Atlanta Hawks honor team photographer Scott Cunningham with mesmerizing exhibition

If you don’t recognize the name of Scott Cunningham, you probably know his work. In fact, if you are a regular consumer of this website, you definitely know his work.

Cunningham has been the Atlanta Hawks team photographer for a startling 40 years and, through that time period, has captured more than 20,000 published photos. In paying tribute to Cunningham’s work, the Hawks have honored Cunningham with what they describe as a two-week retrospective of his work at the Westside Cultural Arts Center that will run through Aug. 14.

The exhibition includes more than 50 select photos of his time with the organization and it is titled From the Baseline: 40 Years Beneath the Rim. Michael David Murphy, Digital Director of Atlanta Celebrates Photography (ACP), is the curator of the exhibition and it is a spectacular ride through Cunningham’s lens and into the history of the organization as a whole.

Donna Permell - Prime Phocus

“Scott is incredibly deserving of this recognition of his talent and his devotion to the Hawks organization,” said Steve Koonin, CEO of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club. “He has been a constant in our arena for an amazing 40 seasons, uniquely capturing the most awe-inspiring moments in our franchise’s history. We are excited to invite the Atlanta community to help us honor Scott’s contributions to sports history.”

As you may expect, Cunningham has enjoyed plenty of interactions with the best of the best from the Atlanta Hawks, including fantastic work in chronicling the career of Dominique Wilkins, Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Paul Millsap and many more. In addition, Cunningham’s work was featured on four Sports Illustrated covers through the years and his images were displayed in SLAM Magazine, as well as part of advertising campaigns for Nike.

Cunningham’s photos have graced four Sports Illustrated covers, as well as national publications including SLAM and Hockey News, and been featured in advertising campaigns for the likes of Nike and more. In 1997, fans voted his shot of Michael Jordan driving the lane against the Milwaukee Bucks as the Photo of the Year on NBA.com. Cunningham, a Roanoke, VA native, also co-authored Dale Earnhardt Image of Greatness, a book of photos chronicling the life of the NASCAR legend on and off the track.

Part of the festivities include Cunningham being presented with a customized jersey with recognition from Mike Budenholzer, Wilkins and Koonin, among others.

Donna Permell - Prime Phocus

The exhibit is completely free to visit and, if nothing else, is a wonderful reminder of the rich history of the organization. Cunningham’s photos can be seen all over Peachtree Hoops (through partnership with Getty Images) and his work is always pristine.

Our website congratulates Scott Cunningham on a fantastic run of four decades and, if you are blessed with the time, a trip to the gallery would be more than worth your time.