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Valor Art of Inclusion Commission
Each year, Valor commissions a local artist to create an original work that reflects our values of inclusion and courage. We are proud to feature these incredible artists and their vision.
Previous Valor Artists
2024
Brenda Allison
The 2024 Art of Inclusion Artist is Brenda Allison, a Decatur portrait artist with her own studio.
Brenda is an entrepreneur, and started her photography business in 2008. “I’ve spent the past 20 years capturing the beauty, strength, and individuality of people through my lens.” She does heirloom family portraiture, individual sessions, and branding personality photo sessions with edge and intention.
For Valor’s 2024 Art of Inclusion commission, Brenda crafted an image titled “Women of Valor,” capturing the strength and serenity of Valor’s women investors (limited partners) in Valor’s office. Each partner received her own professional portrait as well as the group session photo.
2023
Austin Blue
Austin is a native of San Francisco who is now based in Atlanta.
His work has been featured in places like Super Bowl Live, City of Atlanta, Atlanta Zoo and Lyft, among others.
Through his art Austin delves into the concepts of contrast and harmony, utilizing shapes, colors, and space to convey these ideas. His preferred style involves painting compositions of geometric shapes, often featuring subjects such as animals or human, frequently alternating between representational and abstract approaches, seeking to explore diverse artistic expressions.
“While I am self-taught, I prioritize continuous learning and growth in my craft. I strive to constantly expand my knowledge and skills, ensuring that I never let much time pass without acquiring something new related to my artistic practice. As a result, each artwork I create holds personal significance as a milestone in my artistic journey. I am driven by a perpetual desire to learn, improve, inspire, and push the boundaries of my creativity. Ultimately, my goal is to captivate viewers with my work, sparking their curiosity, offering fresh perspectives, and igniting their own creative endeavors.”
2022
Alisa Barry
My work is a study, practice and exploration of the relationship between the sacred and the mundane. I am interested in rethinking repetition and how discipline as devotion can transform everyday ordinary activities into meaningful ritual. I inves- tigate these themes through a movement meditation practice using Japanese ink on paper. The practice is a meditation in motion, a prayer on the page. A portfolio of work is shown at the Bella Cucina storeXstudio in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia and in select exhibition shows.
Ensō is a prevelant symbol in the Japanese arts culture, known as Michi or Japanese arts and ways, which is universally known as the circle of infinity & enlightenment . It is a traditionally Zen practice studied repetitively for years, perfecting the calm and grace to realize the full potential and spiritual expression of ki or chi, energy. The brushstroke is one of deliberate and focused attention; a reflection of the artist’s state of consciousness on the page.
2021
Ashley Daramola
Ashley is a fine artist from Atlanta who started doing commercial murals about 5 years ago when she left her prior career in mental health.
“The legacies of ancient civilizations have been portrayed through their motifs and art that we now use to define who they may have been. Today, we easily recognize the people represented in tribal motifs from around the world. The artistic direction of this piece was inspired by my personal understanding of inclusion as a black minority female founder in Atlanta, visually conveying the lens of my own experiences. In using freehanded patterns, designs, and vibrant colors in a repetitive way, I am inspired by what I see in my own culture. As one of hundreds of minority founders with promising startups in Atlanta, I’ve cultivated how I express the world as I see it and take this opportunity to establish a legacy within my own community. “
2020
Brandon Sadler
Brandon aka Rising Red Lotus is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A in illustration.
He is renowned for his public murals and his solo and group exhibitions have brought him accolades as one of Atlanta’s most prolific artists. His work has been collected by individuals as well as the High Museum of Art. In addition to contributing to the fine art world, he has also worked with several major brands to successfully bring his unique vision into the commercial space. Brandon’s work on the set of MARVEL Studio’s Black Panther hasbrought great attention to his creative versatility in recent years. Recognized for his work on the film and career to date, he was awarded SCAD’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.
2019
Nicole Kutz
Nicole Kutz is an artist and curator based in Nashville, TN. She received her MFA in 2017 from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a concentration in painting.
Her work meditates on life’s transience by using handmade pigments and dyes to create ethereal abstract worlds. She frequently draws inspiration from Wabi-sabi, as well as the Japanese artforms of shibori and kintsugi, and ultimately finds beauty in the work’s imperfections. Her pieces have been shown in galleries, corporate institutions and private collections throughout the world including: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and London. Https://nicolekutz.com
The individual selected will receive:
- $5,000.
- Their art, bio and contact information will be reproduced and shared with Valor’s partners as a holiday gift. The Title will be memorialized on a web page with the art, creating a series of art focused on inclusion over time. The work will be celebrated in social posts and announcements.
- The artist will be interviewed on the art and its inspiration on the Atlanta Startup Podcast, reaching thousands of innovators.
- The artist will be invited to Valor’s signature in-person events in the following year.
Applications for 2025 are OPEN!
- An original idea
Original Art that helps people experience a new level of understanding of and appreciation for the transformative power of inclusion. The theme for this year is Inclusion in the Age of AI. For 2020, our art was themed around healing. We’re looking for an artist that can work with the now, and create something timeless. - The artist
Working artists who embody inclusion in their art, background and life experiences. Full time artists, emerging artists and student artists are especially encouraged to apply. - Geography.
This commission is limited to artists who live in our investment area, which is the US Census South. You are not visiting–you identify as Southern and make your home in the South currently. We’ll validate this by your drivers license or other form of residential ID. - Media.
This award is media agnostic. However, because the artwork will be reproduced as a limited signed and numbered series, we do need it to be reproducible for no more than $50 per copy. Surprise us! Watercolor, silk painting, laser cutting, 3D printing, lost wax, wearable art–if it’s a visual media or wearable and we can give it to our partners, it’s a great media for this commission. We will reproduce ~90 limited, numbered editions of the original work that we will ask the artist to autograph and number, so they can be distributed by us to the Valor investors. - Display / Gallery. Your original work becomes the property of Valor, and will be displayed in our Art of Inclusion Gallery.
Applying for the Valor Annual Art of Inclusion Commission
Are you an artist interested in being commissioned for our next piece? We look for distinct voices that capture the spirit of innovation and diversity.
Applications for the next commission cycle will open in September 2026.
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