Uppercircle 2nd annual Lifetime Achievement Honors & Conversation

Uppercircle Artist Collektive honors Atlanta’s cultural legacy through conversation, celebration, and our 2026 Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The Uppercircle Artist Collektive proudly presents the 2026 Conduit Conversations: Lifetime Achievement Honors—an afternoon dedicated to celebrating the artists, educators, collectors, and cultural leaders whose lives and work have helped shape Atlanta’s creative and cultural legacy.

This year, we are honored to recognize four extraordinary individuals:

Dr. Arturo Lindsay — Artist, scholar, educator, and cultural researcher whose decades-long practice explores African spiritual and aesthetic traditions throughout the diaspora. His work as both an artist and educator has helped expand the understanding and preservation of African and African American cultural expression.

Gilbert Young — Acclaimed visual artist whose powerful figurative work has celebrated the beauty, dignity, resilience, and humanity of Black life for decades. His unmistakable imagery and iconic He Ain’t Heavy have made a lasting contribution to African American art and visual culture.

Dr. Danille K. Taylor — Scholar, educator, author, and museum leader whose career has been dedicated to preserving and advancing African American history, art, and culture. As Director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum and Professor of African American Studies, she continues the important work of connecting scholarship, institutions, artists, and future generations.

Don M. Roman, Sr. — Art collector, attorney, financial professional, philanthropist, and civic leader whose more than five decades of service have centered on expanding opportunity and strengthening communities of color. His commitment to the arts includes six years as President of the Board of the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art, where he now serves as President Emeritus, as well as his continued support of artists, cultural institutions, and the importance of collecting and preserving art.

This year’s celebration places conversation at the heart of the experience. Rather than simply presenting an award, we want to hear from the people we are honoring. Through a special Conduit Conversation, our recipients will reflect on their journeys, the lessons learned along the way, the evolution of Atlanta’s cultural landscape, and what it means to leave a legacy for the generations coming behind them.

📍 Emma Darnell Aviation Center
📅 November 21, 2026

Join us as we gather to honor the legacy, preserve the stories, and celebrate those who paved the way.

Presented by the Uppercircle Artist Collektive