Expect the unexpected at the 2011 National Black Arts Festival, July 7th through July 17th. Get ready for Unexpected Encounters with the culture, people and art of the African Diaspora, as this year’s festival goes beyond expectations with extraordinary experiences for all who encounter it. Beginning July 7 with the opening of Trenton Doyle Hancock’s exhibition at the SCAD Gallery at the Woodruff Arts Center there is literally something for everyone at the 2011 National Black Arts Festival!
In addition to visual arts exhibitions, workshops, symposiums, the Coretta Scott King Awards Book Fair, and The Summer Institute, festival patrons will enjoy the highly-anticipated Legends Celebration featuring The O’Jays in concert. This year the celebration adds a new tribute to cultural icons we have lost during the last year to what has become one of the summer’s hottest tickets.
Other highlights you won’t want to miss include our annual gala fundraiser a Salute to the Silver Screen; the first ever DanceAfrica Atlanta!, curated by the critically acclaimed choreographer and griot Chuck Davis; and premiere film screenings. We are especially proud to present our first visual arts tribute Interpretations: Black Visual Art- Past, Present Future, which honors visual arts masters while this year also paying homage to Romare Bearden on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
The festival returns to Centennial Olympic Park for the third year, July 15th-17th with the International Marketplace of over 100 vendors, the Children’s Education Village, and Music Main Stage featuring, Cuban jazz artist Omar Sosa, Jazz vocalists Gregory Porter and Kathleen Bertrand, Latin Dance Party with Rio Negro, Joyce Candido, Nanny Assis and Orquesta Macuba and a fusion of soul, funk and jazz with The Chronicle. All activities at the park are free and open to the public, so come enjoy the food and entertainment while you shop ‘til you drop at the International Marketplace.
NBAF (presenter of the National Black Arts Festival) is celebrating 23 years of year-round arts and cultural programming. The fact is that NBAF presents programs and events 365 days each year of which the summer festival is just one part. NBAF is a membership organization that hosts nearly 300,000 patrons each year including 25,000 children through year-round performances, exhibitions, and Education and Public Programs. I hope you will consider becoming a member, which will help the organization to continue to serve the community through critically-acclaimed programs.
