NBAF (National Black Arts Festival)

OUR VISION

A society where artists of African descent own and benefit from their collective cultural production

and have their work supported and celebrated by their community and the world.

OUR MISSION

To expose, educate, engage, and entertain audiences as we present and support

the art and artists of African descent while broadening cultural experiences.

OUR WORK

We EXPOSE audiences to art and artists of African descent through innovative programs 

and collaborations across dance, film, music, theater, literary and visual arts.

We EDUCATE audiences by offering impactful and enriching programs to celebrate the diverse history

and the immense depth of African American creative expression to inspire the next generation. 

We ENGAGE audiences, highlighting emerging and established artists through immersive 

arts events and public programs that are free and open to the community. 

We ENTERTAIN audiences by showcasing multi-disciplinary artistic work, broadening the cultural 

experiences of communities through partnerships with artists and arts organizations.

NBAF fulfills its mission through the following core program areas: 

Youth Arts Education 

NBAF offers no cost school-based programs that combine high quality arts education with leadership development and mentoring, to introduce students to career pathways in the creative industries. Our programs Move/Dance! (Offered in 5 Atlanta Schools) And NextGen (Offered in 6 Atlanta Schools) programs reach over 3,000 students annually. We primarily serve Title 1 institutions located in underserved communities where opportunity gaps disproportionately affect Black students.  

Artistic Development

NBAF invests in Black artists who remain persistently under-funded and marginalized in cultural spaces. We provide financial support through competitive awards and grants such as our Artist Project Fund (20 Artists supported with $20,000 total investment for business support services/training)  and Horizon Awards (1 Local Artist awarded $10,000 and promotional support to advance their career) NBAF also has an innovative professional development program that equips Black artists with entrepreneurial skills and a strong professional network to support sustainable careers in the arts. 

Public Programs 

NBAF engages audiences by presenting arts events with social impact, including large annual projects tied to Black History Month (February 2024 BlackListed! Banned Book Conference Supported 35 artists and activists, 15 Community Vendors) and Black Music Month (June-SOULREBELROCK Juneteenth Concert Supported 23 Artists) with over 300 attendees. NBAF was recently named a winner of the Bloomberg Public Art Challenge, giving us the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Atlanta on a large-scale project using art to address racism as a public health crisis. During 2024 and 2025, we will participate by producing mural projects, mobile exhibits, performances, pop up events, and a multidisciplinary festival curated by NBAF, staged in conjunction with health partners. 

By contributing to NBAF, you are not just investing in our year-round public and youth arts education programs; you're helping ensure access to quality Black arts programming for generations to come! As a one-time donor or a partner in our recurring gifts program, your generosity empowers artists, enriches lives and educates our community. 

Your donation is vital to our work and helps to keep NBAF alive, sustaining NBAF’s year-round, high-quality public programs, youth-focused initiatives, artist grants, and professional development opportunities. Generating the opportunity for thousands of people around the country to experience the transformative power of Black art.  

Your contribution will go beyond supporting our arts education programs; a one-time or monthly recurring donation gives access to quality Black arts programming for future generations. 

All donations are tax-deductible.

To Learn more about NBAF and our mission, please visit NBAF.org.