Arthur Tafawa Hicks, born Arthur Hicks, in Bessemer, Alabama, in 1947, is an exceptionally talented, highly skilled photographer, printer, and custom picture framer. He was raised in Buffalo, New York, attended public schools there, and was drafted into the U. S. Army at age 18. Upon completion of military service, he returned to Buffalo and earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and African Studies from Buffalo State College. While a sophomore in college, Tafawa’s wife gave him his first camera, and he immediately began to develop his keen eye for photographing people.  His creative instincts around photographing, printing, exhibiting and preserving African and African American imagery continue to evolve. For nearly two decades, Tafawa and his wife have lived in Metro Atlanta.