Photography Exhibition Highlights African American Experience
Kansas City, MO. Nov 10, 2015
Through the Lens Explores Issues Still Relevant Today
More than 60 photographs made during the civil rights era will be on display in Through the Lens: Visions of African American Experience, 1950–1970. Featured are works by seven photographers: Danny Lyon, Bruce Davidson, Charles Moore, James Karales, W. Eugene Smith, Gordon Parks and Roy DeCarava. The exhibition opens November 18, 2015 and will be on view through April 3, 2016.
The years between 1950 and 1970 were a time of tumultuous social and political change in the United States. Along with the nation’s focus on the fight for civil rights, there was increased interest in the art, culture and experience of ordinary African Americans. Photographers responded by focusing on different aspects of African American experience.
“This important exhibition, featuring many works from our renowned photography collection, focuses on a vital period in American history and culture,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, the Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “Significantly, the moments that have been captured by photographers tell a narrative that continues today.”
Through the Lens will highlight the different intentions and contexts in which these photographs were made and seen.
Photographers such as Bruce Davidson, Charles Moore and Danny Lyon made images that bore witness to the events of the civil rights movement with the intention of inspiring social change. Gordon Parks, W. Eugene Smith and James Karales used the photo-essay format to tell extended stories in visual terms, celebrating everyday heroes and highlighting the impact of integration and segregation in small communities. Gordon Parks and Roy DeCarava drew upon music and literary culture to create artistic and poetically expressive works.
“The photographs in Through the Lens were made for a variety of reasons,” said April M. Watson, Curator of Photography. “It is important to highlight these contexts, to suggest the degree to which photography permeated our visual culture, and shaped our collective cultural understanding of this important period in American history.”
Programming related to this exhibition:
Activists Then and Now
Thursday, Jan. 14, 6–7 p.m.
To commemorate the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., join us for a moderated conversation about civil rights and social justice, past and present. Leading the discussion are four voices—two activists with direct remembrance of the civil rights movement in Kansas City, and two who have experienced recent events in Ferguson, Missouri. In partnership with the Black Archives of Mid-America.
The 1950s and 1960s in Kansas City: A Photographic Journey
Saturday, Jan. 16, 1–4 p.m.
The Black Archives of Mid-America highlights the rich history of local experiences during the 1950s and 1960s, including images from the Elijah Washington photographic collection. Table displays, casual conversation and brief talks help share the stories.
The Sweet Flypaper of Life and the Changing Face of Photobooks, 1950–1970
Thursday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.
Join curator April M. Watson for a discussion about mid-20th-century photobooks, centered around The Sweet Flypaper of Life (1955), an important collaborative publication by photographer Roy DeCarava and writer Langston Hughes.
Artist’s Talk: Bruce Davidson
Thursday, March 10, 6–7 p.m.
Esteemed documentary photographer Bruce Davidson will discuss his distinguished career, from his time covering the events of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s to his most recent projects.
Sponsored by the Photography Society.
The Big Step-Off Semifinals Competition, 2016!
Saturday, March 12, 2 p.m.
Born out of the Lindy Hop during the swing era, the homegrown Kansas City Two-Step is a 20th-century African American tradition that lives on today. Cheer on competing couples as they duel on the dance floor in hopes of making it to the final round. Then stick around to dance the Two-Step with competitors and fellow enthusiasts.
The Fellows are IN!: Diverse Perspectives—American Art
Friday, April 1, 7 p.m.
Join Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellows Myles Cheadle and Issac Logsdon as they discuss select works in Through the Lens and American Art—In Preparation. The discussion will begin in L11 and move to G214.
Through the Lens: Visions of the African American Experience runs through April 3, 2016.
Image caption: Bruce Davidson, American (b. 1933). Time of Change (National Guardsmen protecting the Freedom Riders during their ride from Montgomery, Alabama to Jackson, Mississippi), 1961. Gelatin silver print (printed later), 8 7/8 × 12 15/16 inches. Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2014.18.5.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more than 35,000 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. The institution-wide transformation of the Nelson-Atkins has included the 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building expansion and renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.
The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free to everyone. For museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org/.
For media interested in receiving further information, please contact:
Kathleen Leighton, Manager, Media Relations and Video Production
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
816.751.1321
kleighton@nelson-atkins.org