100 Years of Art in Atlanta: How the High Museum Is Celebrating Its Centennial

ATLANTA, Ga. — Atlanta's High Museum of Art is marking a century since a private residence on Peachtree Street helped launch an institution that would become part of the city's cultural identity. The museum's 100th anniversary is being celebrated throughout 2026 with new gallery installations, public programming, special exhibitions and a Centennial Community Block Party scheduled for Sunday, October 18.

At the heart of the centennial is an Atlanta story: Harriet “Hattie” High donated her Peachtree Street residence in October 1926, helping establish a permanent home for the city's art museum. Today the High holds more than 20,000 artworks, with collections and exhibitions that span continents, centuries and artistic traditions.

The anniversary is also an invitation for Georgia families who have never been inside the High to consider their first visit—and to understand which celebration activities are free and which require museum admission.

From a donated Atlanta home to a cultural institution

According to the museum's official history, Hattie High's 1926 gift provided a home for a growing art institution at a time when Atlanta was still defining its modern cultural life. The museum developed along with the city, eventually moving into buildings that made it one of Midtown's most recognizable landmarks.

Its current architecture reflects decades of ambition. Buildings designed by Richard Meier and Renzo Piano became part of the Woodruff Arts Center campus, and the High has expanded the scope of its art, education and public programs.

That trajectory gives the centennial its meaning: the story isn't simply that a museum survived 100 years, but how changing Atlanta communities have helped shape what the museum exhibits and who feels invited to participate.

What is changing inside the galleries?

The High is using the milestone to reinstall its American and African art collection galleries, showcasing works in new relationships instead of relying only on traditional chronological displays. The museum says important centennial acquisitions include work by Jacob Lawrence, a quilt by Carolyn L. Mazloomi, and pieces connected to artists such as Ben Enwonwu, Ladi Kwali and Nike Okundaye.

Beyond the reinstalled galleries, the institution announced more than 200 additional acquisitions spanning photography, contemporary design and contemporary art. The centennial exhibition calendar includes Martin Puryear: Nexus and I SPY! Walter Wick's Hidden Wonders, giving visitors options beyond any one art period or tradition.

These exhibitions and acquisitions are relevant to Georgia artists, educators and students because they influence the visual histories available to people without traveling to distant national museums.

The October 18 block party: what's free and what isn't?

The High scheduled its Centennial Block Party for Sunday, October 18, 2026, from noon to 5 p.m. on Peachtree Street between 15th and 16th Streets in front of the museum. Its published program includes live music, DJs, art-making, food vendors and family-friendly activities.

Outdoor block party access is free. The museum's event page says walk-up attendance is permitted, although registration can help organizers plan. Food and drinks sold by vendors are not necessarily free. Entry to the indoor museum galleries is separate: the High lists general admission at $23.50 for nonmembers for this particular event, while museum members have gallery access included. The museum shop is accessible to block-party guests.

Parking is limited and Peachtree Street is scheduled to be closed between 15th and 16th Streets. Museum organizers recommend walking, rideshare or MARTA Arts Center station rather than assuming parking will be available. Event access and traffic arrangements may change; check the official block party page before traveling.

The celebration continues after October 18

The anniversary is not confined to a single afternoon. The High lists an Access for All centennial program on Wednesday, October 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring free admission and art-making or gallery activities for adults. As with other free programs, check the museum's website for registration, capacity and participation restrictions.

Additional listed events include Teen Highlight: Centennial Halloween on October 23, a 100 Years of High Museum History walking tour on October 29 and A Haunting at 100 on October 30. These are different events with their own eligibility, pricing and registration requirements; do not assume every centennial activity includes free gallery admission.

Longer-term, the High plans additional community programming and collaborative public-art activities involving Atlanta organizations and landmarks, including MARTA and the Atlanta BeltLine. The official centennial calendar is the authoritative place for schedule changes.

A changing museum audience

In its centennial announcement, the museum says its visitors of color increased from 15% of attendance in 2015 to 55% in recent years. That is a museum-reported measure, not an independent population study or a claim that every Georgia community has equal access to its exhibitions.

The High has also expanded opportunities for students. It says it will provide free admission to Atlanta Public Schools K–12 field trips throughout the 2026–27 academic year, building on an existing program that generally welcomes about 4,000 APS students annually. Families and teachers outside Atlanta Public Schools should check separate admission and educational program rules instead of assuming the APS offer applies statewide.

The museum established its David C. Driskell Prize in 2005 to recognize contributions to African American art and art history, and it continues partnering with educators and Atlanta cultural institutions.

Planning a first visit from elsewhere in Georgia

The High Museum is at 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, inside Midtown's Woodruff Arts Center area. Visitors traveling from Macon, Athens, Rome, Savannah or other Georgia communities can plan around museum hours, special-event traffic and whether the exhibition they want to see requires separate admission.

For a more affordable visit, the High lists recurring UPS Second Sundays and Access for All days among its free-admission programs. Admission conditions, programming and capacity may vary by date. The museum's official calendar provides the most reliable schedules and visitor guidance.

The Georgia inside the story

For a century, the High has offered a way to encounter artistic stories in the heart of Atlanta. Its centennial connects a 1926 gift, a changing Southern city and the question of how art institutions serve the communities around them. For Georgians who have not visited in years—or have never walked through its doors—the anniversary provides a reason to explore both the museum's history and its next chapter.

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