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Our Mission

Clark Atlanta University Art Museum’s (CAUAM) purpose is to collect, preserve, research, and exhibit fine artworks that document the role of African Americans in American history and culture.

The primary goal of the institution is to maintain and cultivate a representative collection of American and African Diaspora art and to encourage scholarly research giving special attention to the development of African American artists in relation to the historical context of American art and transnational art historical movements.

ADMISSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
*suggested donation is $3 per person.

You can purchase the items listed below directly from the CAU Art Museum during regular hours of operation or items can be purchased by emailing your order to CauArtMuseum@gmail.com with the subject line: Purchase – Museum Store.
 
Books

The Sweet Spot Catalog 

$40.00Conteh’s catalogue chronicles the two-part exhibition, inspired by his painting, The Sweet Spot. A full-color publication, produced through a partnership with Kavi Gupta Gallery, includes essays by the curator, Maurita N. Poole, Ph.D., Tina Dunkley Fellow  T.K. Smith, and independent art writer Phillip Barcio.  The catalogue highlights Alfred Conteh’s work in relation to Hale Woodruff. It also situates his oeuvre within the African American fine art tradition and expressive cultures of the American South.

The Sweet Spot Catalog Cover
In the Eye of Museum with CD 

Softcover: $45.00
Hardcover: $60.00 

In the first catalog to chronicle the collection since its inception in 1942, this publication features a rare, up close and personal look at notable pieces of art and the collective story they tell of the 20th century, in regard to theme, subject, medium, and the artists themselves. Originally released in 2012, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of CAU’s historic permanent collection and the 60th anniversary of the unveiling of The Art of the Negro mural series—all attributed to the vision and creativity of artist and teacher Hale Aspacio Woodruff (1900-1980) – In the Eye of the Muses offers an enchanted world for art collectors, artists, and scholars to relish page-by-page.

In 1942, Woodruff began the Exhibition of Paintings, Prints, and Sculptures by Negro Artists of America at Atlanta University. The annual, national juried show continued until 1970. The title essay, “In the Eye of the Muses,” by Tina M. Dunkley, Director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries, provides an account of the sociopolitical climate and racial politics that produced this 28-year exhibition.

In the Eye of the Muse
#1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protests 

by Sheila Pree Bright
$30.00The fight for equality continues, from 1960 to now. Combining portraits of past and present social justice activists with documentary images from recent protests throughout the United States, #1960Now sheds light on the parallels between the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Shelia Pree Bright’s striking black-and-white photographs capture the courage and conviction of ’60s elder statesmen and a new generation of activists, offering a powerful reminder that the fight for justice is far from over. #1960Now represents an important new contribution to American protest photography. —Chronicle Books 

Black #1960Now T-shirt
This Postman Collects: The Rapture of Kerry and C. Betty Davis

$25.00
*out of print. Limited quanitites per purchase.

This Postman Collects
Posters

 

Brownstones by Jacob Lawrence 

39 x 25 inches
$10.00

Brownstones by J. Lawrence
Egyptian Heritage by Lois Mailou Jones 

27.5 x 24 inches
$10.00

Egyptian Heritage Poster
T-Shirts

 

Interchange by Hale Woodruff

$10
Remaining sizes: LG, XL, XXL Interchange refers to the ongoing cultural exchange among Africans and Europeans, and the subsequent influences that shaped Western civilization. The architectural forms from Rome, Egypt, North Africa, and Scandinavia refer to the cultures.Hale A. Woodruff (1900 – 1980)
Art of the Negro: Interchange, 1952
Oil on canvas
144 x 144 inches 
1952.013
Clark Atlanta University Art Collection

T-shirt Interchange
Native Forms by Hale Woodruff

$10Remaining sizes: LG, XL, XXLNative Forms illustrates the origin of the African Diaspora and foretells the impact that African art and culture will have on Western civilization. Men engaged in traditional activities and the central deity figure, Shango of Yoruba, Nigeria, frame other sculptural forms and cave paintings in process.Hale A. Woodruff (1900 – 1980)
Art of the Negro: Native Forms, 1952
Oil on canvas
144 x 144 inches 
1952.012
Clark Atlanta University Art Collection 

t-shirt Native Forms
CAUAM Exclusive Black + Gold #1960Now T-shirt

$25.00 The fight for equality continues, from 1960 to now. Combining portraits of past and present social justice activists with documentary images from recent protests throughout the United States, #1960Now sheds light on the parallels between the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Shelia Pree Bright’s striking black-and-white photographs capture the courage and conviction of ’60s elder statesmen and a new generation of activists, offering a powerful reminder that the fight for justice is far from over. #1960Now represents an important new contribution to American protest photography. —Chronicle Books 

Black #1960Now T-shirt
Notecards

 

Permanent Collection Notecards

$12
3 cards of each image

Note cards - Permanent collect
Missing Pieces Collection Notecards

$12.002 cards of each image

Note cards - Missing Pieces

You are invited to join a distinctive group of art patrons called the Friends of the Clark Atlanta University Art Collection. Composed of individuals who champion the appreciation of art and the significance of cultural history, this membership provides opportunities for enrichment, education, entertainment, and involvement. It is our mission to give art a greater breadth in our daily lives, where it has the most penetrable effect unconstrained by words.

