Second-Annual Black Art In America Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair Showcases Works By Renowned Masters And Contemporary Visionaries

Lyrics from Stevie Wonder’s 1974 funk single You Haven’t Done Nothin’ are drawn into a rich narrative of Black power and humanity, where red triangular eyes in six distinct faces, including two with dangling ankh earrings, direct our gaze to the top of a green, black, and red pyramid symbolizing the Black Power Movement. The faces to the left of the pyramid, conveying emotion with simple black lines, encounter a pharaoh mask and a mouthless face with white-lens glasses and an ankh by the ear, to the right.

The central canvas is framed, or perhaps squeezed, by a red, white, and blue border emblazoned with U.S. history quotes that expose the failed ideals of the nation. Klu Klux Klan-shaped stars inspired by Barbara Jones-Hogu’s 1969 screenprint America are woven into American flag imagery, amplifying the ongoing oppression of Black humanity.

A Few Words From The Prophet Stevie (1976) by Napoleon Henderson (born 1943), a silkscreen print of 200 impressions, is an adaptation of an eponymous textile design by the Chicago-born artist who in 1969 became a member of the influential artist collective African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCOBRA), which was co-founded by painter and printmaker Jones-Hogu.

The visually and contextually striking print is among a wide array of “works that capture the essence of printmaking as a distinctive art form—in a masterclass about collecting fine art prints as an asset,” carefully curated for the second annual Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair presented by Black Art in America’s (BAIA). The first and only U.S. print fair showcasing contemporary and legacy African American printmakers will be on view August 9-11 at the renowned BAIA and Sculpture Garden in East Point, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb.

“We are ecstatic for the fair this year, we are the only print fair in the nation, focused on celebrating African American printmakers,” said Najee Dorsey, founder and CEO of (BAIA), who is also an artist. “We are in the process of cataloging hundreds of works in preparation for the fair … Many of which are from the secondary market and haven’t been seen outside of private collections in over two decades.”

Building on last year’s success, this year’s fair includes works by acclaimed artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, Hale Woodruff, David Driskell, and James Wells, alongside contemporary visionaries including Steve Prince, Curlee Holton, and Jamaal Barber.

Civil Rights, human rights, and women’s rights leaders, organizers, and activists Ella Baker (left) and Fannie Lou Hamer (right), pose for a dual portrait. Hamer, in a monochromatic floral (rose) dress, holds a flag depicting Harriet Tubman, celebrating the contribution of women who fought for rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals.

Traci Mims used a color reduction woodblock technique to create five editions of Flowers for Their Stripes. The painstaking process is the result of multiple wood carvings, and multiple impressions made on the paper for each color. Mims hand carved away previous applications of color and applied new ones, creating an intricate painterly image.

Our mood shifts dramatically as we meet a bearded father figure sitting to the left of standing identical twins, one visible only in profile behind the other, in master John Biggers’ (1924-2001) Twins of Morning (1975). Birds and turtles wander below the man, and a table with a blacksmith’s anvil and on the lower left appears to be connected to the man’s minimalist chair. The black and white print evokes an otherworldly experience, as the man holds a small white orb as if he plucked it from the night sky.

We embark on a serene journey through Lou Stovall’s 1937-2023) passing (1972).Our mind wanders, along with our gaze, to a hint of rose on the far right center and a vibrant blue abstract shape emerging from the top left of a barren tree. Stovall, a master of silkscreen printmaking in 1968 founded Workshop, Inc., a community studio which evolved into a professional printmaking facility used by a wide range of artists, including his wife, Di Bagley Stovall, Josef Albers, Peter Blume, Alexander Calder, Gene Davis, Sam Gilliam, Jacob Kainen, Jacob Lawrence, Robert Mangold, Mathieu Mategot, Pat Buckley Moss, Paul Reed, Reuben Rubin, and James L. Wells.

Consider this an art historical survey that elevates fine art printmaking to its own art form while amplifying the African American artists who blazed the trails. Moreover, collecting prints enables you to attain works at accessible prices, and this fair is an opportunity to view and contextualize rare pieces that don’t often change hands.

Fairgoers may engage directly with artists and master printmakers through interactive demonstrations and workshops, in a welcoming environment for collectors of all levels. The fair is free and open to the public, and a percentage of proceeds from the fair’s opening day sales will support the BAIA Foundation, a 501c3 organization offering programming, educational outreach, and viable community fellowships and partnerships for artists of color.