Tara
Coyt
About
Awards & Recognition
Tara Y. Coyt is an award-winning author, painter, photographer, entrepreneur, and marketing strategist. In 2025 she was awarded the La Maison Baldwin Fellowship at the Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences. Her paintings and photographs have received several awards in juried exhibits. Tara’s book Real Talk About LGBTQIAP received the Next Generation Indie Book Award and was a finalist for the Georgia Author of the Year award, and
Additional recognition includes a grant from Alternate Roots and The Andrew Mellon Foundation, the Atlanta Business League Super Tuesday Outstanding Business Achievement award, Atlanta Daily World Women of Excellence award, and Walter Kaitz Foundation fellowship. During her career as a marketing strategist Tara led several award-winning campaigns.
Career
As an entrepreneur and marketing and advertising strategist, Tara has developed campaigns for international brands including Disney, General Mills, HBO, McDonalds, NBCUniversal, Porsche, TCI, and WBEZ. She has also served small businesses and non-profit organizations including 100 Black Women, ARD Logistics, Beaufort County Black Cultural Center, Fulton County Commission, Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority, Liquid Soul Media, McBride Research Labs, and National Coalition of Business Owners.
Writing
Tara is developing a play and film inspired by her book Real Talk About LGBTQIAP. Prior to writing Real Talk, she co-
authored and edited books for NBA All-Stars Joe Barry Carroll and Sidney Moncrief, Death Row Records photographer
Simone Green, and numerous entrepreneurs.
Her articles and editorials have appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Catalyst, Entrepreneur, Newsmakers Journal, Real Times
Media publications, Rolling Out, and Validation Times. Tara also launched “The Write Author Coach,” which provided
coaching, guidance and resources to aspiring authors.
Speaking
Tara is a requested speaker on black history, marketing, book development, gender and sexuality. She has presented keynotes, book
talks, workshops, and panel discussions to the Atlanta Press Club, Atlanta Writers Club, Auburn Avenue Research Library on African
American Culture and History, Black MBA Association, Decatur Book Festival, Georgia State University, Miller Urban Entrepreneurs
conference, The Indus Entrepreneurs, U.S Army, and U.S. Navy.
The Arts
In addition to being an award-winning author, Tara is also a curator, film producer, painter, and photographer. She creates abstract, figurative, and figurative abstract art.
Juried Exhibits:
May-June 2025 – iVisual – Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta, GA
May-June 2025 – Fine Arts Exhibit, Decatur Arts Alliance, Decatur, GA
March 2025 – A Woman’s Place is in the Arts, The Art Center, Johns Creek, GA (2nd Place Ribbon)
Feb-March 2025 – Choice 2025, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta, GA
Jan-March 2025 – We’ve Got the Power, Sistagraphy, The Art Center, Johns Creek, GA
Jan 2025 – Celebrate! People and Places, Sistagraphy, Arts Clayton, Jonesboro, GA
Dec 2024-Jan 2025 – Joy and the Everyday, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta, GA
Nov-Dec 2024 – Storytelling, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta, GA
Sept 2024-Jan 2025 – Art in Residence, Fulton County Central Library, Atlanta, GA
Oct 2024–March 2025 – National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, “Art of Soul”
Sept–Dec 2024 – Georgia Nature Photographers Association / Roswell Fine Art Alliance, “Double Vision” (Honorable Mention Ribbon)
Sept–Oct 2024 – Johns Creek Arts, “Summer Serendipity”
Aug-Oct 2024 – Atlanta Photography Group, “Through the Lens”
Aug-Sept 2024 – Arts Alpharetta, “Layers”
July-Aug 2024 – Atlanta Photography Group, “Our Planet”
June–July 2024 – Avondale Arts Alliance, “Seeds of Liberation”
April–May 2024 – Atlanta Photography Group, “Concepts”
April–June 2024 – Avondale Arts Alliance, “Bountiful Earth”
March–April 2024 – Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, “EmpowerHer
February–March 2024 – Atlanta Photography Group, “Choice”
Jan–March 2024 – Roswell Roots, “Making Our Mark” (2nd Place Ribbon)
Dec 2023–Feb 2024 Atlanta Photography Group, “Belonging”
June-July 2023 – Dunwoody Fine Art Association, “Sights & Insights”
Jan–March 2023 – Roswell Roots, “STAND”
Tara’s photography has also appeared in the book “Black American Voices: Shared Culture, Values, and Emotions,” as well as in print and digital media. She has curated African art, contemporary art, and photography for books and exhibits.
Tara began creating art with nature and macro photography in 2017, and later added street photography. She began painting in 2020 with a focus on abstracts, using acrylic on board and canvas. Tara has expanded to include figurative and figurative abstract paintings.
She is also an avid supporter of visual and performing arts, perhaps sparked by attending nursery school at the historical Karama House in Cleveland, OH. Tara frequents museums, galleries, theatres, and concert halls, and supports local arts organizations.
Film & TV
Tara produced the short documentary film, “Joe Barry Carroll,” commissioned by the South Fulton Institute. It has screened across the U.S. including:
- – Baltimore International Black Film Festival
- – BronzeLens Film Festival
- – DAM Short Film Festival
- – Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival
- – Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
- – New Hope Film Festival
- – Vail Film Festival
Tara has also appeared in numerous videos, TV shows, and films, including:
-
- – “Center for Civil and Human Rights,” ATL PBA, Atlanta, GA, 2019
- – “Women United,” United Way of Metro Atlanta, 2018
- – “Being Mary Jane,” BET, 2013
- – “ER,” NBC, 1999-2000
- – “What Women Want,” Paramount Pictures, 2000
- – “High Fidelity,” Touchstone Pictures, 1999
Community Involvement
Tara’s non-profit board appointments include Atlanta-Rio Sister Cities Foundation, Atlanta Technical College Foundation, Atlanta Writers Club, and Decatur Book Festival.
Tara has led community discussions for The Public Square, is a graduate of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta Volunteer Improvement Program, an alumnus of the GLAAD Media Institute, and has participated in the Georgia Equality speaker training program. She has also. Served as a Democratic Party Georgia State Convention Delegate.
Tara also supports the work of the ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, Atlanta Food Bank, WABE NPR, PEN America, The 19th, Center for Civil and Human Rights, National Museum of African American History and Culture.
She serves on the Atlanta Film Festival Screening Committee, and is a member of Atlanta Photography Group, PEN America, and Working Title Playwrights.
Professional memberships have included the Atlanta Business League, Black Journalists Association, Black MBA Association, and National Association of Minorities in Communications.
Education
Tara earned a BS, Natural Sciences, at Xavier University, and an MBA, Marketing, at The Ohio State University.
Continuing Education courses include: “The Many faces of the One Person Show,” Round About TheatreLab workshop, 2021; “Gender and Sexuality: Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace,” University of Pittsburgh, Online non-credit course, 2021; “What Does it Mean to Identify as Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC)?,” University of Minnesota, Online non-credit course, 2021.