 Fulton County Government as the major sponsor, joined by additional corporate and foundation sponsors, the Festival's first biannual summer festival was held in 1988.Over the eighteen years of the festival, artists and attendees alike have come to expect the emerging and renowned artists to grace the stages and exhibition spaces of the city; collectors look eagerly to the Artists’ Market for their next opportunity to buy from some of the best artists in the country; film fans flock to the screenings of known and unknown work; concert halls are filled with the voices and instruments of those who are considered to be the standard bearers in jazz, gospel and everything in-between; the masters of the stage and screen have joined us over the years; and the writers who have preserved the voices of the African Diaspora in literature have blessed us with their presence.People of all ages and races have gathered together to bask in the presence of