The Heart and Soul of CAU
Clark Atlanta University has long been a creative engine for Black art, thought, and culture. From significant art collections to community-focused media, performances, and public programs, CAU helps shape the cultural story of Atlanta, the U.S., and the world.
A Legacy of African American Art
At the heart of CAU’s cultural impact is the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum (CAUAM), whose mission is to collect, preserve, research, and exhibit fine artworks that document the role of African Americans in American history and culture.
Born from the historic Atlanta University Annuals, a juried competition for Black artists held from the 1940s through 1970, the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum’s permanent collection now includes more than 1,200 works, making it one of the most extensive collections of 20th-century African American art in the South.
Signature works and initiatives include:
- The Art of the Negro murals, a six-panel series painted by Hale Woodruff between 1950–51, offering a sweeping visual narrative of African and African-diasporic cultural history, and housed in Trevor Arnett Hall
- A dynamic exhibition program that uses art to explore liberation, identity, and social justice, drawing from the permanent collection and contemporary artists
- A recent Getty Foundation grant to support Black Visual Arts Archives, expanding access to archival collections documenting the work of Black artists and strengthening CAU’s role as a steward of Black visual culture
Media, Music, and Storytelling
CAU’s cultural reach extends through its media platforms and arts programs, which train students while serving the wider community. CAU-TV, the University’s educational cable channel, has been on the air since 1983 and reaches thousands of Atlanta households with original programming, lectures, and arts content.
Jazz 91.9 WCLK, a National Public Radio–affiliated jazz station licensed to CAU, has broadcast since 1974 and serves roughly 250,000 weekly listeners in metro Atlanta and many more online, preserving and promoting the legacy of jazz and Black musical expression.
In 2024–25, WCLK celebrated its 50th anniversary with the “WCLK at 50” campaign and a “Great Day in Atlanta” photo featuring CAU President George T. French Jr. and civic leaders, underscoring the station’s role in Atlanta’s cultural landscape.
Through the School of Arts and Sciences, students in Mass Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Communication Studies gain hands-on experience with CAU-TV, WCLK, and performance venues, contributing directly to Atlanta’s creative economy and storytelling ecosystem.
Impact on Atlanta and Beyond
As a key institution in the Southeast, CAU is part of a historic movement to advance community development and address regional challenges in education, health, and economic opportunity through coordinated programs and outreach.
CAU’s cultural footprint includes:
- Supporting artists and cultural workers whose careers extend into museums, galleries, media organizations, and public-art projects nationwide
- Contributing scholarship and public dialogue on race, culture, and social change, building on a legacy that includes faculty like W.E.B. Du Bois and artists like Hale Woodruff at its predecessor, Atlanta University
- Serving as a cultural anchor on Atlanta’s Westside, where the Art Museum and campus events help make the area a destination for African and African American art and performance
