The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts has unveiled a new exhibit featuring never-before-seen photographs by renowned photojournalist and activist Kwame Brathwaite.
The exhibit highlights the Black Arts Movement of the 1970s and is a significant addition to the museum’s offerings.
Curator Catherine Walworth said, “I’m thrilled to share this exhibition with everyone, because this was about two years in the making. It’s original to our museum.” She explained that she collaborated with the artist’s estate and the Philip Martin Gallery in Los Angeles to select and bring these photographs to the museum.
“They include works that have never been seen before. They’re newly released from the archive,” she said.
Brathwaite, whose work is being rediscovered, was a photojournalist and activist whose career began in the mid-1950s.
“He and his friends, as late teenagers, created these artist collectives that were just moving the needle,” Walworth said. The exhibit focuses on Brathwaite’s work in the 1970s, showcasing his documentation of musicians and his collaboration with the Grandassa Models collective.
“It’s huge. There are three newly released images. It was such a pleasure to work with Kwame’s son and daughter-in-law.” Walworth said,
The exhibit will run through October 12, and the museum has planned a summer program featuring Kwame Brathwaite Jr., the artist’s son. Walworth added, “We’re just looking forward to activating and you know, we don’t show photography that often. This is great for so many reasons.”
Visitors are encouraged to experience the exhibit multiple times, as it promises to be a memorable and enriching experience.
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