Najee Dorsey, an Atlanta-based visual artist and entrepreneur, was having dinner with a collective of painters in Chicago 11 years ago when it occurred to him that he could be the change they were all seeking.
“We were talking about the lack of representation and lack of access to collectors in the Black community,” says Dorsey, who’d discovered a community of unsung talents while exhibiting his own work at pop-up shows and art fairs across the country. “As someone who was plugged into an art world that was off the grid, I knew I could be an advocate for emerging artists . . . and represent artists as a gallerist. And I knew I could share my knowledge to help patrons curate new works and build their collections.”
The result was the online portal Black Art in America (BAIA), designed to document, preserve and promote the contributions of the African American arts community. Since founding the virtual hub in 2010, with Dorsey as CEO and his wife Seteria as CFO, their fan base has grown to encompass over 100 countries, 145,000 followers on Instagram and about half a million visitors to a host of social media pages including Black Art In America, Garden Art for the Soul, Every Thang Black and Do You Basel?
Even as business was booming online, the Dorseys sought to leverage BAIA’s success and establish tangible evidence of the organization’s core values by offering a permanent location where people could gather. Just as fortune smiled on them when they created what’s affectionately known as “the institution in the sky,” their desire to establish a brick-and-mortar headquarters seemed predestined.
Thanks to a glut of commercial properties that flooded the Atlanta real estate market at the outset of the pandemic, the Dorseys were able to buy a former church at a reduced price in a cash transaction. Corporate donations poured in, despite BAIA’s status as a for-profit entity, because local business leaders understood the value of art as a generator of commerce and community pride. City Hall granted a permit for the new headquarters without the usual bureaucratic delays. And the East Point location, which occupies an entire block, sits at what Dorsey describes as “a crossroads of black art and culture.” Greenbriar Mall is a couple miles away, the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport three miles away, and Tyler Perry Studios just two miles away.
The building’s 4,000-square-foot footprint will remain the same. But the original floor plan — previously a warren of partitions, multiple rooms and a sanctuary — has been fully gutted and reimagined as a white cube exhibition and retail space. Eight foot ceilings have been raised to 12 feet. A 2,000-square-foot deck has been added. And garden art, a collection of figurines depicting icons of African American culture and everyday people who have marched for equity and representation, will dot the front lawn.
The building will be ready for occupancy by the end of March, but will not be open to the public until a grand opening in May, which is earmarked to coincide with BAIA’s 12th anniversary. The opening will include a range of dynamic programming, an exhibition and performances to mark the occasion. While Dorsey is closed-lipped about the particulars, he promises it will be one grand party.
Courtesy of Najee Dorsey
Courtesy of Najee Dorsey
A gold-rush mentality surrounding works by Black artists has taken root in recent years. What sets Dorsey apart is his long-standing reputation for showcasing a broad spectrum of artists and granting visitors proximity to spaces where art-making thrives. That has earned him praise from high profile fans like Serena Williams, Common and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Grant Hill, an avid collector who has been a client for years, made his first online purchase via BAIA. But Dorsey is quick to acknowledge that “98.5 percent of my clients are just regular folk who support what we’re doing. If not for them, we would not be able to sustain the business model.”
Dorsey is as inclined to shine a light on blue-chip works of art on exhibit at Art Basel, as he is to give a shoutout to gifted artists working in obscurity whom he encounters on his travels worldwide.
Courtesy of Najee Dorsey
Courtesy of Najee Dorsey
Now that BAIA has a home base, Dorsey looks forward to face-to-face interactions with future mentees and protégés as he offers resources including BAIA BITS (mini-introductions to established artists), open invitations for submissions from emerging artists and a course for virtual collectors that have only been accessible online so far. Most critically, he wants to transform lives through art by teaching young practitioners how to advocate for themselves and take an entrepreneurial approach to managing their careers.
(The organization publishes a print magazine six times a year. Copies will be provided free of charge at BAIA’s headquarters, and are currently available at partners across metro Atlanta, including all HBCUs, the Slutty Vegan and For Keeps Bookstore on Auburn Avenue.)
The community development arm of BAIA, Black Art in America Foundation, acquired its 501c3 tax status in January. It will facilitate the growth of artists by paying them to do community-based impact work and mentor children in summer school programs. Once the foundation’s fundraising goal has been met, the foundation will be able hire more team members to enhance initiatives that target grade schoolers and HBCU students.
“Stories untold are stories forgotten,” says Dorsey when asked what inspires him to amplify a distinctly American narrative. “We want to be a magnet for those who are interested in Black visual culture. We want to be a magnet for those who are interested in learning more and getting engaged. We want to celebrate our culture in an international city. Atlanta is where we can add a lot of value and that’s why we’re here!”
Gail O’Neill is an ArtsATL editor-at-large. She hosts and coproduces Collective Knowledge, a conversational series that’s broadcast on THEA Network, and frequently moderates author talks for the Atlanta History Center.
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ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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