J O I N U S : D O C U M E N T A R Y M A T T E R S
Photographers Respond to the U.S. Elections
With Sheila Pree Bright and Andrea Bruce
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
7:30 pm Eastern Time
Virtual
Free and open to the public
Photo by Sheila Pree Bright.
Photo by Andrea Bruce
One month ago, Donald Trump was elected to a second term in office by a narrow but decisive majority, defeating Kamala Harris who would have been the first woman elected to the White House. The GOP swept both houses of Congress, giving Republicans control of all three levers of power in Washington as they already have a majority on the Supreme Court.
Many issues in this world do not lend themselves easily to photographic documentation—including the U.S. elections and the exercise--or dismantling--of democracy. Join us in a discussion with Sheila Pree Bright, Andrea Bruce, and members of the documentary community to discuss what happened on November 5 and what this means for the future of both democracy and documentary practice in the United States.
Audience members encouraged to participate with questions and comments.
Sheila Pree Bright
Sheila Pree Bright is an acclaimed International Photographic Artist who portrays large-scale works that combine a wide-range knowledge of contemporary culture. She is known for her series, #1960Now, Young Americans, Plastic Bodies, and Suburbia.
Bright is the author of #1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protest published by Chronicle Book. The work is a feature in the New York Times and she has appeared in the 2016 feature-length documentary film Election Day: Lens Across America. Her series has exhibited at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; Smithsonian National Museum of African American Museum, Washington, DC; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; The Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and the Leica Gallery in New York. Her series #1960Now, Young Americans, Plastic Bodies, and Suburbia have been extensively reviewed and written about national and internationally.
Bright is the recipient of several nominations and awards. Recently, she has been awarded the commission for 'Picturing the South' by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Her work is included in numerous private and public collections, to name a few: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC; The Library of Congress, Washington, DC; National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta, GA; Oppenheimer Collection: Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland, KS; Pyramid Peak Foundation, Memphis, TN; de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta, GA; Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Atlanta GA; King & Spalding Art Collection, Atlanta GA; University of Georgia Athen, Athen GA; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; and the Do Good Fund, Columbus, GA.
Andrea Bruce
Andrea Bruce is a photographer, educator, artist, and writer whose work focuses on ideas of democracy and the aftermath of war. She often concentrates on the social issues that are sometimes ignored and often ignited in war's wake. Her work bridges art and journalism and welcomes a critical understanding and reimagining of both.
Her clients include National Geographic and The New York Times as well as many publications around the globe. Andrea was a 2016 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University where she studied ideas of democracy. She is the publisher and creator of the hyper-local, visual-first publication Down in the County serving Pamlico County, NC.
Andrea started working in Iraq in 2003, bringing a local reporter’s knack for intimacy and community focus to the lives of Iraqis and the U.S. military. For eight years, she worked as a staff photographer for The Washington Post, where she originated and authored a weekly column called "Unseen Iraq.” She also worked at The Concord Monitor and The St. Petersburg Times after graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995. She is a member/ owner of the photo agency NOOR.
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