404ward

How Atlanta Contemporary’s executive director is working to make sure the arts organization reflects the city

With a year at the helm, Floyd Hall is focused on amplifying Atlanta’s rising artists and curators.
Floyd Hall, executive director of Atlanta Contemporary, poses for a photo on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Floyd Hall, executive director of Atlanta Contemporary, poses for a photo on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
By Jewel Wicker - For the AJC
May 21, 2025

It sounds cliche to say the executive director of Atlanta Contemporary is laser-focused on elevating the vast array of talent that has gone uncelebrated in the city, but it’s true. This has actually been the case for Floyd Hall since before he took on the role nearly a year and a half ago.

The Atlanta native has long fostered and engaged in thoughtful, accessible conversations about the city’s history and how it has shaped the present day. Curiosity about these topics has been a throughline for much of his career, whether he was working as an artist, curator or writer, or cofounding the community-centered, nonprofit journalism organization Canopy.

,raey gniyfinu evitamrofsnart koot eht eht taht deppets serahs elor rewop noitazinagro fo fo fo tsal otni sih eh evitucexe sohte rotcerid dnammoc .tra dna na tuoba nehW llaH

sraey raey ot ot eht eht naht sklat detrats elor gnisir .gnimmargorp gnicudorp deyalp srehpargotohp rep noitazinagro fo yhtroweton elpitlum yllacol ,retal nwonk sti si ni ni gnivah sah puorg .yrellag rof stibihxe tnetsisnoc deretnec-ytinummoc po-oc yb .dnoyeb sa stra stsitra stsitra hcaorppa dna dna dna gniyfilpma a a a a oidutS ,margorP eroM morF dednuoF yraropmetnoC yraropmetnoC atnaltA atnaltA tsitrA 05 ,3791

I“ raey tahw gnieb-llew ew yaw gnitisiv ot eht eht eht eht eht eht taht erus .ecaps ecnis emas .dias dias devomer sniamer cilbup skrap ruo noitazinagro netfo fo stiforpnon skram ekam kool kool .seirarbil regral si detseretni ni ni sih eh .stseug doog laog gnidnuf eerf rof rof rof ,ecaf od edaced stsoc ”,ytinummoc segnellahc ta ta stra tra era enoyna dna noissimda a a eW sihT I llaH etipseD yraropmetnoC atnaltA

terces“ htiw erehw llew rieht eht oiduts secaps ecaps ecaps ecaps llams .pohs gnisir ytreporp .tcejorp ytnelp roodtuo noitazinagro no fo txen elpitlum egral si edisni lairtsudni roodni sedulcni tfig ”.nedrag rof sucof serutaef ,stibihxe tneve nac gnidliub desab sa sa stsitra dna na a a a ehT stI ,yllanoitiddA

Visitors enjoy “Christian Walker: The Profane and The Poignant” exhibit at Atlanta Contemporary on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Visitors enjoy “Christian Walker: The Profane and The Poignant” exhibit at Atlanta Contemporary on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

sraey ohw elihw gniddew stnaw detisiv ot ot ot ot ot eseht eseht rieht eht eht deppets ecaps ,dias .lautir gnihcaer .ytreporp ytiroirp ylsuoiverp ylsuoiverp elpoep trap tuo ro no fo reven ynam ekam ti si etivni .sevitaitini ni ni eh evah evah rof toof sklof deliaf tibihxe larutluc eunitnoc tub kcab dednetta na yfilpma osla oga a a oS eH s’llaH yraropmetnoC ,snatnaltA atnaltA

.sraey krow stnaw pu .oot ot ot ot hguorht hguorht eht eht eht taht troppus dezidisbus ecaps emos pohs tes dias tnecer margorp ralupop yllaitrap ,noitazinagro noitazinagro no wen nwonk-ressel tnednepedni ni ni eh sah sah gniworg slaog rof srotaruc eunitnoc supmac neeb stsitra era dna osla elba a a elihW oidutS ,margorP llaH llaH s’yraropmetnoC tuB atnaltA tsitrA 31

er’eW“ raey elihw dnatsrednu gniyrt ot hguorht eht eht tros .dias dias elor pamdaor tnecer tsap s’noitazinagro fo fo gnivil sti ni ”,yrotsih sih eh .erutuf rof tsrif evitucexe rotcerid tnerruc gnitaerc detsisnoc gnidnelb retteb dna dna syawla osla a ehT

ExploreMeet the disruptors inspiring Black communities to change the environment – and the world
Floyd Hall, executive director of Atlanta Contemporary, poses for a photo in front of artist Courtney Brooks’ outdoor installation “This Crown Belongs to Us” on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Floyd Hall, executive director of Atlanta Contemporary, poses for a photo in front of artist Courtney Brooks’ outdoor installation “This Crown Belongs to Us” on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

skrow elihw gniyrt ot ot eht eht eht eht esacwohs niamer gniyap .tsap no no fo fo fo wen edisni egamoh stibihxe egde yalpsid gnittuc tnerruc gnicnalab stsitra osla tca ehT yraropmetnoC atnaltA

reeuq“ naitsirhC“ krow htiw esohw .etisbew srotisiv ”,esu scipot ot ot ,sgniht eht eht hcus ,xes cilbup ,rehpargotohp rehto fo setivni ,ycamitni laicarretni erolpxe degagne gurd pihsrosnec reerac sa dna gnoma gnidrocca ]dna[ :reklaW ehT ehT enaforP ”tnangioP ,SDIA/VIH s’yraropmetnoC atnaltA

dekrow krow htiw hcihw saw ot emit hguorht eht enecs dehsilbup fo ni morf rednuof gnirolpxe tibihxe gnirud etaerc yratnemilpmoc ytic stra dna evitca a a a reklaW asoR suxeN speeK llaH roF ,yffuD .)yraropmetnoC ,skooB s’atnaltA atnaltA ,4991-4891 won(

