We were lucky to catch up with Faron Manuel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Faron, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
As a Curator and Art Administrator, I’ve committed myself to sharing my experience and what I’ve learned working in the ‘art world’ for the last 15yrs.
In turn, my generosity in this way comes from the generosity I received early on, from people eager to mentor and answer the questions I had as an emerging arts professional.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Always centering the art, I curate to tell stories, providing context for viewers to unpack emblematic works of art. Curating has also empowered me to create space—where communities can be entertained, challenged and sometimes changed. In this, my primary aim is to uplift the work of the artist and to connect people to art in meaningful ways.
For the past year, I’ve served as Curator at Black Art In America (BAIA) Gallery and Director of the BAIA Foundation (501c3), where I have had the opportunity to support contemporary artists through residency opportunities and artist development initiatives and programs. In this capacity I also have the responsibilities of curating regular exhibitions at BAIA Gallery and maintaining productive relationships with a network of national institutions, art patrons and collectors.
April 4-May18th we are honoring Richard Mayhew at BAIA Gallery in Atlanta, GA with a special exhibition titled “Landscapes for Richard Mayhew.” A group exhibition of 19 artists celebrating the renowned artists on the 100th Anniversary of his birth.
Participating artists include:
Richard Mayhew, Dean Mitchell, Mason Archie, Charly Palmer, Najee Dorsey, Lillian Blades, Freddie Styles, Ted Ellis, Emma Amos, Norma Morgan, Michi Meko, Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, Curlee Holton, Traci Mims, Larry Jerome, Jamele Wright Sr., Cedric Michael Cox, Ronald Walton, Frank Toby Martin
Also, a virtual tour of the show can be viewed on the link here: https://matterport.com/discover/space/XkFgsUdRqXm
Black Art In America Announces Special Exhibition Landscapes
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important qualities for my journey have been: a willingness to learn; a collaborative mindset; and being culturally competent with respect to what artists are doing.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I would say having a network of mentors for different things. It’s easy to get caught up in the notion that we can or should have one mentor–that’s not true. There are many lessons to be learned on your journey and there are many teachers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackartinamerica.com/pages/baia-foundation
- Instagram: @faronmanuel
- Linkedin: Faron Manuel
Image Credits
-Black Art In America Gallery -Official GA Senate Photos -SCOPE Art Fair
