Beyond the Frame
May 28 — What happens when we rethink how we approach – and celebrate – art?
That question surfaced in two creative conversations highlighted in Sketchbook this week.
This past Thursday in Midtown, 2024 Driskell Prize winner Naomi Beckwith sat down with High Museum curator Katherine Jentleson to discuss the role of art institutions, influence versus expansion, and how history shows up in the work. Takeaways from that talk include Beckwith’s assertion that museums, as “intermediaries between the art and the artist and the public,” should do more than preserve. They should explain, contextualize, and invite participation.
Meanwhile, in the final days of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Avondale, curator Nicole Kang’s “American Asian” exhibition continues to spark reflection. The show features work by 16 Atlanta-based artists from East Asian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian backgrounds. For Kang, who began organizing for AAPI artists after Atlanta’s 2021 spa shootings, the show is about visibility rooted in healing, connection, and power.
Different contexts, same idea: When we widen the lens, we make room for more truth.
Here’s to being open.
—Sherri
‘American Asian’ at Avondale Arts Center
🖼️ Curated by Nicole Kang, “American Asian” brings together Atlanta artists of Asian descent to explore heritage, memory, and the “third culture” experience through painting, sculpture, film, and more. The result is both intimate and expansive.
➡️ Get more details about the “American Asian” exhibithere.
Kim Chong Hak’s American debut at The High!
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🏔️ At The High, Kim Chong Hak: Painter of Seoraksan bursts to life with vibrant colors and dynamic landscapes. Experience the energy of Korea’s Mount Seorak through Kim’s expressive brushstrokes – perfect for celebrating the vibrancy of spring!
➞ Don’t miss this breathtaking exhibition. Open now!
Five takeaways from Naomi Beckwith’s Driskell talk
🏛️ From remix culture to museum labor, Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Guggenheim, shared sharp insights during her first Atlanta public appearance since receiving the High Museum’s 2024 David C. Driskell Prize.
➡️ Read more about Beckwith’s talk at The High here.
Art Happenings
🆕 Nneka Kai: On Unstable Grounds Opening Reception | 7-10 p.m., May 29 | Day & Night Projects Gallery.
🎶 Woodstock Arts Jazz Night | 6 p.m., May 30 | Reeves House Garden.
✨ 404 Found ATL’s SOLARA Closing Reception | 3-6 p.m., May 31 | Binders Limelight Gallery
🎨 Pigments of the Imagination ’25 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m., through Jun 7 | Norcross Gallery & Studios.
🖋️ Today’s Sketchbook was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