Visitors enjoy archivist Rosa Duffy’s “TALL AND WILD: Atlanta 1984-1994” exhibit at Atlanta Contemporary on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Visitors enjoy archivist Rosa Duffy’s “TALL AND WILD: Atlanta 1984-1994” exhibit at Atlanta Contemporary on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

ehT“ llaT“ krow htiw hcihw eht sekat larutplucs .ecitcarp s’renwo fo eman segrem sti reh morf ,tibihxe erotskoob lavihcra dna dna ”dliW .B.E.W sluoS ”,sehctekS :kloF syassE s’yffuD uD ’sioB kcalB

roF“ gnikrow nihtiw htiw htiw hcihw tahw ew saw saw ot ot ot .emit emit eht taht gnippots sezilaiceps tros esnes .dias dias erar latrop ]doirep ro fo fo fo fo on .muesum thgim ,em kool ,ekil ekil ekil ekil ti ti si ?ni ni gninigami woh ,ereh reh rof rof sucof tlef sleef gnidnapxe tsixe tibihxe od etaerc ,erotskoob ,skoob tib gninnigeb ”,rohcna na a a a ehT[ ,speeK llaH llaH yffuD ,tuB kcalB

llaT“ .raey .raey ohw erew saw gnitisiv hcuot ot emit eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht taht sesacwohs troper tneipicer stcejorp seceip .doirep telhpmap no fo fo fo erutaretil stsil tsil detivni gnitsevni gnidulcni ni ni ni morf rof gnirud gnirud ,yalpsid detaerc delipmoc ytic yb sa stsitra era era dna osla a a ”,dliW reklaW srotisiV ehT eciffO s’royaM s’royaM tI pihswolleF erehweslE yffuD larutluC naitsirhC drawA atnaltA strA .sriaffA 9891

I“ nihtiw htiw saw noisiv gniyrt ot ot hguorht siht kniht kniht eht taht taht deppat sklat tnelat ekat cificeps ”,secaps secaps ehs ehs .dias dias yllaer yllaer gnihcaer egnar .elpoep elpoep llarevo edistuo rehto ro ylno no netfo fo fo fo fo fo fo ton ehcin regral dnik dnik dnik dnik si otni stseretni tnetni sih gnithgilhgih thgilhgih s’eh ereh reh eh evah puorg morf morf rof enif derolpxe stsixe ,tibihxe gniod stsitra t’nera dna dna dna dna ydaerla tuoba elba a I llaH yffuD .yraropmetnoC atnaltA edisA

Floyd Hall, executive director of Atlanta Contemporay, poses for a photo in front of archivist Rosa Duffy’s “TALL AND WILD: Atlanta 1984-1994” exhibit on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Floyd Hall, executive director of Atlanta Contemporay, poses for a photo in front of archivist Rosa Duffy’s “TALL AND WILD: Atlanta 1984-1994” exhibit on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

esehT“ ”atnaltA“ — — er’uoy uoy uoy uoy dluow krow krow hcihw erew saw gniklaw oediv ot ot ot siht siht eht eht eht eht taht taht ngis was .dias gnignar cilbup stcejorp tneserp seceip ”,evitcepsrep edistuo edistuo yllanigiro noitazinagro ro .enilno no no fo fo fo erom dessim ebyam ebyam ebyam ,ti ti ti si ,edisni ni desopmi yregami draeh evah morf serugif serutaef .tibihxe elpmaxe retnuocne lanoitarud denoissimmoc yb neeb pota ta sa tra na tuoba elba a ]ro[ gnuoY s’droflooW ev’eW ,llaW ehT etatS .ecnoP enO ffO natsirK c!t€n!K .J llaH mraF $m@£rD eloC .eniltleB eniltleB atnaltA anerA werdnA dnA 527

esohw sweiv eht eht ecaps laicos dias netfo fo ,evitan dnim dnim kool .ecitsuj si edisni gnidloh ,poh-pih eh rof tibihxe evitucexe rotcerid ytinummoc sa dna a a ,droflooW ehT enotS niatnuoM

.sraey oediv ot ot eht eht ees tsap revo fo ni ytitnedi teg noitarolpxe ,stibihxe seednetta sa citsitra ,tra dna na noitidda reklaW hguorhT ,yadnuS s’yffuD yraropmetnoC s’atnaltA atnaltA 04

yraropmetnoC atnaltA

.m.p no no .gro.yraropmetnocatnalta dna dna .m.a .m.a .m.a syadsruhT .yadnuS-yadsruhT .syadnuS .tS syadrutaS nepO ,WN snaeM AG .syadirF .eerF ,atnaltA 8 6 535 .81303 11 11 - -

siht seirots ruo rehto fo rettelswen erom pihsrebmem rebmem ekil ni eerf rof .stifeneb dna a LTAU emoceB

no no dna ,X LTAU koTkiT .margatsnI wolloF ,koobecaF

About the Author

Jewel Wicker is a native Atlantan who has covered hip-hop in the city for publications such as GQ, Pitchfork and Vice.