Beau McCall: Divas, Blues, and Memories Exhibition Opens

Beau McCall: Divas, Blues, and Memories features dazzling collages and button-encrusted works. Beautifully curated by Souleo, you’ll step into an exhibition that treats music as both sanctuary and soundtrack as music channels the songs, performers, and friendships that have carried McCall from the disco floors of the 1970s to the present day. At the heart of the show are luminous collages drawn from his Diva Worship and REWIND: MEMORIES ON REPEAT series, composed from personal photographs, archival papers, and images of his own button-adorned art. In Diva Worship, McCall pays homage to iconic and overlooked divas of all genders whose voices powered his coming-of-age in LGBTQ+ communities, honoring them as beacons for those navigating prejudice, desire, and self-discovery. The REWIND collages turn to music as memory-keeper, featuring friends lost too soon whose lives intersected with disco, the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the AIDS crisis. Here, concerts, dance floors, shared playlists, and diva impersonations become proof of how sound forges bonds and preserves stories long after the last note fades. McCall invites viewers to remember the tracks that have scored their own lives. “Like so many people, music helped me develop my identity, form important bonds, and has generated lasting memories,” said McCall. “I hope that viewers find connection and inspiration through my joyful, button-filled, musical trip down memory lane.” The exhibition will be on view from February 13 through June 28, 2026.  The opening night reception and celebration will take place on Friday, February 13, from 6:30-9:00 pm, with the first opportunity to see the artwork. To RSVP, click HERE. About The Artist Proclaimed by American Craft magazine as “The Button Man,” Beau McCall creates visual and wearable art by hand-sewing clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. His artworks, offering commentary on topics such as pop culture and social justice are held in the permanent collection of numerous public institutions including the Getty Research Institute (Los Angeles, CA); Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY); Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA); Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK); and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York, NY). In McCall’s words, his artistic practice is rooted in the belief that “With a teeny tiny button you can create, you can have a voice, and you can inspire.” For more information visit his website: BeauMcCall.com. Statement by Halima Taha, Hammonds House Museum Artistic Chair   Like a mixtape layered with rhythm, recollection, and reverence, Beau McCall: Divas, Blues, and Memories invites us into a world where music and memory converge – where love, loss and celebration coexist in lyrical harmony. Curated by Souleo, this exhibition stands as both a tribute and a reckoning, revealing how art and sound can hold the weight of history while still shimmering with joy. Through McCall’s collages and button-laden creations, visitors feel the pulse of communities that found freedom and family on the dance floor, in the recording studio, and in each other’s arms. His Diva Worship series exaltsthe transformative power of performance – the divas whose voices gave courage to those on the margins and who, in turn, became mirrors of queer resilience and beauty. In his REWIND series,McCall turns nostalgia into narrative, using the language of collage to honor friendships lost to time and celebrate the life force that music preserved in their memory, while the Blue series channels the emotional depth of the blues, echoing artists like Billie Holiday who taught the world that vulnerability could sing. Souleo’s curatorial lens amplifies this interplay between personal story and collective history, drawing out the symphony within McCall’s practice – how music becomes material, how memory becomes melody. Together artist and curator orchestrate a space that transcends genre or era. Ultimately, Divas, Blues, and Memories is a celebration of the indomitable spirit that art and music embody. Hammonds House Museum is a 501(c)3 arts organization whose mission is to celebrate and share the cultural diversity and important legacy of artists of African descent. The former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and passionate arts patron, the museum is in a beautiful Victorian home at 503 Peeples Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30310. Hammonds House Museum’s 2025 exhibitions are supported by a series of workshops, public programs and civic engagement activities which serve as opportunities for the community to have a deeper experience with the artworks. For information about upcoming events, to join the mailing list, become a member, or plan your visit, go to the website: www.hammondshousemuseum.org. Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by Fulton County Board of Commissioners through the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, National Performance Network, The Estate of Dr. Doris Derby, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, as well as donors and members.