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Dianne Mathiowetz 2018 Ebon Dooley Honoree Social Justice Champion https://www.facebook.com/dianne.mathiowetz Dianne Mathiowetz has been engaged in the struggle for social and economic justice for over 50 years. Anti-racist activist, workers’ rights advocate, anti-imperialist organizer, reproductive rights defender and community radio producer and host, Dianne credits her longevity in revolutionary change to her membership in Workers World Party. She has acted in solidarity with immigrants and refugees everywhere, incarcerated workers behind bars, political prisoners, LGBTQ2+ communities, environmentalists in defense of the planet, abortion and women's healthcare providers, housing activists and cultural workers. Women's Action for New Directions (WAND), Freedom University, Grandmothers for Peace, Dominican College, and the Nipponza Myohoji Atlanta Dojo have honored Dianne for her dedication to peace, equality and liberation. She received the inaugural Ebon Dooley Social Justice Champion award in 2018 from the ArtsXchange. Currently, Dianne is the vice-president of the Board of WRFG 89.3FM, as well as coordinator of both the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition and International Action Center. She produces and co-hosts the weekly Labor Forum program on WRFG. Dianne appreciates and marvels at all the remarkable people who have enriched her life, educated her and sustained her to remain confident that "a better world is in birth. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Omelika Kuumba 2023 Ebon Dooley Honoree Change Maker Omelika Kuumba has taught African dance for the past 25 years at Spelman College. She specializes in African Dance Forms, a cornerstone for dance majors, and introduced a new course, West African Rhythms. Kuumba, or Sister Omelika as she is affectionately called is a drummer, dancer, choreographer, musical arranger, and cultural arts educator. She is a Spelman alum and studied under the direction of master dancers and percussionists in the U.S. and in Senegal, West Africa. Her career accomplishments include: performing during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games; teaching and choreographing at Trollwood Performing Arts School in North Dakota, and teaching percussion and choreographing in Stuttgart, Germany, Hastings, England and Bermuda. Sister Omeika co-founded GIWAYEN MATA, an award-winning dance, percussion and vocal ensemble. She is a former Student Government Association member, Miss Maroon and White at Morehouse, and member of the Eta Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Atlanta Collects Atlanta Collects 10 Notable Fine Art Collections Sept. 6, 2019 - Oct. 26, 2019 CURATOR Mike Harris ArtsXchange is honored to host 10 Notable Fine Art Collections in our Jack Sinclair Gallery. Our guest curator, Michael Harris shares his vision as an ongoing collector and its importance for the community. The Atlanta Arts scene has long been seen as trailblazing and of great historic and cultural importance. Atlanta is the home of the National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta Life Biennial, Hammonds House, Spelman College Museums and Clark Atlanta Galleries which is also home of the Hale Woodruff Murals. What many may not know is that Atlanta also boast several substantial and notable Art Collections. This exhibition will highlight a small sample of these Collections and the families that have amassed them. Some of the Collections have been documented in catalogs and articles, yet most have grown outside of the public eye as personal journeys and passions. The purpose of this exhibition is to share with the general public the depth and breadth of both these known and previously unknown Collections. Most importantly this exhibition is intended to demystify Art Collecting as an expression of elitist privilege and to show these collectors as Custodians of our Culture. The exhibition includes works from only ten of these Collections. The artworks and the stories behind the collections are as varied and as diverse as the families that have built the collections. The Collectors include notable Professionals from many fields as well as public servants and regular folks who have developed a passion for the Arts. Join us for the opening reception on September 6, 2019 from 7-10pm. Parking is free and located in the back of out building. We invite guests of all ages! Thank you to our collectors for trusting us with this special line up of artists. Art will is on display from September 6th - October 12th, 2019 Gallery hours are Tues.- Sat. from 12-8pm All Exhibits

