Coreen Simpson facts for kids

Coreen Simpson (born February 18, 1942) is a noted African-American photographer and jewelry designer. Her amazing work often focuses on African-American themes and culture.

Early Life and Learning

Coreen Simpson grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She lived there with her brother and a foster family. She went to Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn.

After high school, she studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design. She also learned from a photographer named Frank Stewart at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1977.

Her Career

Coreen Simpson started her career in 1980. She became an editor for Unique New York magazine. She began taking photos to go with her articles.

Soon, she became a freelance fashion photographer. This means she took photos for different magazines and newspapers. She worked for the Village Voice and the Amsterdam News in the early 1980s.

She took pictures at many important African-American cultural and political events. She is also famous for her photos of Harlem nightlife. She would set up a small photo studio in clubs, barbershops, and hair salons. Her photos show many different people with great feeling and respect.

The Black Cameo Jewelry

Besides photography, Coreen Simpson also designs beautiful jewelry. Her most famous collection is called The Black Cameo. She launched it in 1990.

Cameos are a very old type of jewelry. They usually show a carved profile (side view) of a face. Coreen Simpson's cameos are special because they show portraits of black women.

These portraits highlight the many different looks of black women. Coreen Simpson wanted every black woman to see herself in her cameo jewelry. Famous people like Ruby Dee and Oprah Winfrey bought pieces from this collection.

In 1993, Simpson worked with Avon Products. They created the Coreen Simpson Regal Beauty Collection. This line offered her designs, including an African-American cameo, at a lower price.

Coreen Simpson still lives in New York City.

Where Her Art Is Kept

Coreen Simpson's artwork is part of many important collections. You can find her pieces in places like:

• The Museum of Modern Art
• The Bronx Museum of the Arts
• The Musee de la Photographie in Belgium
• The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
• The International Center for Photography
• The Harlem State Office
• The James Van Der Zee Institute

Exhibitions of Her Work

Coreen Simpson's photographs have been shown in many art exhibitions. Some of these include:

• 1979: Corner Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
• 1998: Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
• 1998: International Center of Photography, New York, NY
• 1998: Musée de la Photographie, Brussels, Belgium
• 1999: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, NY
• 2000: Anacostia Community Museum, Washington, DC
• 2001: Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
• 2001: Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Awards She Has Won

Coreen Simpson has received several awards for her contributions to art and culture:

• 1987: Light Work Residency
• Nueva Luz, Volume 1#2
• 1994: The Mary McLeod Bethune Award from the National Council of Negro Women
• 2000: The Madame C.J. Walker Award
• 2006: The National Council of Negro Women "Legend's Award"