Alison Saar, the 2025 recipient of the David C. Driskell Prize, will engage in a conversation with Anni Pullagura, PhD, the Margaret and Terry Stent Associate Curator of American Art, regarding Saar’s contributions to African American art and her exploration of the histories of the African diaspora and its artistic traditions. Saar was honored at the 20th annual David C. Driskell Prize Gala last fall, and her works have been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions globally, including a significant exhibition at the High Museum in Atlanta, which held one of her first solo museum exhibitions, Fertile Ground, in 1993.
Established by the High Museum in 2005, the Driskell Prize is recognized as the first national award dedicated to honoring a scholar or artist whose work significantly contributes to the field of African American art or art history. The award is named after the distinguished African American artist and scholar David C. Driskell, whose engagement with the African diaspora lasted over four decades. Since its inception, the Driskell Prize has celebrated artists such as Ebony G. Patterson (2023), Amy Sherald (2018), Mark Bradford (2016), and Rashid Johnson (2012). Proceeds from the Driskell Gala support the David C. Driskell African American Art Acquisition Restricted and Endowment funds, enabling the acquisition of 52 works by African American artists for the High’s collection.
