The High Museum of Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary this fall with new collection galleries, more than 200 acquisitions, public art activations, and community events.
The Atlanta museum traces its history to October 1926, when Harriett “Hattie” High donated her Peachtree Street residence to the city. The museum has since grown into one of the South’s major cultural institutions, with a collection of more than 20,000 works spanning centuries, continents, and artistic media.
The centennial celebrations will include new installations of the museum’s American and African art galleries. Rather than organizing the collections chronologically, the galleries will use thematic and material connections to bring works together across periods and disciplines.
The American galleries will feature new acquisitions including a rare painting by Jacob Lawrence, a quilt by Carolyn L. Mazloomi and a work by Grandma Moses. New works in the African art galleries include paintings, textiles, prints, drawings and ceramics by artists including Ben Enwonwu, Ladi Kwali, Nike Okundaye, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Jimoh Akolo.
The museum also plans to add more than 200 works across photography, contemporary design and contemporary art.
Among the exhibitions planned for the centennial year are “Martin Puryear: Nexus,” a survey of the acclaimed American sculptor’s work, and “I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders.”
The High will also partner with organizations and companies including MARTA, the Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta Hawks, Havertys, UPS and Delta Air Lines on public art installations and other activations.
As part of its arts education efforts, the museum will provide free admission for Atlanta Public Schools K-12 field trips throughout the 2026-27 school year. The High said it hosts about 4,000 APS students annually.
Under Director Rand Suffolk, visitors of color have grown from 15% of attendance to 55%, bringing the museum’s audiences into closer alignment with Atlanta’s demographics, while younger audiences have become a defining part of the institution’s community. The High also has expanded exhibitions featuring women artists, artists of color, and LGBTQ+ artists.
“Over the past decade, we have made significant strides toward becoming a profoundly different magnet in Atlanta and to being the art museum that our city deserves,” Suffolk said. “We are poised to enter our next 100 years as a dynamic, intentional and essential contributor to the cultural fabric of our city — an organization, in fact, dedicated to connecting and strengthening our community.”
The High established the David C. Driskell Prize in 2005 to recognize contributions to African American art and art history. The 2026 recipient is Cheryl Finley, a scholar at Spelman College. Previous recipients include artists Amy Sherald, Rashid Johnson and Mark Bradford, as well as curator Naomi Beckwith.
The centennial will also include a commemorative book featuring 100 large-scale reproductions from the museum’s collection and a visual timeline of its history. A new visual identity will be unveiled for the museum is planned for this fall.
The Centennial Community Block Party is scheduled for Oct. 18 and will include gallery tours, activities, and a public talk about the museum’s century in Atlanta. Centennial programming is also planned for monthly free admission days on the second Sunday and third Wednesday of each month.
Julia Forbes, the High’s Associate Director of Institutional Research, said that while the museum is celebrating its 100th birthday, there is also an eye on the future – especially growing its audience and cementing its place as an “essential” Atlanta institution.
“More people need to feel there is value in being part of the museum,” Forbes said. “ Every day we do one more thing to help people understand that there is a place for them and they can find themselves and see themselves in the High.”
“Over my 22 years with the High, I’ve talked to a lot of visitors to find out what they value, what they find impactful, what motivated them to visit,” she said. “And more and more, it’s about something personal. They want to have an experience that makes you feel something, and art is great for making you feel something: a sad moment, a happy one, a contemplative moment. Visitors want to feel awe or have a ‘wow and wonder’ moment, and we can provide that.”
Centennial Events
High Recipe Revival – Oct. 7, 6:30 to 8:45 p.m.
The Recipe Collection was a cookbook published by The Member’s Guild of the High in 1981. At this event, the classic cookbook recipes will be reimagined by Atlanta’s top chefs, including Craig Richards, Steven Satterfield, Jiyeon Lee, and J. Trent Harris. There will be tastings and public conversation, and each attendee will receive a reprinted copy of the cookbook
High 100th Celebration at UPS Second Sunday – Oct. 11, noon to 5 p.m.
Guests will enjoy centennial-themed activities and tours throughout the High’s monthly free admission day, presented in collaboration with UPS. The Braves High100 hat, developed in collaboration with the Atlanta Braves, will debut at the event and be available for purchase.
Centennial Block Party – Oct. 18, noon to 5 p.m.
The High takes the party to the streets, closing a section of Peachtree Street to throw a 100th birthday party, including free activities for the whole family. There will be live music, DJs, artmaking, food vendors, and more. The event will also feature a ticketed public conversation focused on the museum’s history, “100 Years of Art for ATL,” at 2 p.m.
“High History with Havertys” Access for All Day – Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Free admission day including themed tours of the High’s J. J. Haverty collection, sponsored by Havertys.
Additional events will include:
• Centennial Conversations: Two Atlanta Museums at 100: Oct. 8, at the Atlanta History Center, presented in collaboration with the High.
• Teen Highlight: Centennial Halloween: Oct. 23
• 100 Years of High Museum History Walking Tour: Oct. 29
• “A Haunting at 100” Halloween party: Oct. 30
• Art & Myth: Nov. 13
• High Spirits: Celebrating a Century cocktail class: Nov. 14
• Centennial Holiday Market: Nov. 20-21
• Art & Gingerbread: Dec. 11
For more information on Centennial events and to purchase tickets, visit high.org/100.
