The National Black Arts Festival is an Atlanta festival that celebrates the art, music, and culture of people of African descent. The family friendly festival is scheduled from July 6-15 and includes activities such as literary, musical, and theater performances, fine arts exhibits, and an international market. Although a few events are ticketed, many of the activities are free.
The main weekend of the festival is July 12-15, with many activities taking place at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. Festival attendees can visit the International Marketplace, which will feature artisans from all over the world. Offerings will include paintings, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, and other items. In past years exhibitors have come from such diverse places as Jamaica, Haiti, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Brazil, Canada, and India. The kids will be entertained at the Childrens Educational Village. This years theme will be Destination Africa and Beyond. There will be musical entertainment all weekend from the concert stage. Local and international chefs will be giving cooking demonstrations at the Publix Healthy Cooking Pavilion. Attendees can learn to prepare healthy and balanced foods as well as enjoy tasty samples. All of these activities are free to the public.
Several other free events are planned during the festival. City Gallery at Chastain will present JOuvert: At the Devils Playground, featuring the work of Jamaican born photographer Radcliffe Roye. The exhibition, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence, will run from June 14-July 28. An artist talk is planned for June 30 from 1-3pm. Pre-registration is required for the talk. Jah Music- A Celebration of Traditional Jamaican Music, featuring the Tallawah Mento Band, will take place on June 24 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. The program is scheduled for 3-5pm, and pre-registration is required.
There will be two free screenings of A Raisin in the Sun at the Southwest Arts Center. This will be the original film version of Lorraine Hansberrys play starring Claudia McNeil, Sidney Poitier, and Ruby Dee. Screening dates are July 6, and a special screening for seniors and students on July 11.
The Hagedorn Foundation Gallery will host an exhibition of intimate photos of Michael Jackson by his personal photographer, Todd Gray. The Gray Room with Act 1 of the Performance Piece, Caliban in the Mirror is scheduled for July 6-August 31. The Coretta Scott King Book Fair will be held on July 11 at the Central Branch of the Atlanta Fulton Library. Attendees will meet award winning author Walter Dean Myers and award winning illustrator Michele Wood. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.
The festival also includes several ticketed events. Those events include a gala fundraiser and tribute to actress Ruby Dee on July 14. The play Guess Whos Coming to Dinner? will run July 10-29. There will be an exhibition of the art of Vivian Schuyler Key at the Hammonds House Museum and the exhibition Rise Up: Hale Woodruffs Murals from Talladega College at the High Museum of Art. A benefit event for the National Black Arts Festival, Slavery By Another Name: The Dialogue is planned for July 12.