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On display February 1- May 17, 2026 featuring works by Spelman College students
Rejoice, Resist, Rest: Images of Black Liberation
On Thursday, February 5th, the Atlanta Contemporary began their celebration of Black History Month with an opening reception for their newest exhibition titled Rejoice, Resist, Rest: Images of Black Liberation. The exhibit consists of a selection of artworks, archival photographs, texts, and zines by students of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Art History Curatorial Studies Collective and the Spelman Photography Program. These works work in tandem with that of the Johnson Publishing Company Archive with support from Getty Research Institute. The Getty Institute owns and is digitizing the Johnson Publishing Archive aiming to make if publicly accessible. As part of this initiative, Getty awarded grant funding to various organizations, including Spelman College. The project centers on the theme of “liberation,” which was tied to an initial Juneteenth launch date. Though the launch was postponed, the theme remains. The overall goal was to interpret and give new life to historical notions of liberation from both past and present perspectives.
The exhibit came to fruition under the direction of Cheryl Finley, Ph.D, Nydia Blas, Chad Dawkins, Ph.D and Cheyenne Bryant. Cheryl Finley Ph.D serves as the inaugural Director of the Arts and Visual Culture Department at Spelman College. Nydia Blas and Chad Dawkins, Ph.D are assistant professors within the department of photography and curatorial studies respectively. Cheyenne Bryant is the Program Coordinator for the AUC Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective. She contributed primarily by writing proposals, leasing with the Getty, and supporting organization amongst the professors and curators.
Robyn Simpson, a December 2025 graduate of Spelman College with a major of art history and minor in curatorial studies, was a student of Dr. Chad Dawkins’ Curatorial Studies course and participated in this project. She talks about the importance of finding time to be intentional with your energy and emphasizes that there is “no self without community.” This sentiment is one to be remembered as it applies to all aspects of life, especially in our current climate.
Atlanta contemporary was selected as the ideal venue not only due to its location, but also because it keeps with the aspect of collaboration and tying past with present. When asked what she hopes people walk with, Professor Blas said, “I wanted them to walk away with a layered feeling, thinking about resistance, joy, sort of all these layers things that work together in this notion or notions of freedom and resistance.” I implore you all to visit the Atlanta Contemporary through May 17, 2026.
Reconnect with your body and mind as you escape the noise of everyday life.