More about Ted<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nNajee Dorsey, Founder \/ CEO of Black Art in America (BAIA), (Garden Art for the Soul, Do YOU Basel, EVERYTHANG BLACK, ShopBAIA.COM) and an avid collector and patron of the arts. Black Art In America (BAIA) is the leading online social network and multifaceted media company focused on African-American art. We’ve produced art exhibitions and events in NYC, Miami during Art Basel, Kansas City, Bentonville, Atlanta and numerous private events throughout the United States. Najee is also an accomplished visual artist currently showing at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: PAFA as well as having shown and in the permanent collections of the Columbus Museum, Charles H. Wright, Houston Museum of African American Culture, David C. Driskell Collection, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, David W. Mullins Library at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR and many other institutions.<\/p>\n
PRESENTERS:<\/strong><\/p>\nPaula E. Miles, P.E., MPA<\/b> is a philanthropist and an avid art collector. She holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering, a master\u2019s degree in public administration, and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Texas. \u00a0\u00a0A retired power utility executive, <\/span>Paula provides consultation services to engineering firms, utilities, small businesses, and non-profits, leveraging her skills and experiences to <\/span>help senior leaders excel as successful strategists, aid frontline managers in achieving objectives for sustainable strategy implementation, and guiding the personal and professional growth of young professionals and college students.<\/span><\/p>\nPaula and her husband, Edwin, have assembled an extensive collection of African American art with a keen focus on works on paper from the WPA period to the present. \u00a0The Edwin and Paula Miles Collection was featured in Volume 27, No. 1 of <\/span>The International Review of African American Art<\/i><\/b> and several works from the collection have been featured in museum and gallery shows across the United States.<\/span><\/p>\nPaula adores her husband, two adult children and grandson. \u00a0In addition to art, she is an avid collector of experiences and invests her time, talents and resources in philanthropic causes about which she is passionate and where she can make a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Faron Manuel<\/strong> is the coordinator of the Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship and the Mellon Graduate Fellowship in Object-Centered Curatorial Research at the High Museum of Art. Prior to joining the High Museum, he was the Special Projects Curatorial Assistant to the director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum.<\/p>\nFaron also served as the Assistant Editor at\u00a0Black Art In America<\/em>, where he interviewed Prominent African American artists and reported extensively about contemporary art and culture. He holds a B.A. in History from Clark Atlanta University. Before obtaining his degree he worked as a docent and student Assistant in the CAU Art Museum, earned several awards and fellowships in the arts, and curated\u00a0N\u00e9gritude<\/em>, an exhibition that explored a French literary and philosophical movement within the African diaspora.<\/p>\nEsther Silver-Parker<\/strong> is president and CEO of The SilverParker Group, a consultancy specializing in corporate responsibility and reputation, stakeholder relationship management and leadership development. Silver-Parker is an avid fine art collector, patron of the arts and supporter of Black Art In America and our mission to document, preserve and promote the contributions of the African-American arts community and communities of color. Mrs. Silver-Parker’s interest in art and collecting spurred out of her experiences while attending North Carolina Central and Columbia University. Now on the Board of Trustees at Spelman College, Silver-Parker states: “I joined Spelman\u2019s board of trustees because I want to help lead the globalization of Spelman, ensuring that Spelman women have broad opportunities throughout the world. I also believe that when you empower women, families, communities and countries, all benefit”.<\/p>\nDow Michael Edwards<\/strong> \u2013 Partner in the law firm of Irwin, Fritchie, Urquhart & Moore LLC, avid collector of art and a member of the Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Being a spyboy and Mardi Gras Indian outshines all his other accomplishments. \u201cI have done a lot of things in my life. I have played college football and participated in national championships in track and field. I have played with the NFL. I have been an officer in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States military. I am a lawyer. But there is no more glorious feeling than I felt the first time and every time since I put on my suit on Mardi Gras day. It is one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done.\u201d<\/p>\nNathaniel Donnett<\/strong> lives and works in Houston, Texas and studied at Texas Southern University. Donnett is the founder of the website blog “Not That But This<\/a>“. which was funded by a 2015 Idea Fund \/Andy Warhol Foundation Grant, 2017 Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant, 2015 Houston Downtown Vehicular Wayfinding Signs Project public art commission. Donnett has also received the 2014 Harpo Foundation Grant, 2011 Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant, 2011 Idea Fund\/Andy Warhol Foundation Grant, 2010 Artadia Award. He\u2019s exhibited at The American Museum, Washington, DC, The Kemper Contemporary Arts Museum, Kansas City, MO, The Theresa Hotel, Harlem, NY, Harvey B Gantt Art Center for African American Arts and Culture, Charlotte, NC, The Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury CT, The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, TX, Project Row Houses, Houston, TX, Texas Southern University Museum, Houston, TX, The New Museum, NY, NY, The National Museum in Lima, Peru and The Modern Museum of Peru.<\/p>\n501(c)(3) institution, was founded in 2001 by Vietnam veteran, Captain Paul J. Matthews. Major Charles Williams, United States Army Retired, serves as the Museum’s Chief Docent. BSNM is the only museum dedicated primarily to preserving the\u00a0legacy and honor of the African-American soldier in defense of the United States of America from the Revolutionary War to present. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum<\/strong> is a proud\u00a0member of the Houston Museum District and theMidtown Cultural Arts District. The museum is also a proud member of the Greater Houston Conventions and Visitors Bureau, Greater Houston Partnership and the Better Business Bureau.\u00a0Our Host Hotel for Events is :\u00a0The Whitehall Houston<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Register for free general admission<\/a><\/p>\nRegister for: BAIA Talk: panels and discussions<\/a><\/p>\nEmail us at:\u00a0baiafinearthouston@gmail.com<\/p>\n
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