What a week it has been to celebrate one of the most unusual friendships in Atlanta’s history.
The friendship was between two eccentric women: Judith Alexander, the Jewish gallery owner who was the daughter of a segregationist lawyer, and Nellie Mae Rowe, a self-taught poor Black artist who was the daughter of a former slave.
It is a relationship that led to Nellie Mae Rowe (1900-1982) becoming one of the most important Southern folk artists of the 20th Century — thanks to her being discovered and promoted by Alexander (1932-2004).
In 2005, the Judith Alexander Foundation was created to uphold Alexander’s legacy by supporting Georgia visual artists, including Rowe.
The Foundation took a major step on Feb. 16 when it launched the inaugural Nelle Mae Rowe Award, a new grant initiative that was presented at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta’s (ADAMA) “Flowers and Seeds” fundraising gala at Pittsburgh Yards in Southwest Atlanta.
Two Georgia artists — Dr. Arturo Lindsay and Kelly Taylor Mitchell — were honored with the inaugural “Flower” and “Seed” awards respectively, and each of them received $50,000.
“We have no doubt that Judith and Nellie are smiling on this moment, thrilled to see these artists, as well as all who were nominated for the award, be recognized for their accomplishments, their dedication, and their passion,” said Judith Alexander Augustine, director of the Foundation and a cousin once removed of Judith Alexander. “The essence that Judith and Nellie embodied in their lives is carried on by them.”
Augustine summed up the inaugural award in an email: “I hope I don’t sound like a Pollyanna when I say that this association with ADAMA makes us feel like we’re making inroads into narrowing gaps and separation, bringing together silos in the arts community.”
The other major event of the past week was the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival showcasing the creative, award-winning documentary: “This World is Not My Own: The Limitless Story of Nellie Mae Rowe” (2023) at a sold-out showing at the Tara Theatre on Feb. 21.
The documentary used various artistic genres to bring to life the special friendship between Alexander and Rowe, as well as tracing back the divergent histories of both of their families.
In the film, one is able to experience Rowe’s art, including images of “Nellie’s Playhouse” that existed in Vinings off Paces Ferry Road before it was replaced by commercial development. Rowe’s house was decorated with handmade dolls, chewing-gum sculptures, hundreds of drawings and paintings overflowing from the walls of her home into her yard.
Both the inaugural awards and the documentary are a testament to the unique Atlanta friendship that will forever be celebrated. Thanks to a major gift from Judith Alexander, the High Museum of Art holds the largest public collection of Rowe’s art. In 2021, the collection became the basis for a traveling retrospective: “Really Free: The Radical Art of Nelle Mae Rowe.
