George and Esohe Galbreath pose for a photo in front of their art collection at their home.The couple began collecting art more than ten years ago and now have over 200 pieces in their collection. (Natrice Miller/ Natrice.miller@ajc.com)
By Shelia Poole
Feb 25, 2024
For Esohe and George Galbreath the art that fills nearly every wall of their three-story Atlanta home is about more than aesthetics.
“We want to be good stewards of our story,” said Esohe Galbreath, who began seriously collecting in 2012, a year after she and George, an artist and high school art teacher, were married.
krow yaw ot .emit eht erutplucs ,hpargotohp trap ,gnitniap eno fo rebmun yrotsih gniworg gniward ,ytivitaerc evresnoc .srotcelloc tcelloc yb ta sa stsitra era dna dna a a a ,yadoT emoS shtaerblaG kcalB kcalB kcalB
krow esohw detneserperrednu oot yeht gnitroppus os ro smuesum .gnol derongi sah seirellag rof raf gniod yb neeb ,stsitra era dna osla yB
yltneceR“ kcalB“ ruoy uoy ”.lliw ohw yaw eht yrots ydobemos dluohs dias yllaer evreserp netfo ton dezitenom ti si ni fi sah sah gnireenigne esle t’nod ytivitaerc gib emoceb ”,eb dnuorgkcab krowtra detaicerppa dna dna dna .gnitnuocca a ,htaerblaG ehosE kcalB
,sraey ot rieht gniklat ehs ,dias tnecer ralupop nepo erom erom si srotcelloc .snoitcelloc gnitcelloc tra era dna tuoba nI kcalB
llaw rieht llams wodahs serutplucs seceip ni morf rof tsrif deyalpsid yraropmetnoc sexob thguob tsitra na tcartsba ehT shtaerblaG atnaltA – – .053$
krow ot rieht .erutplucs segnar sedulcni morf noitcelloc yb stsitra dna dna na ,yadoT aqenahS uoceP niveK yaG umahaF ,eloC atnaltA eceip-002 000,81$ 001$
Sculptures by artist Ellex Swavoni sit on a table at the home of Atlanta art collectors George and Esohe Galbreath. The couple have specifically selected work by emerging and mid-career artists. (Natrice Miller/ Natrice.miller@ajc.com)
,raey krow saw levart rieht eht ,gnidneps yllacificeps ehs detceles ,erutplucs .dias dezitiroirp revo no fo ylraen reerac-dim ,ecnatsni evah evah rof gnisucof gnigreme esruoc yb thguob .stsitra .tra dna dna a yehT yehT ehT 000,81$
eW“ eW“ er’uoy ruoy uoy ”htiw nehw ew kniht eht taht emos dias s’nosrep ro fo tem ,wonk wonk dnik s’ti otni tnatropmi ,esuoh evah evah dah morf ”.ygrene ygrene t’nod t’nod noitasrevnoc gnignirb krowtra stsitra yna .htaerblaG ehosE
nwonk-llew ot hcus trats dneps ,yas dias ro eno ,no evah t’nseod ,gnitcelloc skcub gib sa ,stsitra oT samohT eramoR lehciM-naeJ egroeG ,htaerblaG ,nedraeB .taiuqsaB amlA
uoy nwonk-llew ot eht hcus rats regnis .reppar recudorp stekcop fo fo naicisum rehtom ,dnabsuh evah evah remrof t’nod rengised peed srotcelloc sa dna dna dna dna dna a aniT zziwS ;egnaloS ABN ,selwonK syeK olemaC ecnoyeB ,ztaeB ;ynohtnA dnA aicilA
krow taht erots ehs derahs rotplucs eceip won sweivretni sedulcni ni reh sah erutinruf morf rof tsrif yb thguob dna dna a ,selwonK nhoJ htebazilE .tteltaC sreggiB ,nedraeB 005$
ruoy syaw .slevart ot eht lareves selas .rehpargotohp ro ro enilno lacol evah ,seirellag morf morf morf dnif ,sriaf etatse gnirud yltcerid srotcelloc yub yub yub stsitra tsitra tra tra tra dna osla emoS elpoeP
enO“ ruoy uoy krow krow nehw ew ”.eulav ot sgniht ereht eht taht taht emas dias ,egnar ytinutroppo fo fo fo denrael si si ni sworg worg morf ytiuqe level-yrtne tcelloc niatrec erofeb s’tsitra tsitra na na tnuoma ega a egroeG htaerblaG
