Explore Photographer Gordon Park’s Influence on Photography

In recognition of Black History Month and in collaboration with Eastville Community Historical Society, the Parrish is presenting a pair of programs on Gordon Parks (1912-2006), the first African American photographer to shoot for LIFE and Vogue magazines. On Friday, February 18, Dr. Georgette Grier-Key will be joined by two photographers, Donnamarie Barnes and Steven John Irby (Steve Sweatpants), to discuss Parks’ significant contributions and achievements in the field of photography and his lasting influence on a generation of practitioners. Both programs are in-person at the Museum; the talk is also live-streamed.

Friday, February 18, 6 pm, in person in the Theater and live stream

TALK: Beyond the Lens: Capturing Culture and Conscience moderated by Dr. Georgette Grier-Key with Donnamarie Barnes and Steven John Irby

Gordon Parks’ unique style of photography and filmmaking is an enduring body of work that consistently informs us. The panel discussion on his legacy will be led by Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Eastville Community Historical Society, with Donnamarie Barnes, Director of History and Heritage at Sylvester Manor Educational Farm in Shelter Island, and Steven John Irby Co-Founder & Director of Street Dreams magazine. The conversation will cover Parks’ use of photography to amplify social, cultural, racial, and political issues of the day. The panelists—artists and photographers in their own right—will reexamine Parks’ work and talk about various techniques of photography and strategies for storytelling.  

For more info, visit ParrishArt.org