BAIA Welcomes Faron Manuel As Director Of BAIA Foundation
BLACK ART IN AMERICA WELCOMES FARON MANUEL AS DIRECTOR OF BAIA FOUNDATION
ATLANTA, May 26, 2023 – Black Art In America welcomes Faron Manuel as Director of BAIA Foundation. Manuel will lead the grants division and oversee exhibitions and programming for Black Art In America and BAIA Foundation.
Manuel is joining BAIA Foundation from the High Museum of Art, where he oversaw two Mellon Foundation-funded curatorial fellowship grants. Manuel joined the museum in 2016 as coordinator of the Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship, and the Mellon Graduate Fellowship in Object-Centered Curatorial Research programs: developing curriculum; managing grant reporting and accounting; and managing grant funded projects. Prior to joining the High Museum, he was the Special Projects Curatorial Assistant to the Director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, where he curated exhibitions and conducted collections-based research. He also served as the Assistant Editor at Black Art In America from 2015-2016, where he regularly interviewed collectors, and reported widely on contemporary art.
“Black Art In America, (BAIA) has been making strategic investments to enhance the experience of patrons and art appreciators online, and in person. Over the last year we have relaunched BAIA’s interactive website, and opened our new headquarters that houses the gallery and Sculpture gardens. We have also partnered with more artists to bring you exciting new shows, artists and collector talks, interviews and much more. With Faron joining the team, we plan to build even more relationships with foundations and sponsors to facilitate greater opportunities for artists and arts professionals in Atlanta and
beyond! We're excited about what the future holds and look forward to celebrating the one-year anniversary of BAIA Gallery and Sculpture Garden the week of Juneteenth with the Black Art Family Reunion.”
- Najee Dorsey, Founder and CEO of Black Art In America.
Manuel earned his B.A. in History from Clark Atlanta University in 2015, where he completed several museum fellowships. He has worked as an independent curator and art writer with notable collections and institutions over the years, doing much to expand the footprint of early career artists. He was presented with the Hammonds House Honors Award for Curatorial Excellence in 2019, and recently served as a Resource Specialist for the Aspen institute’s 2022 Fall Workshop Series on grant program development.
About the BAIA Foundation
BLACK ART IN AMERICA™ (BAIA) is the leading portal and network focused on African American Art in the nation. BAIA’s mission is to document, preserve and promote the contributions of the African American arts community. THE BLACK ART IN AMERICA (BAIA) FOUNDATION is a 501c3 organization that applies what we’ve learned over our 12 years as a multifaceted arts company to facilitate the growth of artists while cultivating the relationships and opportunities that bring Black artists and communities together.
THE BAIA FOUNDATION believes that a significant challenge for communities of color is their lack of access to and education on the visual arts, particularly those that effectively reflect and represent themselves.
