The Georgia Museum of Art at UGA will host its annual Black History Month dinner and awards ceremony Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the museum.
The sold-out event, “Hallowed Ground: Sites of African-American Memory,” will honor two African-American contributors to art and culture in Georgia: Emma Amos and Michael L. Thurmond.
Shawnya Harris, the museum’s new Brenda and Larry Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, will lead a gallery talk at 6:30 p.m. on the subject of Amos’ work. Dinner and the awards ceremony begin at 7:30 p.m. and will feature a performance by the UGA African-American Choral Ensemble, as directed by Gregory Broughton.
This year’s event echoes the national theme of Black History Month 2016, which celebrates the numerous sites throughout the U.S. where African-Americans have made history essential to the fabric of African-American accomplishments.
The 2016 Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Award will go to artist Amos for her contribution to visual art in Georgia. Since her debut art exhibition in Atlanta in 1960, she has had a successful career in painting, printing, weaving, textile design, craft, illustration and art education. Her work is characterized by a complex use of color, composition and abstract representations. It also has focused heavily on the historic representation of black subjects in art. Amos’ work has been exhibited internationally and at a number of major American museums and has won numerous awards and grants.
The Georgia Museum of Art is in the process of planning a major retrospective of her work.
Thurmond, a native of Clarke County, will receive the 2016 Lillian C. Lynch Citation for his dedication to cultural education and service.
Thurmond has distinguished himself as an attorney, author, lecturer and public servant during his long career in Georgia. He has served in the Georgia General Assembly, as Georgia labor commissioner and as DeKalb County superintendent. During his time in office, Thurmond provided major tax relief to his constituents and effective plans for growing the workforce. He currently serves on the board of curators at the Georgia Historical Society.
