Through the Lens: Visions of African American Experience, 1950-1970
November 18, 2015 – April 03, 2016
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas
Gordon Parks, Emerging Man, 1952.
About:
This exhibition features over sixty works by seven photographers active during the civil rights era (1950-1970). Organized to underscore different artistic intentions and photographic approaches, Through the Lens highlights various aspects of African American experience during this time of tremendous social and political change.
Bruce Davidson, Time of Change, 1961-1965, copyright photographer.
Photographers Danny Lyon, Bruce Davidson, and Charles Moore bore witness to the activities and struggles of the civil rights movements as a means to effect social change. W. Eugene Smith, Gordon Parks and James Karales produced extended photo-essays that brought stories about the lives of ordinary African Americans to the national public. Drawing inspiration from music and literature, Roy DeCarava and Gordon Parks made original, creative photographs as purely artistic expressions.
Exhibition Programs
Danny Lyon, Civil Rights Series 1963, copyright photographer.
Talk
Activists Then and Now
Thursday, January 14 | 6–7 p.m. |
To commemorate the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., please 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.
Bruce Davidson, Time of Change, 1961-1965, copyright photographer.
Danny Lyon, Civil Rights Series, 1962, copyright photographer.
The 1950s and 1960s in Kansas City:
A Photographic Journey
Saturday, January 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.
Talk
The Sweet Flypaper of Life and the Changing Face of Photobooks, 1950–1970
Thursday, February 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.
Talk
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.
Performance
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.
Talk
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. (text website museum)