A CALL TO ART

At NBAF, we believe that art is not just about creating beauty, it’s a call to address the issues of the day in new and creative ways.

Art has the power to incite change in the world and in the individual. Beyond creating what may seem frivolous to some, we look to art to inspire and energize us as we face our daily struggles. It is its own form of evolution, encouraging us to be better and do better than we have been or than has been done to us. It calls us to find creative solutions to the problems we face as a people and a nation.

As the vanguard organization promoting and presenting the best in Black art, NBAF is always striving to innovate in the field, to find creative solutions to the obstacles that we face, and to present our work in ways that set the standard.

NBAF’s 2023 theme, A Call to Art is a Call to Action, seeks to guide us as we create year round artistic programming that exposes, educates, engages and entertain audiences through immersive artistic experiences. The theme centers NBAF moving forward together with our community, and evolving with the needs of our people to consistently create with excellence as we stand on the 35 year legacy of NBAF. Black Art has always been our call to action!

Help NBAF answer the call by contributing $35 to help us reach our $35,000 annual individual donation goal! Your support helps sustain NBAF’s year-round, high quality public programs, youth focused initiatives and artist grant and professional development opportunities — enabling thousands of people around the country to experience the transformative power of Black art.

For more info or to donate, please visit: https://nbaf.org/donate/

On Thursday, April 20th at the Atlanta History Center, NBAF’s 17th Annual Fine Art + Fashion benefit raised funds to support NBAF’s youth arts education programs for underserved students of African descent.

Sponsored by Neiman Marcus, the exclusive event brought together lovers of art and fashion to celebrate the talent of visual artists, fashion designers, as well as highlight emerging Black designers through the Fashion Forward Student Design Competition.

The recipient of NBAF’s 2023 “Living Legend” award, Ruth E. Carter is a Costume Designer who has brought her skills to more than 60 diverse film and television projects, including Marvel’s Black Panther series.

In 2019, she was honored by the Costume Designers Guild with a Career Achievement Award and by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science with the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. She won her second Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 2023.

The 2023 Fine Art + Fashion honorees also included Visual Artist, Shanequa Gay, and Fashion Designer, Busayo Olupona.

Shanequa Gay is a visual artist primarily known for her surrealist acrylic paintings. Her work evaluates tradition, place, storytelling, and subject matter to develop imaginative dialogues and alternative strategies for self-imaging.

Gay has exhibited her work at prestigious venues and events, and is among many collections including actor Samuel L. Jackson and the permanent collection for SCAD Hong Kong.

Fashion Designer Busayo Olupona is a powerhouse fashion designer and attorney who has made a name for herself in both fields. She has created a unique and vibrant style that celebrates her Nigerian heritage and fosters dialogue across the Black diaspora.

Busayo’s work has been worn by some of the most influential women of our time, including Madonna, Dr. Angela Davis, Lupita Nyong’o, Ms. Alfre Woodard, and Wunmi Mosaku.

NBAF’s 2023 Fashion Forward Student Design Competition winners were junior college students, Jakarie Akhil Whitaker and Yemisi Sanni. They both received a cash prize of $2,000, their work highlighted at NBAF’s Fine Art + Fashion Benefit, and a showcase at Neiman Marcus.

For more info on Fine Art + Fashion, please visit: https://nbaf.org/fine-art-fashion/

Photos by Kim Evans Photos