Fulton County’s Department of Arts & Culture has launched a multi-week international exhibition, “Threads of Heritage: A Cultural Confluence Connecting Africa to Atlanta,” in partnership with Nigerian and American cultural organisations.
The initiative, according to roughdraftatlanta.com, features 14 Nigerian artists and aims to foster global exchange through masterclasses, public panels and community workshops.
The exhibition, running at the Peachtree Gallery through the end of June, is delivered in collaboration with the Nike Art & Culture Foundation of Nigeria, Nike Art USA and UniSpectrum Inc. It brings together master artists, educators and cultural leaders from Nigeria and the diaspora to showcase the nation’s rich heritage.
Chief Dr Nike Monica Okundaye, an internationally acclaimed artist and founder of the Nike Art Gallery, is leading the programme. Okundaye is overseeing community engagement, cultural panels and master workshops on traditional Adire textiles.
A curated delegation of artists is supporting the initiative through mentorship and live demonstrations. US-based textile artist Shayee Awoyomi is co-leading workshops and coordinating university engagement, while painter and sculptor Lasaki Olubunmi serves as senior workshop lead. Nigerian painter Adeleke Akeem is directing narrative painting masterclasses.
Other contributing exhibitors from the United States include Ola Balogun, Ajibade Awoyemi, Bimbo Samson Adenugba, Ade Odunfa, Owolabi Ayodele, Nduka F. Onyia, Doba Afolabi, Folami Olanrewaju Razaq and Mukaila Ayoade.
The collaboration underscores a growing effort by Atlanta cultural authorities to bridge the creative gap between Georgia and the African continent, providing local residents with direct access to global contemporary and traditional art forms.
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts stated that the event offers an extraordinary opportunity to display the region’s diverse arts scheme, while Arts & Culture Director David Manuel noted that the cross-continental partnership ultimately benefits the entire local community.
