MELVIN EDWARDS & MASTER PRINTMAKER CURLEE RAVEN HOLTON HEADLINE 100 YEAR CELEBRATION
THE ATLANTA FINE ART PRINT FAIR AT BLACK ART IN AMERICA™ RETURNS WITH FAMED ARTIST MELVIN EDWARDS & MASTER PRINTMAKER CURLEE RAVEN HOLTON FOR 100 YEARS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PRINTMAKING
BLACK ART IN AMERICA™ (BAIA), continuing the tradition and success of its annual Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair, proudly announces 100 Years of African American Printmaking: A Vision of Creative Possibilities. The highly anticipated fair will feature internationally-renowned sculptor, Melvin Edwards, in conversation with acclaimed printmaker and scholar, Dr. Curlee Raven Holton, and take place August 1st - 3rd at BAIA Gallery & Gardens, 1802 Connally Drive in East Point.
This year’s event will showcase a curated selection of works from both legacy and contemporary African American printmakers while celebrating the extraordinary career and artistic perspective of Edwards. Weekend programming includes a Friday, August 1st Evening with Collectors and celebrated artists from 5pm-8pm; a Saturday, August 2nd exhibition tour, lectures and informal conversation with artists and special guests from 11 am - 8pm, Sunday programming from 12-5pm.
Created by BAIA CEO & Founder, Najee Dorsey, this annual event aims to celebrate the rich history of African American printmaking, offering art enthusiasts and collectors a rare opportunity to consider fine art prints as a viable asset class for their collections. A major highlight of the weekend will be the Saturday Artist Talk by Edwards with Holton, as the two luminaries—who have repeatedly collaborated with each other over the years—will engage in an enlightening conversation about the African American arts legacy and many of its well-known masters.
“The renowned sculptor Mel Edwards, who I have been honored to work with, believed that when observing or viewing the practice and work of other artists we learn from them,” said Ananda Holton, managing director of Raven Fine Art Editions, the private print and publishing studio of Curly Holton. “Our practice should be the embodiment of our talent, skills, passions and vision as a way of communicating with our fellow humans the questions and answers about our existence and the world we live in. The collaborative process creates a shared space, a neutral space, where the pot could be stirred by more than one cook, so to speak.”
For over 50 years, Edwards has created public art for communities all around the world. His work reimagines monumental civic sculpture by uniting abstract forms with personal symbols to address issues of race, labor, and the African Diaspora. Each of Edwards’ work incorporates some form of chain—a signature motif for the artist that have functioned as “welded rope” to pull or hoist, but their interconnected links also convey metaphorical significance. They can represent bonds that constrain or unite us, while broken fragments might suggest liberation or loss.
The Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair is free and open to the public. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage directly with featured artists through artist talks and demonstrations, providing a deeper understanding of their creative processes and the significance of their work. A percentage of art proceeds from the print fair supports the BAIA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to facilitating the growth of artists while cultivating relationships and opportunities that bring Black artists and communities together.
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