Artistic Director Oronike Odeleye has a vision for the National Black Arts Festival

Oronike Odeleye, third from right, with Grammy winner Anthony Hamilton and NBAF staff

Credit: Courtesy of NBAF

Credit: Courtesy of NBAF

Oronike Odeleye, third from right, with Grammy winner Anthony Hamilton and NBAF staff

Oronike Odeleye moved to Atlanta with her family at the age of 3 and — as she recalls — practically grew up with the National Black Arts Festival. At first, her parents attended, and later, she eagerly did as well. Little did she realize at the time she would eventually grow up to be the organization’s new artistic leader.

Odeleye, who previously served as the festival director for the urban progressive One Musicfest, began part time in June and then full time Nov. 1. She replaces Tiffany Latrice Williams, who left the organization to become marketing director for Seattle’s Northwest African American Museum.

National Black Arts Festival Artistic Director Oronike Odeleye.

Credit: Courtesy of NBAF

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Credit: Courtesy of NBAF

When she was approached by a festival board member about the position, Odeleye was initially hesitant. “I loved my position at One Musicfest,” she says. “That role over the past 10 years has been amazing. I wasn’t looking for a change, but the more I talked with them — the executive director (Stephanie Owens) and the board — I saw they are in a space where they are excited about growth and about building something. They swayed me with their vision.”

After a study commissioned in 1986 by Michael Lomax, the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, the National Black Arts Festival was founded and held its first event in 1988. It became one of the city’s premier arts events, a showcase for the art and culture of the African diaspora, combining all sorts of disciplines and frequent guest artists. It’s now recognized as the oldest multidisciplinary arts organization in the United States focused exclusively on the arts of African descent. Some of the artists who have been involved over the years include Maya Angelou, Gladys Knight, Spike Lee, Maurice Hines, Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson and Alfre Woodard.

Yet, it’s been a while since the festival was at full capacity in terms of its programming and staff. Odeleye has been impressed nonetheless with how the organization has been able to keep the festival alive all these years through all the ups and downs of funding and other issues.

The National Black Arts Festival has experienced what a lot of other Black organizations have had to face — the changing whim of the funders whom they rely on for their programming. “Sometimes Black is in and everyone wants to give you money, and sometimes it is not,” she says. One of her major tasks is trying to build a funding model that doesn’t rely so heavily on the changing priorities of funders — and trying to impress upon others the vital importance of Black art within the Black community and the community in general. “What we do is not solely limited to our community. It is an important factor in the world.”

NBAF sponsored historian and author Dr. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado’s photography exhibition on the civil rights movement in 2021.

Credit: Courtesy of NBAF

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Credit: Courtesy of NBAF

COVID-19 had an impact as well, forcing the festival to pivot to a lot of virtual fare. Their Artist Project Fund started as a result of the pandemic, and overall their efforts paid off. “It allowed us to refocus and re-examine and do some successful programming. It also allowed us to have the first full-time artistic director in a good long time.”

Moving from D.C. was a culture shock for Odeleye’s family. At that time, in the 1980s, Atlanta was a smaller town and her parents were coming from a metropolitan center that had abundant art, culture and diversity to “what felt like the backwoods to them.”

But the National Black Arts Festival impressed them. “What they got eventually every two years was a world-class festival of art that excited them so much that it was contagious to us as kids. We looked forward to attending because we could see things we wouldn’t see in the city normally.”

Odeleye remembers watching the National Ballet de Guinea perform at the Civic Center. “That was just huge — you had this whole dance company that had come all the way from Guinea. They performed in native dress, and the women were topless. It was shocking at the time because Atlanta was so provincial and conservative, but the festival embracing all of our culture in that way was amazing. My parents were so excited. That excitement for art is what the festival brought.”

Odeleye started her creative career owning a graphic design and marketing company with Atlanta visual artist Fahamu Pecou. The two eventually co-founded the international artist collective Creative Currents Artist Collaborative (CCAC), where they, alongside other artists, created national and international arts programming for more than 10 years. From there, it was on to One Musicfest, which attracted almost 50,000 patrons in October. While there, she was able to secure almost $1 million annually in sponsorship money.

Settling into her new job, Odeleye and her team are still trying to figure out their model for 2023. The goal is to return to a large bi-annual festival, in addition to hosting year-round programming.

“I want Atlanta to become a destination for diverse Black arts. We are a hub for Black music, but when it comes to theater and dance and poetry and literature, we are not in the same spot as other cities with large Black populations. I want to shine a spotlight on that and make Atlanta a destination for the best art. We can only do that with a large-scale event that draws the kinds of crowds it used to draw. That is my hope.”

Yet that will not happen overnight, she realizes. A weekend event, three or four days in length, might be the best option, then growing from there. “I am into sustainability. I don’t want us to jump up and not sustain what we are building as we build the audience back. We are going to baby-step it back in.”


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Credit: ArtsATL

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Credit: ArtsATL

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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.

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