Najee Dorsey

From Rising Stars to Rediscovered Masters: BAIA Weaves a Tapestry of Artistic Legacy at Atlanta Art Fair

From Stono to Now: The Fire This Time Black Resistance in American Art, 1739 - Present “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.” — Frederick Douglass From the Stono Rebellion of 1739 to the murals of Atlanta and the marches in Ferguson, the language of resistance has always been spoken — in movement, in memory, and in the marks we make upon the world. From Stono to Now: The Fire This Time charts a powerful lineage of Black rebellion and creative defiance, presenting a curatorial arc that spans uprisings, visionaries, and visual declarations of freedom. This exhibition brings together works from multiple exhibited collections that speak to our shared legacy of protest, self-determination, and survival. Featured works include:Traci Mims’ searing depictions of Sojourner Truth, Fred Hampton, and Huey P. Newton, which honor the lineage of Black radical thought and leaders

  BAIA Fine Art Print Fair Recap – Game Changers: The Power of Print & Partnerships Step back into the BAIA Fine Art Print Fair with this thought-provoking panel featuring: Najee Dorsey, Founder of Black Art In America Michele A. Parchment, Executive Director of Brandywine Workshop and Archives John Guess, Executive Director of the Houston Museum of African American Culture In this engaging conversation, the panel explores how strategic partnerships are transforming the landscape for Black visual culture. From publishing to promotion, they unpack how trusted platforms and collaborative printshops shape narratives, amplify artists’ voices, and build collector confidence. Drawing on the storied legacy of Brandywine and HMAAC alongside BAIA’s innovative model, the discussion dives into how partnerships foster visibility, cooperative economics, and long-term sustainability in the art ecosystem. Whether you’re an artist, emerging collector, or seasoned buyer, this session delivers valuable insigh

Blues at the Heart of Black Art in America Gallery’s Latest Exhibit: From Beale to Bourbon Street  By Zaria Johnson In the center, Jontavious Walker, American country blues singer, playing an array of songs from his discography to close out the panel discussions. A panel of musicians, scholars and cultural critics gathered in Atlanta this week to explore the complex legacy of the blues and its evolving place in Black culture as part of a Black Music Month celebration. From ancestral rhythms to strip club anthems, the conversation covered nearly a century of sound, resistance and reinvention. “People often ask me how important the blues still is today,” said Jontavious Willis, a veteran blues performer. “Well, back in the day, the blues was for the people. Today, it’s being pushed downtown, and the folks performing it aren’t always the ones who lived it.” Music professionals are witnessing the gentrification of Black voices within blues and R&B. Willis described what he called the “gentrifica

Of Spirits, Sinners & the Southern Serendipity of Najee Dorsey by D. Amari Jackson “There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.”              -Octavia Butler Timing could not have been more divine. Weeks prior to the May opening of Najee Dorsey’s exhibit, From Beale to Bourbon Street: Deep Down in the Mississippi Delta—and two weeks  after Ryan Coogler’s bluesy, southern-themed horror blockbuster Sinners left opening-weekend box office metrics bowed and bloody—an unlikely collector made her way to Black Art in America (BAIA) Gallery and Gardens in East Point to pose a unique offering to the nationally-acclaimed artist.  “What’s interesting is, three weeks ago, we had a lady that came in who was in her 90s—she was 92,” recalled Dorsey, founding CEO of Black Art in America and a proud southern native of Blytheville, Arkansas. Dorsey relayed the account ami

Curatorial Acquisition Rationale: Radcliffe Bailey Untitled (2005, Mixed Media, 75 × 53 inches) Overview This proposal recommends the acquisition of Untitled (2005), a 75×53-inch mixed-media work by Radcliffe Bailey (1968–2023), an internationally celebrated American artist known for his layered explorations of African American history, memory, and identity. Acquiring this significant piece would enhance the museum’s collection of contemporary art by strengthening representation of African American artists and expanding thematic narratives of diaspora, migration, and historical memory. Radcliffe Bailey’s career bridged painting, sculpture, and assemblage, utilizing mixed media to evoke complex personal and collective histories. His practice, deeply informed by African American cultural traditions and the history of the American South, has been widely recognized for its profound emotional and historical resonance. Works by Bailey are held in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Muse

Curatorial Rationale: Floyd Coleman Artist, Scholar, Visionary of Black Modernism Floyd Coleman (1939–2018) holds a pivotal place in the development of African American modernism and the broader canon of American abstraction. As an artist, scholar, and educator, his contributions transcend formal aesthetics to engage with the intellectual and cultural movements shaping Black visual culture throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. Coleman’s work is characterized by a deep engagement with African diasporic symbolism, layered abstraction, and a philosophical commitment to cultural memory. His paintings and drawings often weave color, rhythm, and form into compositions that echo jazz, spirituality, and African iconography—making his oeuvre both introspective and cosmically resonant. The inclusion of Floyd Coleman in our collection addresses a critical gap. While his works have been acquired by institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum and featured in major exhibitions, his legacy remain

Curatorial Rationale for the Acquisition of Mascara and Lipstick (1947) by Calvin W. Burnett Etching and drypoint on paper, 9 x 11 inches, Artist's Proof Edition The acquisition of Mascara and Lipstick (1947) by Calvin W. Burnett offers a rare opportunity to enrich the museum’s holdings in three key areas: African American printmaking, mid-20th-century American modernism, and underrepresented early works by influential Black artists. This etching and drypoint print, executed in Burnett’s formative postwar period, is a significant example of both technical experimentation and culturally coded portraiture during a time when African American artists were largely excluded from mainstream art institutions. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1921, Burnett was a pioneering artist and educator whose work often explored themes of identity, race, and visibility. Mascara and Lipstick predates his most well-known civil rights era imagery, offering instead an intimate and nuanced glimpse into postwar Black life throu

 Reflecting on Michael Ellison’s artistic legacy by Traci Mims  Barflys by Michael Ellison  I was recently invited to view the work of fellow artist Michael Ellison, to offer my perspective  as a printmaker and arts educator with a similar artistic background. Both Ellison and I have  engaged extensively in color reduction relief printing, particularly woodcuts, affording me a deep  familiarity with the intricacies of this process. Like myself, Ellison was also an educator with a  Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking. However, despite my ability to interpret and  articulate the content and technical aspects of his printmaking, I feel that words alone cannot  fully capture its brilliance; his work truly needs to be experienced firsthand to be fully  appreciated.  Observing Michael Ellison’s printmaking is akin to attending a masterclass in both the technical  and conceptual realms of the art form. His creations are mesmerizing—visually captivating and  technically masterful. They imme