Retrospective photo exhibition opens May 9
The Saint Louis Art Museum is excited to present a spectacular exhibition of photographs taken by the renowned Gordon Parks over the span of his 50-year career. This retrospective exhibition – comprised of 54 images selected by Parks himself before his death in 2006 – represents the greatest achievements of this distinguished career.
Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks will be on view May 9 through August 3 in Gallery 222. Join us for a free lecture and preview of the exhibition and on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. in the Museum auditorium.
Born in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1912, Parks began working professionally in the early 1940s. He was the first African American to work for the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information, and the first African American to work at Life and Vogue magazines.
In 1948-1970, Parks served as staff photographer for Life magazine. With a straightforward and sympathetic eye, he investigated a range of pressing social issues: crime and urban decay in Harlem, segregation in Alabama, disease in the slums of Brazil, and the struggle for civil rights by Black Muslims. Parks dramatized these issues through his portrayal of the day-to-day struggles of individuals and families he grew to know well.
Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks is curated by Eric Lutz, assistant curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, with the assistance of Alisa Swindell, Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Museum Fellow.
Seminar: African American Photographers
Saturdays, May 17 – June 14 (4 sessions)
10:30 am – 12 noon
Note: No class May 24
Join us for a fascinating look at the history and progression of African American photography. The class will cover a variety of topics including portraiture of African Americans in the early 29th century, photojournalism during the civil rights era, and the provocative work of contemporary photographers. Drawing on the photography collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum, students will get to know the work of artists such as Roy DeCarava, Moneta Sleet, Jr., and Lorna Simpson. The class will also include visits to the Museum’s exhibition Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks. Class size is limited to 15 participants.
Instructors include Eric Lutz, assistant curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs, and Alisa Swindell, Romare Bearden Fellow, Saint Louis Art Museum.
Fee: $80 ($50 Members).
To learn more the Saint Louis Art Museum programming and art collection, please contact visit www.slam.org or contact renee.franklin@slam.org.