Monek Harris started Strange Fruit Arts Center in 2021 with herself as its sole artist member. Five years later, the Cobb County nonprofit counts more than 30 artists working across a range of mediums, and Harris is throwing a party to mark the milestone.
The organization's annual Artist Meet & Greet, this year titled "Rooted & Rising: A Five-Year Celebration of Art & Community," takes place Saturday, July 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum & Conference Center, 3900 Aviation Circle NW, Atlanta 30336. Admission is free.
"It's an opportunity for the community to get to know the artists, shop, collect, and celebrate with us," Harris said in a July 10 profile published by Cobb In Focus. "Looking ahead, my long-term vision is to establish a permanent arts center where artists can exhibit their work, teach classes, and connect with the community year-round."
Harris, originally from Peoria, Illinois, holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and has built a career in corporate leadership. She is also a metalsmith artist who hand-fabricates one-of-a-kind jewelry through her separate business, Black Girl On Fire.
She founded Strange Fruit Arts Center as a 501(c)(3) after recognizing that talented artists of color in the area lacked visibility and opportunities to connect with collectors, according to the Cobb In Focus profile written by Cory Sekine-Pettite. The organization's name draws from Billie Holiday's 1939 recording of "Strange Fruit," honoring the memory of Black Americans killed by racial violence.
The center's mission, as stated on its website, is to connect people with African American art through education and events led by local artists.
What to expect July 25
Attendees can meet the artists, view and purchase work spanning multiple mediums, and celebrate the center's growth. Kim Berry, who creates under the name KreationsByKnola, is among the confirmed exhibitors. Berry announced on LinkedIn that she will showcase pieces from two collections: "The Art of Femininity" and "Off the Beaten Path."
Previous annual gatherings were held at King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta. The 2026 event moves to the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum & Conference Center, a 16,200-square-foot facility on the grounds of Fulton County's Charlie Brown Airport, managed by the Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture.
Note for East Cobb residents: the venue is in southwest Atlanta, roughly 30 miles from Marietta, across the county line in Fulton County.
Harris told Cobb In Focus her long-term goal is a permanent home for the center. "It is important to me that we build a strong foundation before we build a permanent home," she said in the same profile.
For updates and event details, visit strangefruitartscenter.org.
Upcoming community dates
- Saturday, July 25 — Rooted & Rising: A Five-Year Celebration of Art & Community, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Emma Darnell Aviation Museum & Conference Center, 3900 Aviation Circle NW, Atlanta. Free admission.