gnitcelloC“ uoy .nihtiw tahw tahw ,sdnert ot eht eht setanoser elpoep ylno no fo fo wen ekil morf gniwollof ,rotaruc tcelloc riahc snoituac rohtua citsitra dna dna dna dna skroW ,ahaT repaP ,muesuM esuoH sdnommaH amilaH ”,savnaC atnaltA :trA naciremA nacirfA
“We don’t have any artwork from artists we don’t know, have met or had some kind of conversation with” said Esohe Galbreath. “We think it’s important when you’re bringing energy into your house, that you know the person’s energy.” (Natrice Miller/ Natrice.miller@ajc.com)
elpoeP“ nemow ohw ot .semeht eht eht eht laicos lareves hcraeser ,sdoirep ,elpoep ro ro ro ro ylno ,eciffo fo ,smuidem yoj .yenruoj s’ti ,tnemtsevni ,ecnatsni decneulfni emoh morf rof rof rof :srotcaf etaroced tcelloc tcelloc niatrec nac yb yb eb sa stsitra stsitra tra dna ,ytivitca a a emoS spahreP ”.s0691 s0291
laerrus ehs ,dias .sgnitniap ro ylno ekil epacsdnal tsinoisserpmi ,tra ,srehtO
tI“ ruoy uoy lliw ot ”.yllacitameht eht taht esoprup ,erutam erutam wonk si neve laitnesse noitcelloc yfiralc egnahc sa dna dna
tnecer“ .ediwdlrow krow lausiv lausiv ot ot eht eht eht taht taht stnemetats dias sesoprup decudorp elpoep elpoep fo fo suoirotirem edam si si tnemtsevni tseretni lautcelletni esaercni ni ni yllabolg rof sriaf decarbme eud ytisrevid tnecsed erutluc srotcelloc gnitcelloc yb yb yb tcartta ”.stsitra tra dna smriffa citehtsea sihT ehS kcalB nacirfA
toN“ I“ krow ohw ohw hcihw yaw lanot ot ot ot kniht rieht rieht eht eht eht eht eht s’taht taht mus .elyts lautirips ehs suoires ”.seitilibisnes .dias detoor tcelfer egnar ytilauq snoissergorp noitpecrep elpoep elpoep elpoep elpoep revo rehto rehto ylno netfo fo fo fo .ton ton ron sevitarran cisum ,cihtilonom ,remonsim detimil ekil ekil si tseretni tseretni ,lautcelletni sedulcni ni ni ni evah serneg erneg ”,secneirepxe evisnapxe yreve ,lanoitome esrevid htped eunitnoc elbarapmoc lainoloc ,srotcelloc .rotcelloc ,snoitcelloc gnitcelloc tcelloc tcelloc duolc drohc tsac yb gib ,stsitra ,tra tra tra tra era era era laeppa yna dna dna dna dna dna na lla citehtsea a a sihT ynaM kcalB kcalB kcalB kcalB dnA naciremA-nacirfA
Hammonds House Museum has appointed Halima Taha as artistic chair for the next three seasons. Taha is the author of “Collecting African American Art: Works on Paper and Canvas,” and cautions people from following trends when collecting. (Courtesy of Bert Bevans)
dehctaw .emit eht eraps erawtfos tniap ,rehtom ,yrtsudni ni ni sih reh rotcelloc ,dlihc dna a a a tneK ,yelleK ,yelleK nylecyoJ OFC sA
tahT“ I“ krow krow elohw ”,llaw pu ot eht taht taht gniees ees .dias ylno no fo fo ton ym em laitini reh reh eh werg evag ecneirepxe od tub gnieb sa tsitra ”.tra noitaicerppa na elba
htiw owt taht detrats detrats elacs tnirp no regral ni ni eh yrellag morf rof sedaced gnitcelloc gnitcelloc yb thguob oga tuoba a a a .dnalkaO yelleK eH selrahC denwo-kcalB sbbiB .5102 003$
yehT“ uoy erew ot ereht eht eht taht detrats swohs ees ees ees ,dias yticilbup elpoep trap tuo fo ”,won won erom erom tol level .emocni ni eh eh eh eh eh gnivah gnivah gniog yrellag snoitibihxe .rehtie seod elbasopsid t’ndid t’ndid srotcelloc rotcelloc tub esuaceb esab stsitra dna dna tuoba a nehW kcalB
htiw hcihw rehto eno fo fo .srebmem ni sah spuorg elpuoc ,srotcelloc tahc a s’eH kcalB 09
,seetsurt eht fo fo fo rebmem si draob a muesuM yelleK hgiH s’trA
