Artist Amy Sherald, known for her portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama, will appear in a Distinguished Lecture Series event at Spelman College on Sept. 1.
Sherald and acclaimed artist Calida Rawles will be in conversation with moderator and art historian Dr. Cheryl Finley for the series, hosted by Atlanta University Center Art and Curatorial Studies. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Sisters Chapel.
Both artists have major exhibitions on view in Atlanta.
“Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides” is on exhibit at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art through Sept. 5. A statement on the museum website says that the artist “bridges the past and present, delving into the experience of Black people in America.”
For the project, Rawles partnered with Pérez Art Museum Miami and members of the historically Black community of Overtown in Miami for the project.
Sherald’s exhibit, “Amy Sherald: American Sublime,” is on view at The High Museum of Art through Sept. 27. The retrospective features paintings created from 2007 to 2024 including her portrait of Michelle Obama.
In 2018, the High awarded Sherald the David C. Driskell Price, recognizing her contributions to African American Art.
Sherald was also the first woman to receive the grand prize in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition in 2016.
