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MBA will be a 501(c)(3) corporation, headquartered at Court St., Brooklyn, NY, with an office in Fairfax, VA. The Executive Board consists of two people: Melissa Matthews, CEO, Co-Founder and Curatorial Director; and Michael J. Cooper, COO/CFO, Co-Founder and Business & Development Director.

MBA was formed to fill what its founders perceive as a huge gap in the American and International arts landscape, given the contribution of African and Diaspora art and aesthetics to the modern artistic canon.

MBA's mission is to nurture talent, facilitate exhibition opportunities, and provide professional development assistance for emerging artists of the African Diaspora. As the only art fund for emerging black/Diaspora artists that we are aware of, we take our mission and our place in the art landscape very seriously.

MBA's vision is as ambitious as its mission is serious. The organization seeks to become a player in the art landscape, helping elevate and promote black art in the United States, and eventually, globally. Rotating Biennials between Africa, Europe and the U.S., an art center with gallery and studio space, fellowships and grant programs, and publishing books and/or periodicals are among the ideas that fit within the scope of MBA's grand vision.

In 2009, MBA will mount two exhibitions, the first of which, juried exhibition "Dawning of a New Day: Perspectives on Black America" will take place in spring and the second, an open exhibition "The Art of Storytelling: I AM" will take place in the fall. The organization will also sponsor approximately 12 workshops and seminars beginning in March of this year.

MBA has taken the initiative to establish promotional partnerships with local galleries, artist collectives, and nonprofits across its target cities. The organization is strengthening its position and expanding its reach every day.