May 13, 2026 | 7–8 p.m.
Location: High Museum of Art, Taylor Lobby
Amy Sherald (American, born Columbus, Georgia, 1973), Ecclesia (The Meeting of Inheritance and Horizons), 2024, oil on linen, Jennifer Gilbert Collection. © Amy Sherald. Photo by Kelvin Bulluck, courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
The event will feature a conversation between celebrated artist Amy Sherald and filmmaker RaMell Ross. They will discuss their contributions to the art world, shared inspirations in film and photography, and their storytelling approaches regarding the African American experience. The discussion will be moderated by Angelica Arbelaez, the Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum of Art.
Amy Sherald
Amy Sherald was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1973, and trained as a painter in Atlanta, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark Atlanta University. After participating in the Spelman College International Artist-in-Residence program in Panama, she completed a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Sherald is known for her distinctive portraits of African American subjects and gained international recognition after being commissioned to paint former First Lady Michelle Obama’s official portrait for the National Portrait Gallery in 2017. She received the David C. Driskell Prize in African American Art and Art History from the High Museum of Art in 2018.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime will be exhibited from May 15 through September 27, 2026, showcasing more than 35 paintings created between 2007 and 2024.
RaMell Ross
RaMell Ross is an artist, filmmaker, writer, and self-described “liberated documentarian.” His accolades include an Aaron Siskind Foundation Individual Photographer’s Fellowship, a Howard Foundation Fellowship, a USA Artist Fellowship, and a 2022 Solomon Fellowship at Harvard University.
His feature-length documentary, Hale County This Morning, This Evening, won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded a Peabody Award in 2020. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award and an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
Ross’s work has been included in various public and private collections, such as the exhibit A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845, shown at the High Museum of Art from September 2023 to January 2024.
Angelica Arbelaez
Angelica Arbelaez serves as the Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum of Art, where she plays a vital role in developing the museum’s modern and contemporary art department. Her responsibilities include supporting collection growth through targeted acquisitions and expanding the exhibition program. Prior to her role at the High, Arbelaez was the Rubio Butterfield Family Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she contributed to significant exhibitions and initiatives.
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May 7, 2026
7 – 8 p.m.
A conversation featuring Alison Saar, the 2025 recipient of the David C. Driskell Prize, and Anni Pullagura, PhD, discussing Saar’s contributions to African American art and her exploration of the histories of the African diaspora.
May 16, 2026
This event will celebrate the opening of Amy Sherald: American Sublime, showcasing a range of Sherald’s works created from 2007 to 2024.
May 28, 2026
This tour will explore Amy Sherald’s largest exhibition to date as part of her mid-career retrospective at the High Museum of Art.
