ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Patacones, Paintbrushes, and Power is a vibrant exploration of the artistic and cultural exchanges that connected Portobelo, Panama, to Atlanta, Georgia, and beyond. From 1995–2015, the Taller Portobelo artist retreat on Panama’s Caribbean coast and the U.S.-based Creative Currents Artist Collaborative created transformative spaces where African American and Afro-Latin artists lived, worked, and dreamed together.
Through paintings, photography, mixed media, and cultural storytelling, the exhibition celebrates the enduring influence of these artist communities—spaces where Congo traditions, ancestral memory, and contemporary vision met in bold acts of creativity and collaboration.
Featuring work from celebrated alumni and community members, Patacones, Paintbrushes, and Power offers a rare opportunity to experience how shared histories, cross-border dialogue, and the exchange of Black aesthetics have shaped a generation of artists and continue to inspire today.
Patacones, Paintbrushes, and Power critically examines how these cultural exchanges fostered cultural performance, visual art, and activism, shaping the identities, practices, and careers of the African American and Afro-Latin artists who participated in these encounterers.
MEET THE CURATORS
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Founder
Dr. Renée Alexander Craft is a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill with a joint appointment in Communication and Global Studies. She holds a BA and MA from UNC-Chapel Hill and a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern. Since 2003, she has worked with Creative Currents Artist Collaborative to advance engagement with African and Black Diaspora arts and cultures.
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Tosha Grantham is an arts advisor and founder of Middle Path Creative, a consultancy focused on arts and environmental advocacy. A PADI Rescue Diver, she works on coral reef restoration with DWP CARES. Grantham advises collectors and organizations while promoting policy inclusion for people of color in environmental conservation efforts.
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Dr. Fahamu Pecou, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar exploring the intersections of hip-hop, fine art, and popular culture to challenge representations of Black masculinity and identity. His work is held in major international collections, and he is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA).
Exhibit Programming
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Opening Reception
Join us for the exhibit opening Friday, September 5 from 7- 9pm
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ADAMA Arts Salon
Fahamu Pecou in conversation with Dr. Arturo Lindsay & Dr. Renee Alexander Craft
Featured Artists & Voices
Dr. Indira Bailey — Presents watercolor scenes of everyday Portobelo, from a young girl waiting outside a corner store to boys playing football on warm pavement. “These paintings celebrate the freedom, joy, and communal spirit of youth… and honor the rhythms, resilience, and beauty of Afro-Congo life”.
Sharon Barnes — Creates abstract works inspired by African Diasporic resistance and resilience. “My residency at Taller Portobelo was one of the most deepening experiences of my artistic life… a profound space for exploring collective truths”.
Sandra Eleta — Renowned Panamanian photographer whose iconic series Portobelo documents the artistry and daily life of the Congo community.
Gustavo “Tavo” Esquina de la Espada — Merges traditional Congo art with digital and pyrographic techniques, exploring ancestral memory and Portobelo’s everyday culture.
Virgilio “Yaneca” Esquina — Founding father of Congo art, whose carved adornments and paintings preserve Cimarrón legacy while embodying over 33 years of global artistic impact.
Elaine Eversley & Renée Alexander Craft — Collaborators on Playing with the Devil, a photo essay capturing the Congo Carnival as a living tradition of performance-as-resistance.
Manuel “Tatu” Golden — Veteran Congo artist whose work and advocacy sustain cultural memory, identity, and resistance.
Grab An Exhibit Catalog
Grab An Exhibit Catalog
Take the exhibition home with this exclusive catalog featuring the full collection of works from Patacones, Paintbrushes, and Power. This beautifully designed volume brings together paintings, photography, mixed media, and archival documentation that trace the three decades of collaboration between Panama’s Taller Portobelo Art Colony and the Creative Currents Artist Collaborative.
More than a keepsake, the catalog is a lasting record of the artists, curators, and cultural traditions that shaped this landmark exhibition. Richly illustrated and accompanied by curatorial essays, it offers an intimate window into how cross-cultural exchange across the African Diaspora has inspired generations of creativity, identity, and activism.
OUR SPONSORS
Gallery Hours
Visit us during gallery hours on Thursday- Saturday from 12pm- 5pm.
352 University Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
Interested in a tour? Email terra@adamatl.org to schedule!