Curator, Apollo Music Café, February 11 & 12, 2011

Leatrice Ellzy is the director of artistic programming and new technologies for the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) in Atlanta, GA. She is directly responsible for the production of the summer festival and year-round artistic and online programming.  Founded in 1987, the Atlanta-based organization presents artists of African descent and explores their impact on world cultures through performance, education, humanities activities and dialogues. NBAF is one of few organizations that provide a platform for artists from the African Diaspora to express themselves across artistic disciplines: music, dance, theater, film, literary arts and visual arts.

Ms. Ellzy first joined the NBAF staff in 2002 as the special projects consultant. She produced key programming elements, curated music and cultural stages and worked with the marketing team to develop strategies for reaching expanded audiences during the 10-day summer festival.  She has a great ability to think past “the wall” and beyond “the stage.” Her professionalexperiences over the past 20 years have included non-profit management, fund development, television and radio production, public relations, marketing, and event production.  She has held key positions with organizations such as Girl Scouts, YWCA, Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Woodruff Arts Center.

A member of the next generation of arts administration professionals, Ms. Ellzy anticipates the paradigm shift.  She diligently works to build bridges between generations by developing innovative solutions that blend cultural art, popular culture, technology, and global perspective.