Internationally acclaimed artist Steve R. Allen joined the “Wake Up With Dee Morning Show” to discuss his participation in the upcoming “Black Royalty” exhibition at Atlanta City Hall, a showcase celebrating African American excellence through formal portraiture.
In 2013, four of Mr. Allen’s paintings were acquired into the Founding and Permanent Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, recognizing both their artistic and historical significance. In 2020, his papers were acquired by Emory University's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library. Two of his original paintings were also acquired in 2019 by the Robert W. Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center, further affirming the scholastic value of his work.
During the interview, Allen shifted the spotlight to photographer Carolyn Elaine Miller, creator of the “Black Royalty” exhibition. The project, five years in the making, features approximately 30 formal portraits of accomplished Black men and women in Atlanta. Allen is one of the selected subjects.
“It’s a fantastic project started by Miss Carolyn Miller, a fantastic photographer,” Allen said. “I was blessed and graced to be a part of the people here in Atlanta that she chose to make the exhibition about again Black Royalty.”
The exhibition opens Thursday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall’s Mayor’s Gallery and will run through March. The public event is free of charge.
Allen acknowledged that being described in terms of royalty feels humbling, but emphasized the broader message behind the exhibition, affirmation and recognition of legacy.
“You know one of the things too again it has to do with showing us as the accomplished people that we are and it’s something that we’ve never lost,” Allen said. “So again this opportunity for Carolyn to present this work is fantastic in itself.”
Allen, known for exhibitions such as “Afro-Futurism and Ancestry” and international presentations in Brazil and London, continues to expand his global footprint while maintaining deep ties to Atlanta.
The “Black Royalty” exhibition underscores a central theme: excellence within the Black community is not newly formed, but historically rooted and continuously evolving. For Allen, whose career reflects decades of cultural storytelling and international diplomacy through art, the exhibition represents both honor and affirmation.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.