Atlanta’s creative future takes the stage at NBAF gala
Before a crowd dressed in sequins, capes and tailored suits, Carrington Bryan took the podium in the Swan House Gardens and accepted the National Black Arts Festival’s Fashion Forward Student Award, setting the tone for a night celebrating Black creativity across generations.
“Thank you, to NBAF, for seeing young Black creatives — like myself and the finalists — and enlightening us, and uplifting us, and elevating us so that we know in full confidence that we can be our dreams,” Bryan said.
The Savannah College of Art and Design student also thanked his parents for “planting a seed” within him to be inventive and original.
“(It) has continued to grow so beautifully and in the most profound ways,” Bryan said.
Bryan was among several high school and collegiate artists honored Wednesday night at the Atlanta History Center, where the National Black Arts Festival celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Fine Art + Fashion Fund.
The evening also marked the 16th year of the NBAF’s collaboration with Neiman Marcus, sponsor of the gala’s fashion show.
“Tonight we support not only (National Black Arts Festival’s) in-schooling program, but also excellence in visual arts and excellence in fashion,” said NBAF President and CEO Leatrice Ellzy.
Vice Chair of Fulton County Board of Commissioners Khadijah Abdur-Rahman announced a recurring $3 million investment to arts and culture in Fulton County.
“We must work hard to make sure that arts and culture is protected. A society with no arts and culture is an uncivilized society,” said Abdur-Rahman.
Creative professionals were honored throughout the evening for their innovation and social impact.
Artist Michi Meko won the Radcliffe Bailey Excellence in Visual Art Award, and celebrity wardrobe stylist Jeremy Haynes was honored with the Style Architect Award. Actress Lynn Whitfield was honored as a cultural icon.
“Your work reflects the depth, the brilliance and the global influence of Black creativity,” said Adriane Jefferson, executive director of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Students were uplifted for “carrying the future of the creative ecosystem.”
Cayden Singleton of the Carver STEAM Academy won the NextGen Visionary Art Award.
“Creativity does not exist in silos. Art and fashion are forms of storytelling. They are forms of expression. They are forms of identity, history and imagination,” Jefferson said. “Here in Atlanta, those stories resonate far beyond our city because they influence the world. We know whatever we do in Atlanta, they do in the rest of the world.”
Founded in 1987 by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, NBAF is a nonprofit that uplifts local arts and culture within the Black community.
The nonprofit organization partners with Atlanta Public Schools through NextGen Artist programs to help youth “find their sense of self.”
Undergoing this artistic endeavor, middle and high school students heighten their social skills, develop cultural awareness, expand their communication, and learn structure and discipline.
“In the time we spend with them each week, we feed their curiosity and expand their view of who they are and who they could be. We provide a level of access to a broader world,” Ellzy said.
She added that it was important for the students to gain mental coping skills during an era where children spend so much of their time on digital devices.
“Our NextGen artist residencies support the dreams and aspirations of young people,” Ellzy said. “Through these programs, the answer is a unanimous yes: You can be whoever you want to be.”
About the Author
Brooke Leigh Howard is a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Black culture team, UATL.