For Jaleesa McIntosh, the Colorado Black Arts Festival (CBAF) is a long-standing tradition she enjoyed as a child. Now, as the festival’s newly appointed executive director, the event represents a full-circle moment that merges the old with the new. It’s a combination of traditional elements enjoyed for the last 38 years, and innovative activities and events that represent Denver’s fresh and vibrant future.
“Growing up in Denver, I remember seeing people in droves walking around the festival and enjoying something made for us, by us,” states the inspired new director.
With fond memories guiding her efforts, she is prepared for the first chapter in her leadership role.
History of Colorado Black Arts Festival
In 1986, the Denver Black Arts Festival (DBAF) celebrated the cultural contributions of Colorado’s Black visual and performing artists for the very first time. The festival was originally created to help increase representation and generate much-needed funding for local sculptors, painters and crafters. The event faced a great deal of adversity in its first year, with monsoon-like weather limiting attendance, but by the following year, the festival’s popularity soared, drawing over 30,000 attendees.
By 1990, attendance doubled to 60,000, highlighting the growing demand for opportunities to recognize and enjoy Black artistic talent. Attendees were enamored by the wide availability of local art, storytelling, movement and freedom of expression found within the festival grounds.
In 2009, DBAF formally changed its name to the Colorado Celebration of African American Arts and Culture, though it is commonly referred to as the Colorado Black Arts Festival, reflecting its broad, statewide impact. Throughout its evolution, CBAF has remained committed to its founding principles of providing a platform for Black artists to share creativity and cultural expression with pride. Its mission is to involve the community in helping to establish self-reliance, believing that cultural pride is the foundation for stability and prosperity.
Growth from CBAF’s humble beginnings to the present underscores its significance as a vital cultural event in Colorado, and McIntosh is excited to participate in the evolution of featured activities to ensure that the celebration continues.
A Theme of Rebirth
The 2024 CBAF will take place from July 12 to 14, along the western stretch of Denver’s City Park, with activities for everyone. McIntosh points out that this year’s event has been planned to promote inclusion while maximizing the impact of community partnerships.
The festival will kick-off with a Boogaloo Celebration Parade featuring marching bands, drummers, drill teams, athletes and more on Saturday morning. Artist Row Marketplace will feature vendors selling art, jewelry, crafted goods and clothing, along with representatives from nonprofit organizations and service agencies. There will also be an abundant array of food vendors offering culturally-inspired cuisines.
This year’s Children’s Pavilion, operated in partnership with The Arvada Center, will provide craft activities geared to spark each child’s imagination, while one of the new additions to the festival prioritizes the comfort and enjoy ability of every child present.
On Friday, July 12 from 11am to 3pm, the festival will be presented as a sensory-friendly experience to meet the needs of neuro-divergent children in attendance.
“This is a new idea we are happy to share with the people. Everyone should feel included and safe while at the festival.” McIntosh states.
Music is a central focal point of CBAF, with several performance stages featuring various genres performed by local and national acts.
The F. Cosmo Harris Gospel Stage will feature urban, traditional, youth and contemporary gospel performances along with praise dance. The Kuumba Stage will feature a diverse line-up of neo-soul, R&B, jazz, blues, world beat, hip-hop and traditional dance music. The brother jeff’s Cultural Center Stage will feature local community talent; and the Joda Village Compound and Stage, named in honor of master drummer and dance instructor Adetunji Joda, will feature creative interpretations of modern, tap, capoeira, Caribbean and African dance. The Village, arranged in a setting reminiscent of a small Nigerian village, will also host spoken word performances, African roots music, reggae and folk music.
McIntosh is looking forward to this year’s event, and is especially excited about the closing act on Sunday, July 14.
New Beginnings and a New Sound
Jackie Venson, a Black guitarist based in Austin, Texas, will infuse the final evening of CBAF with her trademark sound incorporating elements of pop, rock, R&B and blues.
Venson’s music is eclectic and soulful – a result of years spent listening to music from all over the world. Her love of music was derived from her mother, while her desire to become a working musician came from watching her father live out his own dreams as a professional music man.
“He showed me what it would be like to have a music career,” says Venson, who started out playing piano before the guitar stole her heart. “I wanted to make music that made people move and have fun. Playing classical music on piano was strict, and not fun.”
McIntosh is ready to show the Denver Metro community a new sound while welcoming Venson and her band to the festival for the very first time.
“I want to continue the legacy of excellence for the Black Arts Festival, while inspiring others in the community to partake in art,” she says.
Along with increasing exposure to traditional art forms and emerging artistic techniques, she hopes to inspire an ongoing appreciation for cultural arts among the next generation of creatives.
Editor’s Note: For information, visit www.colbaf.org.
