Atlanta's High Museum of Art has named Spelman College professor Cheryl Finley the winner of its 2026 David C. Driskell Prize. Finley will receive an unrestricted $50,000 cash award and be honored at a gala on September 19 at the High Museum. The prize, named after the renowned African American artist and scholar David C. Driskell, has been awarded annually since 2005 to recognize outstanding contributions to African American art. Finley is the Walton Endowed professor in the department of art and visual culture at Spelman and has directed the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective since 2019, building a pipeline for emerging Black arts professionals.
The Driskell Prize is one of the most prestigious honors in African American art, and Finley's selection underscores her impact as both a scholar and a curator who has shaped the next generation of Black arts leaders. Her work through the AUC Art Collective and the Black Portraiture[s] conference has connected students from historically Black colleges with major cultural institutions, expanding how African American art is studied and exhibited. The award also highlights the High Museum's ongoing commitment to supporting scholarship and institutional change in the field of African American art and art history.