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Indepth Arts News:
"7th Biennial Festival Opens Tomorrow"
2000-07-28 until 2000-08-06
National Black Arts Festival 2000
Atlanta, GA,
USA United States of America
The National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) is the world’s largest and most prestigious cultural celebration of
the creative and artistic genius of people of African descent. The Festival will showcase the work of more than 1,500 artists in disciplines including music, theatre, film, literature, dance, performance art, visual art, spoken word and educational symposia.
connect. inspire. transform. sets the thematic tone of this year’s 10-day NBAF. The Festival
highlights the power of art and artists to foster positive change in the world.
The National Black Arts Festival makes a difference, not just in Atlanta, but nationally and
worldwide, said Stephanie S. Hughley, NBAF executive producer and founding artistic director.
We’re not just about celebration. We’re about growth, change, education, service and
leadership.
Founded in 1987, the NBAF opened with Hughley at the helm, a post she held successfully
through 1992. With a mission in mind, Hughley returned this year to lead the organization in a
new direction and execute the NBAF board’s long-range vision of expanding the Festival’s
comprehensive program by creating a partnership with Atlanta University Center (AUC),
Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities — Clark Atlanta University, Spelman
College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morris Brown College and the
Interdenominational Theological Center. This partnership emphasizes the year-long important
resource of historically black colleges and universities as repositories of art and as centers of
discussion on race and culture.
The NBAF’s Festival 2000 kicks off its opening weekend on Friday, July 28, 6-8 p.m. with A
Gathering of Artists, an opening ceremony consisting of a splendid procession down historic
Auburn Avenue with an array of artists leading the way to the new NBAF headquarters at the
Studioplex. The weekend continues with A Gathering of Colors on Saturday, July 29, 7
p.m.-midnight, a fundraising Gala that features a festive evening of entertainment. Following
this Gala there will be a neighborhood block party, gallery crawl and open studios on Sunday,
July 30, noon-6 p.m. Additional venues throughout Atlanta will host performances, symposia,
conferences and public forums. Some of these are free of charge.
From Aug. 3-6, the AUC will serve as the focal point for activities for the entire family. Plans
include an outdoor marketplace with more than 100 vendors; multiple stages showcasing local,
national and international artists; the Official NBAF Artists’ Market with more than 80 visual
artists; a Children’s Village with hands-on participatory activities; film screenings; lectures
and workshops; a book fair; a health fair; exhibitions and food vendors. A nominal fee of $5 will
be charged at the gate. Children under 6 are free.
We are pleased to bring National Black Arts Festival events to the Atlanta University Center
campuses, said Hughley. Art is the very fiber of our beings, the very thread that ties us to our
history and heritage, the very fabric of our community.
For program, travel and ticket information, call the NBAF headquarters at 404-730-0177 or
visit the NBAF website.
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