National Black Arts Festival to Honor Designer LaQuan Smith and Artist Amanda Williams at the 19th Annual Fine Art + Fashion Benefit Presented by Neiman Marcus The long-standing National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) organization will host its annual “Fine Art + Fashion” Benefit at the Atlanta His tory Center in partnership with Neiman Marcus. The benefit will take place on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 6:30pm where notable artists will receive esteemed awards including celebrity designer LaQuan Smith who will be honored with the “Fashion Designer Extraordinaire Award”, and visual artist Amanda Williams will receive the “Radcliffe Bailey Award for Excellence in Visual Arts”. There will also be presentations to student finalists in the NBAF NextGen Artist youth program student exhibition and a special recognition for celebrity stylist J Bolin. Presented in partnership with Neiman Marcus, Fine Art + Fashion brings together lovers of art & fashion with award-winning artists in visual arts and fashion design. Attendees enjoy dinner and drinks, an impeccably curated fashion show, award presentations, and are introduced to the winning student designers of the annual Fashion Forward Student Design Competition and the NextGen Visionary Artist Competition. LaQuan Smith is one of the fashion world’s most sought out designers in the industry. His distinctive work sparked interest among fashion icons and risk takers including Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian, all of whom were early supporters of the gifted designer. Since its formal debut in 2013, the brand has gained acclaim for its endless archive of distinctive garments and details. Smith has cultivated an equally dynamic private order clientele which spans the globe from Lagos to London. Smith’s unapologetically glamorous aesthetic has also been tapped by world­ recognized brands including Heineken, Tidal, Samsung, Microsoft, and Verizon, for Smith directed activations. LaQuan Smith, and his eponymous label, are headquartered and manufactured in Long Island City, NYC and deliver globally. Amanda Williams lives and works in Chicago, IL. Williams received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, NY in 1997. In 2015, Williams presented Color(ed) Theory, a breakthrough project for the artist that was exhibited as part of the 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial. This series has continued to inform Williams’ work over the last decade, including the artist’s 2019 TED talk. Williams is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2022), along with many other notable awards including Chicagoans of the Year (2023), USA Ford Fellow, and a Joan Mitchell Painting and Sculpture Fellow. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; and The Art Institute of Chicago, IL; among others. J Bolin is one of the entertainment industry’s most sought out stylists in the industry. With a keen ability to turn nothing into something, J. Bolin’s expertise spans from revamping personal wardrobes to elevating entire businesses. His client list includes notable names such as Tyra Banks, Michelle Williams, and collaborations with brands like Nike and Nine West. His influence resonates through creative direction for stars such as Morris Chestnut, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Fantasia, Vivica A. Fox, Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, Tisha Campbell, and Taye Diggs. “NBAF is excited to continue its tradition of highlighting and celebrating talented African American artists in Fashion and Visual Arts at our 19th annual Fine Art + Fashion event,” says NBAF’s Executive Director, Stephanie Owens. “We are extremely honored to honor some truly amazing artists this year while also uplifting the next generation of talent through our NextGen Visionary student exhibition.” Fine Art + Fashion raises funds to support NBAF’s operations and programs for artists of all ages and disciplines, particularly youth arts education programs for underserved students of African descent. NBAF will also award the 2025 Fashion Forward Student Design Competition and NextGen Visionary Competition winners at Fine Art + Fashion. The Fashion Forward Student Design Competition supports college-level student designers enrolled in an accredited fashion design program with a cash prize of $2,000, and showcasing their winning design at NBAF’s Fine Art + Fashion Benefit, and in Neiman Marcus Atlanta. The NextGen Visionary Artist Competition awards a high school student visual artist with a cash prize of $250, their work on display, and an award presentation at the event. NBAF’s Fine Art + Fashion is supported by many generous donors including the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Neiman Marcus, Georgia Pacific, and many more, in addition to media sponsors The Atlantan, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, and WABE. For more information or reservations, please visit: nbaf.org/fine-art-fashion. For interview requests, please email david@thedavidbrand.com. 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