An Emerging Art Collector’s Anticipation of the BAIA Fine Art Print Fair

(aka Countin’ Down the Days!)

By Shelley Danzy

Take heed, there’s a weight in the waiting...

I saw her the first day. I was immediately drawn in by the sizable strength of womanhood. Variations of African mud cloth as symbols of her power, her prominence, her protection—not as much for herself as for others. There she was. A stance of steadfastness. Ah, yes, the impact of the crowned “Dear Black Girl.” Power first held high as if to convey, “You have what it takes; you have everything you need within.” I waited and returned the next day. I waited again and assumed that it would be there. Well, when I returned to the gallery weeks later, Traci Mims’ “We Are Warrior Goddesses” print had been sold. I still feel a pain way down deep whenever I recall not buying that print. (Try not to make the same mistake!)

"We Are Warrior Goddesses" By Traci Mims (Left)

The Reflection

As I approached the entrance of BAIA three years ago, I thought I’d merely observe. I thought fine art was unattainable. Above the doorway, the words of Samella Lewis, Godmother of African American art, shifted my perception: “Art is not a luxury as many people think—it is a necessity. It documents history. It helps educate people and stores knowledge for generations to come.” Thank you, Dr. Lewis.

With natural light, colorful displays, and music that’ll sho’nuff match the high energy, BAIA boasts an inherent come-as-you-are-and-make-yourself-at-home vibe. Countless creative offerings, including limited-edition fine art prints, original works on paper, and special programming reflect all aspects of Black printmaking.

BAIA’s team and the artists themselves are unpretentious. Rather than pitch sales, they have a willingness to engage in real conversations that helped draw me toward fine art that spoke to me… “What catches your eyes? How so?” Follow-up questions empowered my thoughts, my wonder, my stories, my memories, and my imagination. At BAIA’s print fair, I’m at home.

I remember a couple in mid-decision fondly. As the woman raved about the piece, the gentleman inquired where it would hang in their home. She didn’t know. He leaned toward me and said, “You have to know where you’re going to place the art before you buy it, right?” I couldn’t agree; I was on her side. I laughed and told him that I’d learned not to hold off making the investment. I’d figure where it would go at some point!

The Discovery

Living with fine art that I love extends far beyond its physical nuances. Especially in the days and times we’re living, it’s imperative to support BAIA and Black artists. It’s my

active response to resist those external forces working to divide and dismantle the very existence of Black life.

I’ve learned just how wonderfully and beautifully intricate art narratives are—sometimes visible, sometimes invisible. Yet they resonate with all aspects of the Black experience, past, present and future. There will be many art prints to discover, but there’s an unwavering determination and strength among several of BAIA’s featured fine artists.

"I Am" By Jamaal Barber (Left) and "I Will" By Jamaal Barber (Right)

Black Art in America is on a mission to document, preserve and promote African American Art. BAIA creates space for community connection that dismantles the societal push-pull of entities that try to perpetually define and redefine who we are in all our beautiful Blackness. While artists use various printmaking techniques and processes, each print has its unique articulation.

"Blessed I s The Fruit Of Free Labor" By Tina Dunkley

Tina Dunkley’s Sanctuary for the Internal Memory series includes “Blessed is the Fruit of Free Labor” and “Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb Capitalism,” both influenced by her ancestors’ journey through generations of slavery. BAIA 2026 Artist-in-Residence Beverly Smith’s featured print for the art fair, “Information Wanted – Nina, Ada & Suky,” illustrates how her work often reflects histories that tend to be “fragmented, forgotten or overlooked.” Jamaal Barber’s “A Council of Women,” and “Essence II”, paying homage to the breadth and insights of Black women’s truths, to Traci Mims’s expressions of Black womanhood and identity, as in “Legacy.” And Michael Ellison’s masterful complexities of “The Wait.” In writing about Ellison, Mims said it best, “Observing Michael Ellison’s printmaking is akin to attending a masterclass in both the technical and conceptual realms of the art form.” She continues, “I feel that words alone cannot fully capture its brilliance; his work truly needs to be experienced firsthand to be fully appreciated.” I concur. I can hardly wait to see the multifaceted storyline of his 1986 limited edition print, “Tweet.”

"Information Wanted" By Beverly Smith (Left), "Essence II" by Jamaal Barber (Center), "Legacy" by Traci Mims (Right)

What connects these artists’ works for me? Soul-stirring vision and a heart that beats solidly to the beat of Black experiences. Artists who are not broken by the world’s brokenness. There’s a depth in the artworks that calls me to truly observe and speak to (even in silence) meanings that elicit a “not-gon’-break-my-Spirit” kind of strength, as in two of Barber’s prints, “I am…” and “I will…” Through the layers, the textures, the curves, the lines, the colors, and the cuts, there’s an opportunity for me to acknowledge and revere my own lineage and uncover the messages underneath the message.

“Black beauty.” That’s what comes to mind when I think of Black Art in America (BAIA)’s Fine Art Print Fair & Works on Paper … every year is a celebration, indeed. The text below the chocolate-skinned beauty in K. Joy Peters’ “Perspective” is an affirmation: “And through the veil, appears with clarity … a new view.”

Every aspect of the print fair makes me feel like I’m “Somewhere Familiar,” which is also the title of the limited-edition linoleum block print I collected by Najee Dorsey, renowned artist, curator, and founder of BAIA—my very first fine art print purchase.

The Call

Collecting Black art by Black artists at Black Art in America is distinctive and unparalleled. Don’t miss the 2026 BAIA Fine Art Print Fair & Works on Paper Show, August 14-15 (Fri., 12p-8p; Sat., 11a-7p; Sun., 12p-5p), 1802 Connally Drive, East Point, GA 30344.

Nothing’s better than having an open invitation to the print fair’s call and response