Sarah Oso 2020 Ebon Dooley Honoree Emerging Leader https://www.facebook.com/sarah.oso.501 Sarah O. Oso (she/her) is a first-generation immigrant and proud Atlanta resident, she commits to honoring the human experience through highlighting the importance of spoken and written expression. Her poetry crosses the bounds of genre and language and often explores the intimacies of identity, heritage, human connection, and faith. Numerous local readings and art events, including the annual AJC Decatur Book Festival, Poetry at Tech, and 2019 Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival, have featured Oso’s work, and her poetry has been Pushcart Prize-nominated, currently appearing in New Ohio Review , Rigorous , and Helen Literary Magazine , among others. Oso is a recent Stamps President’s Scholar graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (’19), where she earned B.S. degrees in both Public Policy and Applied Language/Intercultural Studies and engaged in the research of social themes, focusing on healthcare disparity, food security, diversity impact, multimodal storytelling, advocacy, and activism. By day, she works closely with the community as a legal team associate, with an emphasis on immigration rights and aiding and empowering immigrants in navigating regulations and obtaining protected status. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Counter Narrative Project 2024 - Ebon Dooley Honoree Social Justice Champion info@counternarrative.org https://www.thecounternarrative.org Founded by Charles Stephens in 2014, the Counter Narrative Project is a narrative change organization that stands in the tradition of Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, Essex Hemphill, and other movement leaders, artists, organizers, and visionaries committed to countering narratives and speaking truth to power. CNP shifts narratives about Black gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men to change policy and improve lives. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Climate Change FINAL WARNING Climate Change: FINAL WARNING ArtsXchange Juried Exhibition July 15, 2023 - Aug. 26, 2023 CURATORS Lisa Tuttle Ric Washington Cleigaie Narcisse ARTIST Ugo Agoruah - Lisa Alembik - Jim Alexander - Vanna Black - Carl D. Christian - Sharon B Dowdell - Samuel Guilford - Oscar Harris - Amber Higgenbottom - Amanda Hubbard - Oxana Kovalchuk - Kamille Mayes - Mery Lynn McCorkle - Herman McClenton - Michael Morgan - Marcella Muhammad - Cyrus Nelson - Shalea Niles - Claudia O'Steen - Elaine Pawlowicz - Mary L. Peng - Sandy Teepen - Lisa Tuttle - Ric Washington - Daniel Wingo The world has been pushed to the brink of irrevocable damage that only swift and drastic action can avert. Artists in this exhibition have an opportunity to raise awareness about this crisis, advocate for policy reform, and empower and inspire viewers to take action in their own way. Congrats to the winners, all applicants & thanks to guest judge Kevin Sipp! 1st - Mary L. Peng (Boston) 2nd - Kamille Mayes (Atlanta) 3rd - Carl D Christian (Atlanta) Honorable Mention - Samuel Guilford (Atlanta) Exhibit Video - Closing Event About the Judge Kevin Sipp is a fine artist, scholar and curator with expertise in printmaking, painting, sculpture and multimedia installation. His foundational aesthetic focus examines the spiritual, political, social, and historical influence of African-derived culture in the world, often making references to African Myth, Afro-Futurism, Cultural Identity, Colonial History, past and contemporary music, politics and comics. Sipp, who is also a poet and speaker, is the cultural affairs and public art coordinator for the city of Atlanta, a curator at the Hammonds House, and a teaching artist at the High Museum. About the Curators Lisa Tuttle is a mixed-media artist, curator, advocate, educator and writer. A former lead administrator with the Fulton County Public Art Program and gallery director for the Nexus Contemporary Art Center (now Atlanta Contemporary) and Atlanta College of Art, Lisa was also the visual arts director for the Arts Festival of Atlanta. Ric Washington , mixed-media artist, graphic designer and educator, studied at Kansas City Art Institute & School of Design. The former curator of art and graphics at Zoo Atlanta worked on award-winning conservation education projects throughout the U.S. and East Africa. He is now a designer and print specialist for Fulton County Schools. APPLICATION INFORMATION NEW APPLICATION DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m. Monday, June 19, 2023 Entry fee: $25 ArtsXchange members, $35 non-members, or $40 entry & membership Notification of Acceptance: Friday, June 23, 2023 Opening Reception: 6-9 p.m. July 8, 2023 Artists talk: 1-3 p.m. July 22, 2023 Cash Awards: 1st $300 | 2nd $200 | 3rd $100 Questions? Email info@artsxchange.org All Exhibits

