Listen to our Executive Director Steven C. Newsome give an interview about our second exhibition, EVERYWHERE with Roy Lewis.
I have known Roy Lewis since the early 1990’s…and it does seem like he is everywhere. If you attend a major African-American focused political event, you will find him there. If you ever pick up a copy of the Washington Informer, you have seen his work. If you go to poetry readings, exhibit openings, the theater, or concerts, you are likely to encounter Roy Lewis and his camera. You can’t miss him. This elder statesman of Black photography is often nattily attired, never without some type of hat. He is old school – and proud of it. He wants each of his images to tell a story. His teachers such as Johnson Publication’s Moneta Sleet were masters at capturing images that are timeless. As a committed documentarian, Roy has continued that tradition. Lewis’ memory of the moments he has caught on film is astonishing. This small sample of work allows us to peek into journey that has taken him from Natchez, Mississippi to Hyattsville, Maryland. Along the way he has been able to provide us with interesting and often intimate images of artists such as David Driskell, James Baldwin, and Sterling Brown. His masterful eye has helped us focus upon the details of the Million Man March and the signing of new healthcare legislation. He has captured the community in celebration and in mourning.
Roy’s focused efforts serve to remind us of the important role photography plays in the telling of collective and personal histories. Our stories would be incomplete without pictures. In many cases, the image is all that remains. It is our hope that this exhibition will cause you to think about the photographs you have taken and the stories you have yet to tell.
Treasure them – Share them.
Steven C. Newsome
