Related Programs: Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985
Some programs require registration. All programs are free.
Opening Day
Sunday, September 21
Celebrate the opening of the exhibition with a curator-led talk, a film screening, and more.
Introduction to the Exhibition, 12:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium and virtual
Exhibition curators Philip Brookman, the National Gallery's consulting curator of photographs, and Deborah Willis, university professor and chair of the department of photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts and director of the Center for Black Visual Culture at New York University, give an overview of the exhibition. Registration required.
Ulysses Jenkins: Video Griot, 2:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
This selection of short videos includes four titles by Ulysses Jenkins, whose video Two Zone Transfer is installed in the exhibition. Registration required.
First Saturday
Saturday, October 4, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
This monthly, family-friendly event will feature artmaking and special pop-up activities inspired by the exhibition. Most programs do not require registration.
Exhibition Tours
A Snapshot of Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985
Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays between October 5, 2025, and January 11, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
West Building, Main Floor, exhibition entrance
These 30-minute programs will provide an introduction to the exhibition to orient visitors to its themes. Visitors will look closely at a few images together before exploring the exhibition on their own. No registration required.
Talks
Artist Talk: Carla Williams in Conversation with Deborah Willis
Saturday, September 20, 12:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium and virtual
Artist Carla Williams, whose work is included in the exhibition, and exhibition co-curator Deborah Willis discuss Williams's creative work as an artist, scholar, writer, and editor, which has championed images of and by Black women. Registration required.
Black Magic and the Black Arts Movement
Saturday, October 4, 12:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
Literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller presents on Amiri Baraka's Black Magic Poetry 1961-1967 and on the influence of the Black Arts Movement on his own life and work. Registration required.
Film
Film Legacies of the Black Arts Movement
This film series approaches the Black Arts Movement's legacy of films and videos by and about key cultural figures like Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Milford Graves, and others. Programs also highlight the movement's influence on today's media artists and filmmakers, who exercise self-determination and expression through cinema. Registration required.
Ulysses Jenkins: Video Griot
Sunday, September 21, 2:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
This selection of short videos includes four titles by Ulysses Jenkins, whose video Two Zone Transfer is installed in the exhibition. Part of the exhibition's opening day activities.
In Honor of Black Excellence
Saturday, October 4, 2:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
This program includes three important short films by artists influenced by or connected to the Black Arts Movement:
- Four Women (Julie Dash, 1975)
- Water Ritual 1: An Urban Rite of Purification (Barbara McCullough, 1979)
- The First World Congress of Negro Arts (William Greaves, 1966)
The Learning Tree
Saturday, October 11, 2:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
This film is a coming coming-of-age story by artist Gordon Parks, whose work is included in the exhibition. The Learning Tree was the first production by a major Hollywood studio (Warner Brothers) to be directed by an African American filmmaker.
Press Kit
Exhibition Press Release: Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985
Exhibition Checklist (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Related Programs
For Additional Information:
Laurie Tylec
Public Affairs Specialist, Communications Office
[email protected]
(202) 842-6355
