National Black Arts Festival fun for kids and adults

Things to Do

National Black Arts Festival fun for kids and adults

Photos of events that are part of the National Black Arts Festival, including the Children's Educational Village at the Woodruff Arts Center, the Embrace Fine Art Fair, an Afro Chic party, the Creatively Speaking series and the screening of a documentary on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

On the final day of the National Black Arts Festival, Tyrone Clemmons and Shelley Chapman groove to the music played by Atlanta's Latin jazz band, 'Orquesta Macuba.' The two are also part of Atlanta's AfriSalsa scene.

Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta hosted the weekend's 20th anniversary National Black Arts Festival party with an international vendor marketplace as well as live music.

Kalonji Bettis, 5, of St. Louis, Mo., tries on a mask that was for sale at his grandfather's booth Sunday at the International Vendor Marketplace in Centennial Olympic Park. The mask is a ceremonial healing mask from Cameroon. His grandfather operates Timbuktu Art Colony in Ellenwood, Ga.

On the final day of the festival, some sought the shade from the sun, while others basked in it.

With some of the Atlanta skyline as a backdrop, Nomusa Xaba helps with the display of quilts from Brown Sugar Stitchers Quilt Guild out of Decatur, Ga. Nomusa is a storyteller from Milwaukee, and goes by the name, Mama Nomusa. She is wearing a West African farmer's hat and a traditional East African Kanga.

Manuel Heras of Salamanca, Spain, ponders buying a Barack Obama T-shirt for sale at 'The Right Image' booth Sunday.

Inayah Amali and D'Ghanyah B. Rahm of Tallahassee, Florida keep the heat to a minimum by trying one of the vendors fans.

People attending National Blacks Arts Festival browse the International Vendor Marketplace at Centennial Olympic Park.

A child's hands grips the hand of a statue.

Camren Burnham, 2, of Atlanta sits quietly as he is transformed into a lion at a face painting station.

The National Black Arts Festival offers a range of activities that appeal to people of all ages. Amamansa Whitten of the Dominican Republic takes part in an interactive dance performance at the Children's Educational Village at Woodruff Arts Center.

After getting his face painted, Camren Burnham moves to the rhythm of one of the musical groups.

The crowd strolls through the festival.

Sarai Abdul-Malike (left) of New Jersey and Naimahh Zulu of New Orleans watch one of the stilt performers.

At 10 years old, Sarauniya Zulu of New Orleans is the youngest stilt performer in the South. The third-generation stilt dancer demonstrated her balance and agility with the group Zulu Connection.

NBAF's Children's Education Village hosted over 5,000 visitors during its three-day run. The village offered arts and crafts, storytelling, musical performances and insightful narrations of African village life told by teen-age volunteers.

The all-female African dance and drumming troupe Giwayenmata brings down the house. Roughly 1,250 children visited on each of the first two days of the Children's Educational Village.

Rashida Abdullah of Giwayenmata, an all-female dance and drum troupe, teaches audience members African dance steps.

Taylor Brooks, 3, of Atlanta, Tejai Berry, 7, of Dallas, Texas, and Jamal Gibbs, 6, of Atlanta apply glitter and glue to masks at a creative station hosted by Atlanta Parent Magazine.

Michaelanthony Newman, 5, of Norcross plays with a swivel drum he made at one of a dozen workshops on traditional quilting, jewelry making and basket weaving.

Storyteller Mama Koku (second from left) encourages Jene Louis, 10, and Emerald Taylor, 6, both of Fayetteville, Ian Jeannette Smith, 6, of Tyrone and Tierre Badden, 8, of Snellville to role play as she tells the story "I Lost My Tooth in Africa" by Penda Diakite.

Stephanie Hughley, executive director of NBAF, and Elvira Dyangani don super-cool afro wigs as they groove in a Soul Train-style line during the Afro Chic party at the Hyatt Downtown.

Guests view art from across the African Diaspora on opening night of the Embrace Fine Art Fair at the Mason Murer gallery. The fair closes July 27.

The standing-room-only audience at the Rich Theatre welcomes NBAF executive director Stephanie Hughley and Judith Jamison, artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as they are escorted to the stage for a conversation with author/playwright Pearl Cleage. The event was part of the Creatively Speaking series. The hour-long conversation followed the screening of a new documentary on the dance troupe.

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On the final day of the National Black Arts Festival, Tyrone Clemmons and Shelley Chapman groove to the music played by Atlanta's Latin jazz band, 'Orquesta Macuba.' The two are also part of Atlanta's AfriSalsa scene.

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