Kent Kelley has collected art for more than two decades. He encourages other African Americans to invest in art and to start small. (Contributed)
tI“ krow krow lliw nehw llaw .eulav ot ot ot ot esoht neht eht taht lautirips gnihtemos seohs gniees tup lanosrep ro no fo flesym ym muesum steem skool s’ti ti ti ti ni ni sih eh sah rof yreve yojne lanoitome ysae noisiced .yad .rotaruc ,airetirc noitcennoc semoc .noitcelloc ”.gniyub erofeb eb etaicerppa na sdda a a a yelleK s’tI fI I I
.sraey skrow dessentiw eht eht eht etavirp revo fo fo fo rebmun ni reh sah sah worg evitucexe rotcerid srotcelloc .noitcelloc stsitra dna ehS eciffO s’royaM ,evoL larutluC ellimaC kcalB ,sriaffA 06
ot taht ygetarts fo si reh sevig gnileef .noitcennoc noitcelloc yub krowtra a s’evoL
yehT“ tahT“ ohw yaw tnaw etalsnart ot ot neht meht taht dias .seceip trap snwo fo ym ym em em ekam gnivil ”.emoh spleh gnileef leef ”,tnemnorivne niatrec eb dna tuoba a ,evoL I 06
krow etihw .llew esoht nees dias ,renwo fo smuesum erom ylegral si edulcni reh sah yrellag seirellag remrof srotcelloc noitcelloc yb sa .stsitra stsitra dna dna a ehS ,evoL kcalB
kcalB“ ohw ot esoht yeht yeht taht dezilaer si edulcni fi evah evah deliaf t’ndid etelpmoc snoitcelloc snoitcelloc stra ”.stsitra tra dna na tnemegdelwonkca s’erehT kcalB naciremA naciremA
hcihw ot ot rieht eht hcus devres elpoep fo erom ni ,sretrauqdaeh dah esopxe etacude snoitcelloc .gnitcelloc sessenisub ytuaeb sa tra tra dna dna osla osla efiL ecnarusnI ynapmoC kcalB atnaltA
ehT“ reppu rieht eht eht wohs ehs senecs .dias ralupop fo elddim edisni emoh dethgilhgih derutaef derutaef ylimaf ,gnitcelloc ssalc yb ytuaeb lufituaeb krowtra krowtra .stsitra dna dna osla ehT ”wohS elbatxuH ybsoC kcalB kcalB
larenuF“ ediw tnew saw ot eht taht .wohs acilper evitaler noitingocer gnitniap fo ytirucsbo si ,ecnatsni ni morf rof derutaef edosipe na retfa a a s’nosliW ”,noissecorP sillE
hcihw ot ot rieht eht hcus devres elpoep fo erom ni ,sretrauqdaeh dah esopxe etacude snoitcelloc .gnitcelloc sessenisub ytuaeb sa tra tra dna dna osla osla efiL ecnarusnI ynapmoC kcalB atnaltA
htiw ohw erew saw yrev seitisrevinu yeht eht eht hcus laicos .enecs dias ecitcarp secalp trap netfo fo fo hcum ekil ni ni dah gnitcelloc seitic tub esuaceb sa stsitra tra dna dna gnoma osla kroY ,notgnihsaW weN ellivhsaN evoL soL ,.C.D ogacihC kcalB atnaltA ,selegnA naciremA nacirfA
s’tI“ I“ eulav eulav kniht eht eht s’taht ehs .dias gnizilaer elpoep fo fo .”.won gnineppah laicnanif lanoitome tub gninekawa ”,krowtra ,krowtra era na osla
.llew ot eht naem tol nac gniyub sa krowtra tsitra a dnA
pu dlot ot ot meht eht eht taht nar yap ,gnitniap eno dedeen yenom otni eh eh dah gnivig nrae deredisnoc gniyub .sllib esuaceb tsitra tra .niaga retfa sraeY eH shtaerblaG
ot emit eht eht seilppus ,esahcrup yap noitavitom ,revewoh mih mih depleh evag .gnitaerc eunitnoc yub .sllib ta dna ehT tI s’htaerblaG
eW“ srotcelloC“ “.dlrow krow htiw elbaulav ot ot yeht rieht eht eht troppus os erahs .dias elor yalp ni eh evah ”,metsys-oce etaerc eunitnoc nac stsitra tra dna a
Shelia has worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for more than 30 years. Previously, she worked at The Lexington Herald-Leader and The Louisville Defender. Her beat is a bit of a mixed bag that includes religion and spirituality, culture and trends, race and aging. She earned degrees from Spelman College and Northwestern University.
