At first glance, ZuCot Gallery’s annual end-of-year exhibition, “My Favorite Things”, reads like a familiar ritual, a chance to revisit standout work from the year and give audiences one more opportunity to engage. This year, however, the show carries added weight.
As economic pressures tighten and arts institutions recalibrate, ZuCot is using the exhibition to assert continuity, to keep artists visible, sustain relationships with collectors, and reinforce the role Black-owned galleries play in shaping Atlanta’s cultural ecosystem.
Now in its fifth year, “My Favorite Things” operates as both a curatorial reflection and a practical strategy for ZuCot, the largest African American–owned fine art gallery in the Southeast.
Curating by return, not by theme
Unlike ZuCot’s tightly themed “Dear Black People Love Letter” exhibit, “My Favorite Things” centers on variety. The annual show gives the gallery room to reintroduce works that resonated with visitors or collectors but didn’t immediately find a home, while also making space for newer pieces that don’t fit into a single-narrative exhibition.
“It gives us freedom to just show work that we think individually is also important,” said Onaje Henderson, ZuCot’s co-owner and director.
That flexibility, Henderson said, doesn’t mean the show lacks structure. Works are arranged to spark connections—pairing pieces by color, subject, or theme and using focal walls to slow people down and draw them deeper into the show. The goal, he said, is to help visitors see familiar work with fresh eyes. “Sometimes out of context or when paintings move around a little bit, people see them for the first time—and they’ve been there before,” Henderson said.
This year’s exhibition features work by Aaron Henderson, Petie Parker, Shanneil Clarke, Jamaal Barber, Georgette Baker, Horace Imhotep, and Jerry Lynn. While each artist brings a distinct practice, Henderson said shared themes emerged organically.
Reclaiming identity, in plain sight
Throughout the gallery, the works question identity: who gets seen, how, and on whose terms. Henderson pointed to his father, Aaron Henderson’s “Heading Home, 2025,” which revisits stereotypes historically used to undermine Black farmers, alongside pieces that push back against assimilation by affirming cultural pride.
He also emphasized the power of representation, especially in works that show Black children in spaces where they are often missing. As an example, he tells the story of a school group of elementary kids interacting with Jerry Lynn’s “Destiny, 2020” and “Her Crown, 2020.” Both paintings feature young black girls as their central subjects.
“We had little girls standing in front of them saying things like, ‘She looks like me, her hair is like mine,’” Henderson recalled.
For Henderson, moments like that underscore why visibility matters, not just who appears on the walls, but what those images allow people to recognize in themselves.
“In a time like now, where we’re facing…the arts under attack, it’s important that we are the cavalry and that we support in any and every possible way to make sure these spaces…continue to exist.”
ZuCot gallery Co-Owner ONAJE HEnderson
Pivoting without retreat
In 2025, ZuCot mounted only one formal exhibition. Henderson said the gallery made that decision intentionally, responding to both economic conditions and cultural urgency.
“The beauty about entrepreneurship in general is being able to pivot when necessary,” he said.
Rather than pause its presence, the gallery shifted formats. ZuCot hosted informal gatherings, including an event called Breathe, which invited people to spend time together during a period that felt heavy. Henderson said those moments reinforced the gallery’s role as a community space.
“My Favorite Things” grew out of that recalibration, a way to remain visible without overextending resources, while continuing to advocate for artists.
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Access without compromise
Accessibility anchors ZuCot’s curatorial approach. The exhibition includes woodcuts, linoleum cuts, watercolors, acrylics, and oil paintings, with prices that span entry-level works to major acquisitions.
“We always wanna have a show that has various prices,” Henderson said. “We really want people to begin to collect.”
He explained that medium, scale, and an artist’s trajectory all shape pricing decisions. For Henderson, range does not dilute value; it builds continuity. Introducing new collectors while supporting established ones helps strengthen Atlanta’s local market over time.
As arts funding contracts and public institutions face increasing budgetary pressure, Henderson views galleries like his as essential cultural infrastructure.
“In a time like now, where we’re facing…the arts under attack,” he said, “it’s important that we are the cavalry and that we support in any and every possible way to make sure these spaces…continue to exist.”
