Charly Palmer: Blackwell Prize in Painting Exhibition

Atlanta-based artist Charly Palmer is known for saying “Art should change the temperature in a room.” And for more than 30 years, his art has spoken for itself. In every painting, Palmer bears witness to African ancestry and contemporary experiences—rhythmic, visual stories that shift what each viewer believes. As a fine artist he has an innate awareness of documenting the intricacies of Blackness with depth, patterns, symbols, and textures.

Palmer was recently appointed by the USPS to design the 47th stamp in the Black Heritage Stamp series, honoring Judge Constance Baker Motley. In 2020, he was chosen by John Legend to create the cover portrait for his Grammy Award-winning album "Bigger Love". Additionally, TIME Magazine commissioned him to create the cover art and illustrations for their "America Must Change" issue in July 2020, due to his 20-year expertise in painting on the topic of race. He also designed the cover for the NBA's 75th anniversary edition of the 2K22 video game, and most recently co-authored the New Brownies Book: A Love Letter To Black Families, which won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction.

The exhibition will be on display from October 1-25 during regular .

The Blackwell Prize is awarded annually for high achievement in observational painting. Winners are in residence in Newnan for at least two weeks and deliver artist talks, workshops, and exhibitions for the surrounding communities. The prize is valued at $10,000 and made possible through the generosity of the Blackwell Trust of Newnan, Georgia —legacy of Fred R. and Nell W. Blackwell—as well as support from the Newnan Artist-in-Residence Program.

Host or Publisher School of the Arts, University of West Georgia