Kamoinge Workshop facts for kids
The Kamoinge Workshop is a special group of photographers. It started in 1963. This group is known for being one of the longest-running non-profit photography groups ever! It was formed when two groups of African-American photographers decided to work together.
One group was called Kamoinge. It was started by Louis Draper, James "Jimmie" Mannas, Al Fennar, and Herbert Randall. The other group was Group 35. Its members included Ray Francis, Earl Jones, Louis Draper, Herman Howard, Calvin Mercer, and Mel Dixon. Louis Draper was very important in getting the Kamoinge Workshop started. The first leader of the group was Roy DeCarava. He guided the collective from 1963 to 1965.
What Does Kamoinge Mean?
The name Kamoinge was suggested by Al Fennar. He read it in a book by Jomo Kenyatta called Facing Mount Kenya. In the Kikuyu language, spoken in Kenya, Kamoinge means “a group of people who are working together.”
This name perfectly describes the group's goal. They wanted to create a supportive place for artists. They also wanted to photograph black life in many different ways. They aimed to show the true and complex experiences of black people. They avoided old, tired ideas or stereotypes. As member Deborah Willis said, their photos are like "a mosaic of the black experience."
Who Joined Kamoinge?
The Kamoinge Workshop grew over the years. In late 1963, new members joined. These included Herb Robinson, David Carter, Adger Cowans, and Anthony Barboza.
Later, in 1965, Beuford Smith became a member. The first woman to join was Ming Smith in 1972. C. Daniel Dawson also joined that same year.
More photographers joined in the 2000s. In 2001, Collette V. Fournier, Budd Williams, and Eli Reed were invited. Spencer Burnett, June Truesdale, and Gerald Cyrus joined in 2003. Mark Blackshear, Jerry Jack, and Russell K. Frederick joined in 2004. In 2005, Salimah Ali and Radcliffe Roye became members. Anthony Barboza became the president of Kamoinge in 2004. Darryl Sivad and Ronald Herd joined in 2009.
By 2014, Kamoinge had 30 members. Some of these included Anthony Barboza (President), Adger W. Cowans (Vice President), Herb Robinson (Treasurer), Ming Smith, and Beuford Smith.
Exhibitions and Projects
The Kamoinge Workshop has shown its amazing photographs in many places. From 1964 to 1965, they had two shows. These were called Theme Black and The Negro Woman. They were held in a Harlem brownstone on Strivers Row.
Since 1963, their work has been displayed at famous places. These include the International Center of Photography, the Countee Cullen Library, and Harlem's Studio Museum. The group also gave talks and published many collections of their photos.
In its first year, Kamoinge created fifteen photo collections. Ten of these were sent to important places. These included the University of Ghana, Howard University, and Atlanta University. They also went to the Museum of Modern Art, the Schomburg Library, and the Museum of Negro History.
In 1965, Roy DeCarava had his own show. It was called US and was at the Countee Cullen Library. In 1969, he had another big show. This one was at the Studio Museum and was called Through Black Eyes. It explored the black experience in America through art.
In 1972, Joe Walker, Joe Crawford, and Beuford Smith started publishing Kamoinge's work. This was in a book series called Black Photographers Annual. This series had four volumes and featured artists from all over the United States.
In 1974, some Kamoinge photos were shown at the International Center of Photography. This helped the group become more well-known.
From 1998 to 1999, Kamoinge worked with the Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship (IYE) in Harlem, NY. This happened thanks to Kamoinge member Shawn Walkers.
In 2001, Kamoinge members Anthony Barboza and Beuford Smith helped with a big exhibit. It was at the Brooklyn Museum and was called “Committed to the Image: A Half Century of Black Photography in America."
Kamoinge Inc. published its first book in 2004. It was titled The Sweet Breath of Life. In 2006, Kamoinge's Mark Blackshear worked with artist Daniel Simmons. They put together an exhibit called “Black Music” for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
In 2007, an exhibit called “Revealing the Face of Katrina” opened. It was at the HP Gallery at Calumet Photo, NY. Kamoinge members Radcliffe Roye, C. Daniel Dawson, Russel Frederick, and John Pinderhughes organized it. A second showing of this exhibit opened in 2009. It was at the Gordon Parks Gallery at the College of New Rochelle.
In 2013, a book called Timeless: Photographs of Kamoinge was published. Anthony Barboza, Herb Robinson, Quincy Troupe, and Vincent Alabiso worked on it. The group had been putting the book together since 2010.
An exhibition called “Working Together: The Photographers of the Kamoinge Workshop” was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It took place from July to October 2020. This show focused on the early years of the Kamoinge Workshop. It highlighted important works by the founding members from the first two decades. The exhibition was also shown at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts from February 1, 2020, to June 14, 2020.
