NBAF’s new exec in town
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Neil Barclay leaves Pittsburgh a success and faces a daunting challenge in Atlanta.
He takes up the reins of the National Black Arts Festival with the departure of longtime executive producer (and founding artistic director) Stephanie Hughley and the reduction of the festival from 10 to five days as a result of a lean economy and a drop in donations.
Austin American-Statesman
Neil Barclay, during his Austin days as assistant director of the University of Texas Performing Arts Center.
But Barclay sounded upbeat about the prospects for the festival Wednesday, just before being formally introduced to the city at a Midtown meet and greet.
“Someone who comes into difficult projects and makes them happen, that’s what I’ve made my career doing,” said Barclay, who will be CEO and executive producer of the annual festival.
In Pittsburgh, Barclay, 54, oversaw the design and construction of the $39.5 million signature building to house his organization, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture. Barclay had a significant role in raising funds for that project. The building is slated to open in September.
In Atlanta his rainmaking skills will be brought to bear, he said. “But one of the things I bring to the table as well as fund-raising is a deep appreciation for black culture and the aesthetics of the artists who are working in this culture. I want to see that we bring more of those great artists to our stages, to our film festivals, and that they’re framed and contextualized in such a way that deepens the audience’s appreciation of that culture.”
This year’s festival, which runs July 29-Aug. 2, will include a tribute to Nina Simone, featuring singers Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Joi Gilliam and Lisa Simone Kelly, and the original Nina Simone band.
Barclay offered some thoughts as the NBAF enters its 21st year.
Q: Will it be difficult to raise support for the festival during this economic downturn?
A: I don’t see the climate as being necessarily a deterrent to me. … A festival with this kind of impact should not have resource problems.
Q: How do you plan to make that happen?
A: Really just by making people understand the valuable asset that is the festival. … It may look and feel differently in Atlanta, but to somebody from the outside, like me, it’s one of the most respected venues for a black artist in the world, and should be resourced accordingly.
Q: During this transition [between Barclay and Hughley], who will be responsible for the festival this summer?
A: If you know Stephanie, she’s going to be the boss while she’s around. … This is her festival. I’m here to observe, to see what it looks and feels like, and how it operates.
