‘Art is everything I embrace and gives me an opportunity to make my mark.’ Q&A with Najee Dorsey of Black Art in America

Najee Dorsey is a Southern artist famous for his African-American art in multiple mediums. He is also the founder of Black Art in America, a leading online portal and social network focused on African-American art.

Last year, Dorsey chose to put down roots for Black Art in America and he picked Columbus as its home base. His work as an artist has continued to flourish through the transition of settling down in Columbus. It is because of Dorsey that Black Art in America has an audience of people from more than 100 countries visiting its website each month, and about half a million visitors coming to the organization’s social media pages.

Dorsey recently corresponded with Sunday Arts reporter Carrie Beth Wallace to discuss his development as an artist, his current projects, Black Art in America’s continued development, and all of his upcoming shows this fall.

Q: What are you working on?

A: Currently, my art practice and marketing prowess are intertwined. I’m preparing for multiple shows — in Petersburg, Va.; New York City; Houston; and here in Columbus at the Rankin Center for Photography. I’m really excited about the work I’ll be showing at the Rankin Center for Photography. It’s photographs from my travels both locally and nationally with my muse caricature ... Robert “Crossroad Blues” Johnson. It stemmed from just being out and about looking for interesting places, people and environments. It’s my first photography show with a mix of some digital works. The figure I’m using comes from an earlier work that is now part of our Garden Art for the Soul pieces.

Q: How do you feel your work is evolving?

A: Well, anything not growing is dead, and I have to have multiple projects going because I lose focus if the interest is not there. Every day we get older and hopefully wiser, and as an artist I’m always looking for the art in everything I do. That means looking for it in every social media post, marketing campaign, photo, every conversation, everything. Art is everything I embrace and gives me an opportunity to make my mark. I’m evolving. I think I’m at my absolute best right now at 44 years of age, and I’m hopeful to continue to get even better. I also understand the influence I have as an artist, and owning Black Art In America and the various other social media pages we control — all in all, over 160,000 followers on Facebook alone and 29,000 plus members of Black Art in America. I embrace it and use it to make statements and share images to empower, uplift and also challenge. #foreverevolving

Q:What materials do you most often work with?

A: My cell phone. If you could only see what I’m able to do with this technology — it amazes me at times.

Q: That’s interesting. In what ways do you use your cell phone for your creative work?

A: I use my cell phone for posting on the various social media platforms, creating video content we’re using to promote the shows via flipagram, post to YouTube, add music, etc. ... I also use it for shooting video interviews as well as audio podcast, photography and general communication. The power of the phone today affords me the opportunity to run a media company and be completely mobile with having the latest technology at my fingertips.

Q: What are your goals for the next year within your own work?

A: Continued growth is all I want.

Q: How is Black Art in America doing?

BAIA continues to evolve. We’re in the midst of a new site launch over the next 45 days that will be a collage of the various brands we have, from Black Art In America, Do You Basel?, Garden Art for the Soul, Shop BAIA Online, and EveryThang Black.

We receive new members daily, but we reach our audience on the platforms they love most like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

We also are producing our largest art show to date in Houston, that takes place Oct. 27-29 at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. It’s the type of show I once considered for Columbus, Ga. Maybe some day it could be possible for our city to host a national arts show presented by BAIA.

Q: How has Black Art in America changed since making its home base in Columbus?

A: Not many changes since becoming based here because we are a national multifaceted media company, marketing and producing shows both public and private around the country. However, there are a few local things with which we are pleased.

We’ve been able to open the gallery on 17th Street, curated a few shows in the city, worked with several Columbus State University students, and last year we gave a partial scholarship to a CSU student as well as hosted an artist in residence at the gallery.

Q: What are your goals for Black Art in America?

A: My goals for BAIA are to grow our number of members and followers to our social media pages and our staff, as well as finally getting those corporate partners that share our vision for communities living life creatively and help us to produce more art experiences around the country. We’d also like to offer a quarterly print issue of the publication.

Q: What else can you tell me about this NYC show that you’ve been invited to join this fall?

A: “Platform Contemporary Art Show, Art Book Fair & Film Festival is a game changer in bridging the gap between artist, critic and collector,” says Terrence Sanders, owner of Art Voices magazine. Sanders has his finger on the pulse of the contemporary art world.

Platform is an invitational show so when Sanders reached out wanting me in the show, I accepted. I thought, “Hey, it’s New York, it’s a fine art show and I understand where he is coming from.” We can’t wait on Warhol to save us, we have to constantly push the envelope with our art practice and be visible via social media. Building relationships is important.

Q: Anything else our readers should know?

A: Yes. I would love to have them at our show in Houston, on the weekend of Oct. 27. It will be a great show with great programming. Also, like our various pages on social media and consider some artwork for their collection.

This story was originally published August 19, 2017 at 9:59 PM with the headline "‘Art is everything I embrace and gives me an opportunity to make my mark.’ Q&A with Najee Dorsey of Black Art in America."