This week, the art gallery Black Art In America celebrates its first anniversary in the city of East Point. Even though the gallery is celebrating one year, their work and mission have been around for more than a decade. Founded by Atlanta-based contemporary visual artist Najee Dorsey, the organization’s mission is to use art as a powerful medium for expressing and exploring diverse identities, histories, and cultures. Since its inception in 2010, Black Art in America (BAIA) has been at the forefront of elevating black visual culture. Originally launched as an online program showcasing artists and collectors from across the country, Black Art in America made a significant investment in 2020 by purchasing a property to establish its headquarters, which opened on Juneteenth 2022.
The spacious gallery and sculpture garden became a beacon for black art in Atlanta, hosting regular exhibitions, events, and programs. BAIA has become a part of the city’s art landscape. As the first anniversary of the headquarters approached, the community celebrated the growth and impact of the gallery’s presence in Atlanta. Over the years, BAIA expanded its reach by producing events, culminating in the establishment of its headquarters—an impressive 4,000 square foot gallery space complete with three galleries and a 15,000 square foot sculpture/fine art garden.
The garden is adorned with a range of Black/Brown-based artwork consisting of collection(s) of figurines & sculptures that portray icons of African American culture, as well as ordinary individuals depicted with imagery associated with African-Americans.
“We have about 40 different designs, but also within the sculpture garden, we’ve got fine art sculptures by a number of different artists. We’ve got multiple murals on the property, one by Fabian Williams, who’s a world-renowned muralist based right here in Atlanta. We even have a mural on the container by Charmaine Minniefield,” Dorsey told The Atlanta Voice.
The current exhibit on display inside the BAIA building is the Rhythm and Flow exhibition, showcasing the convergence of abstract and figurative art. Guiding visitors through the pieces is fine artist and Black Art In America employee, Wynter Belle.
“We brought abstract art and figurative art together, almost in a conversation with each other. They’re both on two different and separate sides of the art world. But when we bring them together, you kind of get an extraordinary thought process and view. The Rhythm and Flow is looking at art like water and how it can change forms and transmute itself differently,” told Wynter Belle, a fine artist and Black Art In America employee to The Atlanta Voice.
Black Art in America is located at 1802 Connally Dr, Atlanta, GA 30344. Visit their website at https://www.blackartinamerica.com/.