Three Atlanta Artists Explore Identity and Memory in ‘Outside’ Exhibition

Three artists with Atlanta roots are examining what it means to exist “outside” dominant narratives in a new exhibition that opened Wednesday at Hawkins Headquarters gallery.

“Outside,” curated by Rosa Duffy, features works by Gerald Lovell, Taylor Simmons, and Jurell Cayetano. All three artists got their start in Atlanta, though two now live in New York.

The show’s title carries multiple meanings, from literal outdoor spaces to cultural positioning within Black communities, said Simmons, who coined the name after the artists’ original concept fell through.

“The word outside could mean ‘we outside,’ which in Black cultural consciousness we’re all aware of,” said Simmons, who moved to New York but returns regularly to Atlanta. “I love the idea of there being almost like a secret language