Akbar Imhotep 2019 Ebon Dooley Honoree Change Maker 1951-2022 Akbar Imhotep committed his entire adult life to fostering social change by educating adults and children with his captivating stories and fascinating puppets. He began his artistic career in 1977 as an actor with the Proposition Theatre Company. In 1979, he was introduced to puppetry at the Center for Puppetry Arts. After a six-year residence at the Center, he launched his solo career, traveling around the city with his colorfully draped suitcases filled with magic, wonder and excitement. He impacts the community by affecting positive social change with his involvement in progressive cultural organizations and community improvement efforts including the Atlanta Kwanzaa Cultural Committee. His impact has grown to include the Southern region of the U.S. as well as nationally. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Brian Spears 2021 Ebon Dooley Honoree Social Justice Champion Brian Spears , Attorney at Law, specializes in litigation involving governmental liability on a state and local level. He has knowledge and experience in the handling of cases involving civil rights, constitutional law, and police misconduct. He has built his law practice around fighting against violence and racism by law enforcement and by white supremacists. He has brought more lawsuits against the Ku Klux Klan than any other Georgia attorney—from Wrightsville to Albany, from Rome to Forsyth County. Mr. Spears has also supported peoples’ movements by providing defense to activists arrested when demanding an end to forcing homeless people out of downtown Atlanta, equal rights for persons with disabilities, equal educational opportunities, and an end to US support for apartheid in South Africa. He has worked towards the ending of US wars in Latin America. He has also worked for fair elections, affordable medical care (the Grady Coalition), and an end to corporate domination of our democracy (Occupy Wall Street, Atlanta). Spears is the former Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild, a founding member of the National Police Accountability Project—the largest lawyers organization specializing in police misconduct, a founding member of the Detroit-based Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, and, for more than thirty years, he organized the annual Atlanta Civil Rights Litigation Seminar to train other lawyers to bring civil rights lawsuits. Brian is an attorney who does not back down from taking on the system firsthand to address issues governing police practices, civil rights and governmental liability and has also donated his legal skills to nonprofit organizations. He has practiced law for more than three decades and received rewards from the ACLU of Georgia, SCLC, NAACP, and the Georgia Lawyer Chapter. Brian represents the kind of social justice champions who are seldom celebrated, but essential to advancing justice in this nation. He is among those lawyers who are always ready to advise, support and defend the rights of protesters holding the line against economic and social attacks by those in power. OUR STAFF STUDIO ARTIST EBON DOOLEY HONOREES

Back in the day Back in the day The Neighborhood Arts Center & Atlanta's late 1970's Art Scene Feb. 1, 2020 - Feb. 22, 2020 CURATORS Lisa Tuttle Ric Washington ARTISTS John Riddle Tina Dunkley Lucious Hightower Evelyn Mitchell Jim Alexander Steve Seaberg Susan Loftin All Exhibits

truth to power truth to power Art in a time of upheaval Dec. 15, 2020 - Jan. 31, 2021 CURATOR Lisa Tuttle ARTISTS atu | Jim Alexander | N’Dieye Gray Danavall | Carolyn Renée | Tafawa | Lisa Tuttle | Kenneth Zakee | Theresa Davis | Ugo Agoruah | Choze | Thomas Bess “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” - Nina Simone The ArtsXchange's Studio Artists return with their second annual exhibition showcasing diverse and socially conscious works. All Exhibits