Najee and Seteria Dorseys Black Art in America Collection at Hmaac
Najee Dorsey, an Atlanta-based visual artist and entrepreneur, was having dinner with a collective of painters in Chicago 11 years ago when it occurred to him that he could be the change they were all seeking.
"We were talking about the lack of representation and lack of access to collectors in the Black customs," says Dorsey, who'd discovered a community of unsung talents while exhibiting his ain work at pop-up shows and art fairs across the country. "As someone who was plugged into an art world that was off the grid, I knew I could be an advocate for emerging artists . . . and represent artists as a gallerist. And I knew I could share my knowledge to help patrons curate new works and build their collections."
The result was the online portal Black Art in America (BAIA), designed to certificate, preserve and promote the contributions of the African American arts community. Since founding the virtual hub in 2010, with Dorsey equally CEO and his wife Seteria as CFO, their fan base of operations has grown to comprehend over 100 countries, 145,000 followers on Instagram and about half a million visitors to a host of social media pages including Black Art In America™, Garden Fine art for the Soul, Everythang Black and Do You Basel?™
Even every bit business was booming online, the Dorseys sought to leverage BAIA's success and found tangible bear witness of the organization's core values past offer a permanent location where people could gather. Just as fortune smiled on them when they created what'south affectionately known as "the institution in the sky," their desire to establish a brick and mortar headquarters seemed predestined.
Thanks to a glut of commercial properties that flooded the Atlanta real estate market at the outset of the pandemic, the Dorseys were able to buy a former church at a reduced price in a cash transaction. Corporate donations poured in, despite BAIA's condition every bit a for-profit entity, because local business leaders understood the value of art as a generator of commerce and community pride. Metropolis Hall granted a permit for the new headquarters without the usual bureaucratic delays. And the East Indicate location, which occupies an entire block, sits at what Dorsey describes every bit "a crossroads of black art and civilisation." Greenbriar Mall is a couple miles away, the Hartsfield-Jackson drome iii miles away, and Tyler Perry Studios merely two miles away.
The edifice's iv,000 foursquare foot footprint will remain the same. But the original flooring plan — previously a warren of partitions, multiple rooms and a sanctuary — has been fully gutted and reimagined as a white cube exhibition and retail space. Eight foot ceilings have been raised to 12 feet. A 2,000-square-foot deck has been added. And garden art, a collection of figurines depicting icons of African American culture and everyday people who have marched for equity and representation, will dot the front end lawn.
The edifice will be ready for occupancy by the end of March, merely will non be open to the public until a grand opening in May, which is earmarked to coincide with BAIA's 12th anniversary. The opening will include a range of dynamic programming, an exhibition and performances to mark the occasion. While Dorsey is airtight-lipped about the particulars, he promises it will be ane g political party.
A gold-rush mentality surrounding works by Black artists has taken root in recent years. What sets Dorsey apart is his long-standing reputation for showcasing a broad spectrum of artists and granting visitors proximity to spaces where art-making thrives. That has earned him praise from high profile fans like Serena Williams, Common and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Grant Colina, an gorging collector who has been a client for years, made his starting time online purchase via BAIA. Merely Dorsey is quick to acknowledge that "98.5 per centum of my clients are just regular folk who support what we're doing. If not for them, we would not exist able to sustain the business model."
Dorsey is every bit inclined to shine a lite on baddest works of fine art on exhibit at Art Basel, as he is to give a shoutout to gifted artists working in obscurity whom he encounters on his travels worldwide.
At present that BAIA has a home base, Dorsey looks frontwards to face-to-face interactions with future mentees and protégés equally he offers resources including BAIA Bits (mini-introductions to established artists), open invitations for submissions from emerging artists and a class for virtual collectors that have only been accessible online so far. Most critically, he wants to transform lives through art by teaching young practitioners how to abet for themselves and have an entrepreneurial approach to managing their careers.
(The system publishes a impress magazine six times a twelvemonth. Copies will be provided complimentary of charge at BAIA's headquarters, and are currently available at partners across metro Atlanta, including all HBCUs, the Slutty Vegan and For Keeps Bookstore on Auburn Avenue.)
The community development arm of BAIA, Black Fine art in America Foundation, caused its 501c3 tax status in Jan. It will facilitate the growth of artists by paying them to do community-based touch on work and mentor children in summer school programs. Once the foundation'south fundraising goal has been met, the foundation will exist able hire more team members to enhance initiatives that target grade schoolers and HBCU students.
"Stories untold are stories forgotten," says Dorsey when asked what inspires him to dilate a distinctly American narrative. "We want to be a magnet for those who are interested in Blackness visual culture. We want to exist a magnet for those who are interested in learning more and getting engaged. We want to gloat our culture in an international city. Atlanta is where we can add a lot of value and that's why nosotros're here!"
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Gail O'Neill is anArtsATL editor-at-large. She hosts and coproduces Collective Knowledge, a conversational serial that's circulate on THEA Network, and frequently moderates author talks for the Atlanta History Center.
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Source: https://www.artsatl.org/black-art-in-america-booming-online-is-building-an-art-center-in-east-point/