As the museum continues to provide lectures, events, and artist and curator talks, members assist the museum in promoting the collection and temporary exhibitions, and developing new audiences just by showing their support. However, much more can happen with active participants contributing their ideas and efforts.

 Friends of the Collections enjoy the following membership benefits:

  • Invitation to Exhibition Openings
  • Newsletters
  • Special Member Events and Programs
  • 10% Discount in the Museum Gift Shop

Additionally, there are are naming opportunities for the Museum and in the Aspacio Atrium of The Art of the Negro Murals.

Membership Levels

Students (High school/College)

$15

Senior Citizens

$15

Individuals

$30

Couples/Families

$50

For schools, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations:

Contributor      

$500

Supporting      

$750

Sustaining       

$1,000

Benefactor       

$2,500

 

*Checks payable and forward to:

Clark Atlanta University Art Collection
Trevor Arnett Hall
223 James P. Brawley Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30314  

Through increased accessibility, CAUAM serves the interest and goals of the university by providing a range of aesthetic and educational experiences for both the CAU community and the general public. 

Exhibitions and related programs are designed to enhance the cultural and intellectual development of these communities through the collection, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of important works of art. 

In serving both the academic goals of the institution and public interests, CAUAM disseminates knowledge about and stimulates interest in the permanent collection via special programs, information services, publications, and cooperation with other museums and cultural/educational institutions.

The Thompson-Flemister Adopt an Artwork Program

Caring and preserving a permanent collection of art is one the principal responsibilities of an arts institution in possession of a cultural trust. CAU’s permanent art collection is one of the University’s most esteemed assets, as it is a national patrimony that serves as a pedagogical resource across academic disciplines.  In an effort to augment the institution’s commitment to care for its collection, the museum offers an “adoption” program focusing on numerous works that require conservation. Selected paintings and prints from the permanent collection are presented here for donors to “adopt” for the cost of their conservation. We hope our audience will embrace this essential program by becoming proud “parents” of some of the Collection’s most important treasures for the following reasons: 

  • Upon completion of the treatment, the underwriter’s name will forever be associated with the object.  
  • You will know that your tax-deductible gift supported a specific cause.
  • Your name will always be listed on the object label as the conservation donor whenever it is on view.
  • Your contribution to the welfare of the artwork will be a part of the work’s official record, in perpetuity.
  • You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your gift helped preserve one of the most important educational tools that serve the mission of the University.

Work(s) by the following Artist are in need of conservation: William H. Johnson, Henry Linton, Patricia Walker, Mark Hewitt, Cesar, Henry Bannarn, Donald H. Roberts, Alvin Smith, Charles Alston, Falrath Hines, William Edouard Scott, Beauford Delany, William M. Farrow, David Driskell, and Jason Shoener.

If you are interested in adopting a work email cauartmuseum@gmail.com or call 404.880.6102.  

*This program is the innovation of the collection’s principal patrons, Brenda and Larry Thompson, and the family of artist Frederick Flemister, who have been instrumental in the documentation and promotion of the Clark Atlanta University Art Collection.  

Clark Atlanta University Art Museum relies on volunteers and work-study students for much of its operations, and as a result, are very much cherished. If you are in being a volunteer please contact us at cauartmuseum@gmail.com. If you are a CAU student who qualifies for work-study, contact Mx. Mason at Dmason@cau.edu.

To see if you qualify for work-study, contact finaid@cau.edu

Discover Our Art

Hidden Gems: AUC Faculty + Staff Exhibition
The Audacious Platform
From Black Spring to the Eternal
The Sweet Spot
Our Friend Jean: Early Works of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Crafting for Life
The Incident
Nellie Mae Rowe Hand
Federick D. Jones
The Yellow Bird
Beyond The University Art Annuals

CAUAM News

Visit CAUAM

Museum Hours
Monday:Closed
Tuesday:11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday:11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday:11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday:11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday:Closed
Sunday:Closed

Visits can be scheduled by appointment.

CLOSED: Holidays and official Clark Atlanta University breaks and closures.

At CAUAM we believe that tours enhance visitor experience as our knowledgeable, engaging staff and volunteers partially guiding you through our museum taking questions and providing information on key works. Showcasing work ranging from the traditional to the contemporary and encompass various visual art forms. We offer tours for university and school groups, corporations and community, civic and recreational groups.

Building Amenities
  •  WWII Accessible
  • Wheelchair Accessible
  • Secure Parking
*CAU’s Parking deck is located at 191 Mildred Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30314

Parking can cost up to $5.00 

 

Directions from the Parking Deck: At the Light Cross the Street, Atlanta Student Movement Blvd., then enter the campus through the main gates. Continue down the promenade (brick walkway), almost to the end, until you reach a sign that reads “CAU Galleries,” then make a right. The first the building on the left will be Trevor Arnett Hall. Trevor Arnett Hall can be identified by the two large column in the of the building. CAUAM is located on the Second Level. 

**If you are lost on campus, ask someone to direct you to Admissions or the Registrar building.

 

 

CAUAM Events

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