigenous spiritual practices and traditions that have emerged from the Black experiences in the Caribbean and the U.S. South.
Kelly Taylor Mitchell’s multidisciplinary approach centers around the themes of oral history and ancestral memory, seamlessly weaving together real and imagined narratives that are deeply rooted in the African Diaspora. Her work is characterized by labor-intensive making, slowness, and home-spun, passed-down processes.
Dr. Arturo Lindsay's art and scholarship is informed by his research and interrogations on African spiritual and aesthetic retentions, rediscoveries, and reinventions in the Americas. His research findings are manifested in works of art, as well as books, scholarly essays, and lectures.
Beyond their artistic prowess, both Dr. Lindsay and Mitchell share a profound commitment to nurturing and educating aspiring artists and creatives. Mitchell currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Spelman College, while Dr. Lindsay is a respected Professor Emeritus of Art and Art History, also from Spelman College.
ADAMA is delighted to present this exhibition as a celebration of the remarkable contributions and talents of these two gifted artists.
MEET OUR SEED
MEET OUR SEED
SEED HONOREEKelly Taylor Mitchell
Kelly Taylor Mitchell (she/her, b. 1994) is an artist and educator who lives and works in Atlanta, GA where she is currently a 2023-2024 Midtown Alliance Artist-in-Residence, a 2023-2024 Arts & Social Justice Fellow at Emory University, a 2023-2024 BIPOC Lyndon House Arts Foundation Fellow, and an Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Spelman College. Kelly’s multidisciplinary practice centers oral history and ancestral memory, real and imagined, woven into the fabric of the Africana Diaspora. Her work is deeply invested in labor intensive making, slowness, and home-spun passed down processes.
MEET OUR FLOWER
MEET OUR FLOWER
FLOWER HONOREEDr. Arturo Lindsay
Dr. Arturo Lindsay is a Panamanian-born artist, scholar, and Professor Emeritus of art and art history at Spelman College. His scholarship specializes in ethnographic research on African spiritual and aesthetic retentions in contemporary American cultures. His Panamanian/American identity is reflected in his art, which focuses on African culture in America.
Lindsay began his career as a theater artist acting in and directing street theater projects in New York City and New England. While pursuing a doctorate degree at New York University, Lindsay began working with fellow student Sandro Dernini, the originator of Plexus International. Lindsay became a founding member of Plexus New York.
Gallery Hours
Visit us during gallery hours on Thursday- Saturday from 12pm- 5pm.
Interested in a tour? Email terra@adamatl.org to schedule!
The Through Lines Exhibit was made possible with the support of:
The Judith Alexander Foundation has generously provided a grant for the first presentation of The Nellie Mae Rowe Award to be awarded to our committee-selected Flower and Seed honorees.
The Judith Alexander Foundation (JAF) honors the multifaceted legacy of the late art patron, Judith Alexander, by supporting Georgia visual artists and by preserving and expanding recognition of the extraordinary existence and artistry of Nellie Mae Rowe.