National Black Arts Festival appointments Oronike Odeleye as Artistic Director

NBAF is excited to announce the appointment of Oronike Odeleye to the prestigious role of Artistic Director as of November 1, 2022.

Odeleye brings over 20 years of experience as an arts and entertainment administrator specializing in creating meaningful public engagement focused on the art and culture of Africa and the Black Diaspora.

Her diverse career experience, combined with her deep connections within the local and national Black arts community, is an ideal match for the organization as they look to return to larger-scale annual and bi-annual programming.

“NBAF seeks to ensure that the art and stories of Black people are increasingly presented and valued,” said Stephanie Owens, Executive Director of NBAF. “We are committed to our work that has shaped a more equitable and impactful arts ecosystem that highlights the beautiful contributions of Black artists, and we are truly excited to continue this work with Oronike Odeleye. She will lead NBAF’s artistic vision and direction, ensuring the organization continues to expand its reach and impact across communities.”

Odeleye assumes the role on November 1st and will manage the execution of existing and new programming, as well as the implementation of new fundraising, marketing, and community engagement initiatives.

“As a long time Atlantan with a long history of attending NBAF events, I am excited to bring my knowledge and experience to such an important arts organization. The work that NBAF has done over it’s 30+ year history has been instrumental in my growth as an arts lover, collector, and administrator, and I am looking forward to helping grow its programming, budgets, and audience base,” says Odeleye.

Odeleye previously served as the festival director for ONE Musicfest, the annual urban progressive music festival that hosted 48,000 attendees over two days in Atlanta, GA this past October 8th & 9th.  Over her 10-year career with ONE Musicfest, she was key in managing all aspects of festival logistics. She played an integral part in securing close to 1 million dollars in festival sponsorship annually and helped to closely manage sponsor relationships for successful multi-year partnerships.

Prior to ONE Musicfest, Odeleye co-founded Creative Currents Artist Collaborative (CCAC), an international artist collective that hosted annual trips to Panama, Senegal, and Cuba for cultural excursions, artist retreats, and art biennial exhibitions. Over a 15-year period, CCAC hosted hundreds of artists of all disciplines, as well as the public interested in art of the African Diaspora.

Odeleye began her professional career as an account manager for Diamond Lounge Creative, a graphic design and marketing agency she co-managed with noted Atlanta visual artist, Fahamu Pecou. Over her 8-year tenure, she successfully managed accounts for American Express, The Atlanta Hawks, The City of Atlanta, The Mayor’s Office, Heineken U.S.A., McDonalds, and The National Black Arts Festival.

Odeleye succeeds Artistic Director, Tiffany Latrice Williams, Founder and Executive Director of the arts incubator, TILA Studios. Williams assumed the role in 2020 and departed in spring 2022 to become the marketing director for the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle.

About NBAF

NBAF (National Black Arts Festival) is a nonprofit organization with a legacy of providing stellar artistic and educational programs in music, dance, film, visual arts, theater, and the literary arts. Celebrated within and outside of Atlanta, NBAF is recognized as the oldest multidisciplinary arts organization in the United States focused exclusively on the arts and on artists of African descent. Through its annual public programs, world-class performances, commissioned works, visual arts, and youth arts education programs, NBAF offers local, national, and international audiences experiences that are extraordinary and enriching.