“The Arrival” by Sam Gilliam created in 1992, 66 inches by 30 1/4 inches, mixed media on birch wood. Credit: Courtesy of Thomas E. Lockhart.
This weekend, the first-ever Black Fine Art Fair of Ohio will showcase Black artists of various ages and skill levels.
Beginning Thursday, the fair will debut artwork from Black artists through mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media, Keith A. Golden, curator of the art fair, said. Golden said the Black Fine Art Fair is an event that showcases art from multiple perspectives and aims to educate the community and encourage local Black artists.
“We represent fine artists from every level that has African American art, we have master artists that are well recognized, they’re in museums across the United States and international,” Golden said. “We also represent emerging artists, young men and women that have not necessarily reached those realms that the master artists have but they have wonderful work.”
Golden said the only way to develop and sustain a culture while also creating a strong legacy is to showcase every facet of the arts community, including beginners.
“The young artists that have not gotten to this point yet, how else are they going to learn to become professionals in the industry unless they are dealing with people that have been in the industry for a long time?” Golden said.
According to the website, the fair will be hosted by the KBK Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on empowering communities through community development, economic development and social services. Participating galleries include Art by Golden, Black Art In America Gallery, I am Art Wilson, Pigment International, Thelma Harris Art Gallery and WaterKolours Fine Art, according to the website.
Golden said an important part of the fair is uplifting Black artists and educating the community about different aspects of their art. Those who have the ability to purchase fine art may not necessarily be well-educated about it, especially when it comes to its history, he said.
“Our goal and our job is to educate people about fine art and further educate people about fine African American art,” Golden said. “The next thing is to help people understand more about what they should do in terms of developing their portfolios of fine art.”
Rosetta Brown, a board member of the KBK Foundation, said there will be time allotted for a series of lectures featuring a panel of artists. She said guests will be able to ask the panelists questions about the history and significance of Black fine art.
There will be around six lectures guests can attend with topics ranging from portfolio development to legacy establishment to appraisal and conservation, Brown said.
“The one that I’m most interested in is ‘Women in the Fine Art Movement.’ There are a lot of women artists out there too that people may not realize,” Brown said. “There will be some women on the panel and so we want them to really talk to the audience about their ideas and their artwork.”
The Black Fine Art Fair of Ohio will run Thursday through Sunday at 345 E. Fifth Ave. Admission is free, and all of the art displayed will be available for purchase. More information about the event is available on the fair’s website.
