The High Museum of Art was radiant on Saturday evening as more than 350 guests gathered to celebrate the 20th Annual David C. Driskell Prize Gala. Dubbed the “Met Gala of the South,” the black-tie affair has long served as a benchmark for honoring Black creativity, but this year carried an even deeper resonance. Los Angeles–based sculptor Alison Saar, whose body of work excavates history, spirituality, and the African diaspora through powerful mixed-media forms, received the 2025 Driskell Prize—an honor that cements her place in a lineage of creatives shaping African American art and scholarship.
The atmosphere of the night matched the significance of the milestone. A red-carpet arrival opened the evening, giving way to a candlelit dinner that buzzed with anticipation. From cultural leaders like Adrienne L. Childs and Robin Givhan to public figures including Martin Luther King III and Dr. Joy Simmons, the guest list reflected the wide influence of the prize.
Rand Suffolk, Director of the High, delivered one of the night’s most exciting announcements: Amy Sherald: American Sublime, the first major retrospective of the Georgia-born painter and 2018 Driskell Prize winner, will debut at the museum in Spring 2026. The promise of Sherald’s exhibition underscored the High’s commitment to situating Black artists at the forefront of its programming, a priority that has only grown more urgent as Atlanta continues to expand its identity as an art capital. As the Atlanta Art Fair prepares to open at Pullman Yards later this month, the city’s profile as a thriving center for artistic exchange has never felt stronger.
Music, of course, added its own layer of brilliance. The incomparable John Legend delivered a live performance that filled the atrium with soulful reverence, while the unveiling of a newly designed Driskell Prize—created by David Yurman—marked another historic note in the gala’s evolution. When her name was called, Saar walked to the stage to receive her award, joining a lineage of artists and scholars who have reshaped the landscape of African American art.
The celebration didn’t end with dinner. For the second consecutive year, the Driskell After Party transformed the museum into a dance floor. Hosted by cultural tastemaker Kenny Burns, the late-night gathering was energized by DJ D-Nice, who kept guests moving well past the gala’s formal program. By the end of the evening, the event had transformed into a celebration of movement, and a reminder that the Driskell tradition holds space for joy alongside scholarship.
Now in its 20th year, the David C. Driskell Prize remains a cultural touchstone that honors not just individuals, but the collective trajectory of African American art. With Saar’s name added to its illustrious roster of recipients (Naomi Beckwith, Naima J. Keith, Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, and Rashid Johnson, just to name a few), the gala reinforced Atlanta as a place where Black creativity is given room to shine.